| Show A W 15 A OWN ion V nn WATER ISSUE HE RECALLS SOME PAST HISTORY ON THE QUESTION I 1 when he was a councilman and was asked who will get the rake bake off editor Exar examiner niner in 1903 the glasmann administration hail had about closed a deal with the water co to buy their interests and assume the bonds for less than the present deal of and five years ago of necessity there had been that much less rot and usage at that time the utah state jour ral vigorously opposed the purchase as the following extracts from its editorials will show the italics are mine otherwise the article is just as printed april 11 1903 the resolution passed by the city council offering to purchase the water system for has caused a considerable adverse comment it if bill or the city government believe the waterworks water works are worth or even it would interest the people of ogden if the powers that bo be would explain how the system lias has increased in value the journal of aug 3 1903 says the following items were prepared tind put in type tor for a special edition to tc have been issued in case the mayor and council should persist in baa having the bond election take place as advertised as follows the utah state journal stood tor for and with the people of ogden as it always will when they are assailed lej by Ec scheming herning politicians and bunco steer stee ers in the standard of june ath the mayor advocates paying tor for a system that thrle three competent engin engan er beere said was wal worth only and this after two years more wear and tear and little or no improvements will vill the people of this city saddle upon themselves a mortgage of to buy a system that three competent engineers have declared can be duplicated new for less than who gets the rake off again same issue we dont want the waterworks water works if we have to pay double their value we want the mayor and council to find out just what we get before they ask us to vote we want to know what has enhanced the value of the system to it was worth only two years ago we would honestly like to know it if the council really are in earnest in supposing they can deceive enough people to carry the bond election we appeal to the business sense the moral honesty and love of justice in all fair minded men we ask you to go over the bond proposition carefully and Cho thoroughly roughly before you decide to vote for it we call upon you first to deckle decide this cats question Is the ogden waterworks water works worth ony whore fram to wo we give you the estimate of the first cost of the system made macl e by engineer 1 I bannister Bon nister and city engineer Pa parker rIcer these gentlemen iliade made an estimate in 1900 and they said the system could be duplicated for that is the entire plant when new would bo be worth that amount are these fig vies worth orth anything that may help bell you to determine what the system la worth after 12 years now 20 of wear and tear and patching and repairing it if you concluded the water system it not worth can you conscientiously vote for the bonds no you cannot if the advocates of the purchase of the system what the mayor declared two years ago was worth only 17 succeed in saddling on to the people of this city or more than the entire system Is worth who will get the rake eft again editorially aug 29 1906 it Is said the water company will not accept the new franchise but will turn it over to some one else no one need lay awake nights worrying over that the comp company any will either ducept or continue business under the rothwell present franchise there is no cause for alarm the water people were in too big a hurry burry to rush this ordinance sale through the council A ri measure leasure that will not st vid the scrutiny of publicity but which abich Is brought in ant hurried through in one evening Is something that legislative bodies do well to avoid the days of railroading legislation have passed the people demand safeguard again may ath the meeting of the council monday lay night shows trtat was tone in tho the proposed purchase of the water works for the he subsequent proceedings are full of interest while the final outcome and failure of thle the scheme has given great satisfaction to all except those who would have profited greatly through saddling of tho te heavy burden upon the shoulders of the already overtaxed people of goguen if so then how now 3 per c ent cent levy then 4 12 1 2 per cent now again may ath 01 eight members of the city council 9 I 1 believe now vote voted t to 0 perform tal an illegal act to take a step which was opposed to tho the best interest of the city they were restrained as tey vie I 1 le 7 should bo be and for this thip the people h have ave to thank G NV jones and robt A moyes it is high t time ime that the troubles over tho the water system should cease the city counell council should forego ita it attempts to acquire ownership and control of the system for it has been clearly demonstrated flat t bat it cannot be purchased without paying for it double what it is worth an eminent engineer C K X dan ban stated tho the present system could bo be duplicated for sup poso it would cost it lie better than this deal nearly all of tho the people of ogden think as we ive do about this matter if a majority of the men members ibers of the council do ilot take this view of the matter there trust must be borno reason why thoy they do rot and it is pertinent to inquire why they have placed themselves in t the b e po position s of championing the c cause tu se 0 of f a private corporation I 1 here Is a statement of one of tho the present city officials the first and prime object in either cither case build or buy Is 1 to obtain a clent supply of pure water this has been secured by ogden city in south fork canon this Is at least one good thing the council has done hold that water ask for bonds to improve and secure it and I 1 doubt not but the taxpayers would willingly come to your aid secure that water and all else will be forgiven but it will cost in either case buy or build to utilize it wo we have proceeded with extreme care and know wo we can levy a 10 mill tax as often as WG we need it and bond tor for and they should also add that that Is all the investigation they have made do they know the condition of the system or does it make any difference do them the know whether the company has any water has the company any deats deb ts in fact do they know now an other h reason other than we can ralso the funds in their statement they say we levied a 10 mill tax and arranged for a bond election 7 there are two ways in which the city may own the works first by paying in cash for its ita shares of stock voters take your choice it would b be 0 interesting to know who are tho the c owners of these there shares ares of stock stoc k will sir do de vine eny e I 1 I 1 y that the derision decision 0 of f tho the supreme court did say that the company had no exclusive right that ogden could reta retake I 1 its t s water ter when it so desired that 0 odden 7 de n dit did d not have to rent any certain n bimber imber af pf hydrants that the company must extend mains when 8 per cent revenue is guaranteed and that ogden city council must fix rates I 1 then why should we either cither buy or build now especially considering our finau financial cial condition if we bought we could not increase the water supply and if we dont buy the company cant without putting their own money into it and they wont so we would gain nothing but a 4 rotten system and a big mortgage by buying and lose nothing by not buying mr air J S lewis august 6 1906 then as now president of the civic league gave some of his reasons why he dav ered the new franchise reported by his committee to and adopted by the council he said ogden city cannot at this time own its own water system because of the debt limit and even it if she could would not have sufficient funds to extend mains and increase water supply necessary to give its citizens ample water and fire protection july 7 1900 judge Al marshall arshall through mr weaver offered the works to the city for this offer was rejected by a meeting held at the weber club at that meeting mayor browning counselled counseller coun selled delay in paying and thought that even it if the city did not get the system now july 7 1900 they could build or buy I 1 cheaper in a few years does not the same conditions now hold and would not that be good advice now ft has been general generally lv admitted by all that the present bowders own ers of the system put at least into the system but where has always been a mystery to mo me as the system was at least paying expenses and no extensions were visible the only consideration they gave was that they would fight the city note the testimony of W C weaver br receiver in judge marchalls marshalls Mar court april 21 1900 W C weaver was placed upon the stand and testified that there was no money involved in the proposed sale that the receiver would simply accept bonds with the system as security that dee fec cles spencer and allison assumed no responsibility whatever and were liable tor for nothing that they had biad simply agreed to get the city to settle the law suits this was the important part of it they are to fight the alt city question by ohp court do you got get any money by taking these bonds answer no we get only the bonds bonda secured by the system they are arc to use their influence with the city council to have the suits dismissed that spencer et al would take care of the city that Is all the strings on him the above Is all from court records guess spencer et al have I 1 been faithful to their trust ever since f signed A W BROWN I 1 |
