Show THE HYDRANT QUEST tho city council last monday night reached a conclusion on the hydrant question and passed an ordinance regulating the water rates the matter has been before the coun oil for a long time aud has been thoroughly debated even the citizens have met in mass meeting and their ideas solicited ted A number of propositions have bean presented by the provo city waterworks Water works compaan when the franchise was granted nothing however was mentioned regarding hydrants for the city hough it may have been understood that the city would contract for such a number as it could a afford and might ned of later the waterworks water works company proposed that the city take one hundred hydrants at 75 each and contract for the arme at once it was stated that this would be a guarantee on the part of the city which would enable the company to more readily float its bonds and put in a superior water system the council actuated by a disiro to help the company secure the meana necessary proposed to take fifty hydrants at CO each this proposition brought a more liberal ono form the waterworks Water works company than formerly made and mr JONES proposed to let the city have a hundred hydrants hydra nta for four years at four thousand dollars a year and abo four years eight thousand dollars should every year for sixteen years with the additional advantage that alie city could have as many hydrants as it would require in other words the oily would contract for hydrants for twenty years to como for which a hundred and forty four thousand dollars should be paid in amounts as above specified this seemed a fair proposition in view of the future of prove but tho council felt like it would bo placing a burden on the city might not bo advantageous to future councils and therefore it was agreed to contract for no specified number of hydrants as the city may require them they will be ordered and 75 eacle is the rate fixed per annum so the way the hydrant question stands at present the city has contracted for no specified number ant merely fixed the rate on the same per annum while we had hoped for some understanding to be arrived at between the city and the company wo have coine to abo conclusion that the council did well in not binding the city at present on terms oven though favorable the water company is wholly unknown to the community and go far has done little to inspire confidence when work is comin cod however and tho water mains brought to the city then the would like to see a spirit of liberality actuate cur city fathers we furthermore believe that this will be the case A spirit of fairness and we may say liberality has so far characterized the actions of the council A valuable franchise has been granted freo of all charge to the company and the city will liberally sustain the enterprise when commenced |