THE CORTLAND WATER WORKS QUESTION

  

The Cortland News, Friday, December 17, 1886.

THE WATER WORKS QUESTION.

   The meeting of the citizens that was called for Monday evening was held at the Pioneer Rink, with W. D. Tisdale presiding. Quite a number were present, and the following communication was received from the water works company, which was laid on the table:

   Notwithstanding the assurance by Mr. Moffett, when before your committee a few evenings since, that the Cortland Water Works company would fix and determine a price at which they would sell their water works plant, we submit at the present time, and under existing circumstances it appears to be impolitic and not best for the interest of the company to name a price at which they would sell for the following reasons:—First, the body from which the request emanates as you are well aware, has no legal authority to buy the works, therefore the negotiations would necessarily be between parties who have no power to complete the same. Second, there seems to be such a difference of opinion between the estimates put upon the value of the works by the engineers, who were called here, and what we think them to be worth, that we deem it useless that whenever a price is named we should have an opportunity to explain before the Board of Trustees wherein the difference between our estimates of the value of the works and that of the engineers aforesaid consists. Third, the price we should name includes the value of the extensive franchise to maintain works in the village of Cortland duly vested in the Cortland Water Works Company and for which the said company allowed a large sum. Fourth, should the question of the acquirements of the works by the village of Cortland ever necessarily come to an arbitration the low sum that would be named by us might prove to be embarrassing and would necessarily influence the judgment of the arbitrators which would not be just to the village and ourselves.

Respectfully submitted,

CORTLAND WATER WORKS CO.

B. F. TAYLOR, President.

   Reports were made by Nelson Tubbs, George B. Jones, W. H. Clark, J. S. Barber, and Theodore Stevenson as to the cost and capacity of the present system and the cost of new ones.

   A motion was then made that the Trustees form themselves into a Board of Water Commissioners at once, which we learn they are doing and the meeting adjourned without day.

   At a meeting of the Board of Trustees of Cortland village held at Firemen's Hall on Tuesday evening Dec. 14th, the following proposition from the Water Works Company was presented to the Board by the officers of the Water Company.

To wit:

To the Board of Trustees of Cortland,

   GENTLEMEN:—The Cortland Water Works Company desire to respectfully call your attention to the fact that they have furnished fire protection to the village of Cortland through forty-nine (49) fire hydrants continuously from the first day of January 1886 to the first day of October 1886, and that during that time they have received no compensation from said village for said fire protection, and they claim pay for the same at the rate of $50 each per annum for each of said fire hydrants to said date; also they respectfully call your attention to the fact, that from and after the 3d of December, 1886 they have furnished, and will continue to furnish fire protection to the village of Cortland from forty-nine (49) fire hydrants, and they expect and will claim that the village of Cortland shall pay them for such fire protection at a fair and reasonable price.

   With a view to settling the question of how much the village of Cortland will pay the Cortland Water Works Company for such fire protection, the Cortland Water Works Company hereby makes the following proposition. The Company will furnish water from forty-nine fire hydrants supplied by the present system of water works at the rate of $2,360 per annum payable semi-annually at the convenience of the said village of Cortland; or the Company will extend the present system of works putting in about five miles more of service pipe, as shown upon a map submitted, and will suitably locate upon said extensions seventy-one (71) new hydrants and will enlarge and maintain the system of water works in first-class condition for fire protection, and domestic service, of the village of Cortland, for an annual rental of four thousand dollars ($4,000) per annum, payable semi-annually at the convenience of the village of Cortland. We will enter into a contract for the term of either five or ten years, with the privilege on the part of the Village of Cortland to renew the same for another term of five or ten years.

   The Cortland Water Works Company also desires to respectfully call your attention to the fact, that in the franchise granted to Messrs. Samuel Keator, E. Keator, Dorr C. Smith, J. E. Eggleston, Chas. H. Parker, J. R. Schermerhorn, J. M. Milne, W. H. Shankland, Jr., J. S. Bull, O. U. Kellogg, C. S. Strowbridge, C. S. Bull, B. F. Taylor, and A. M. Schermerhorn on the first day of April A. D., 1882, and which said franchise was thereafter duly vested in the Cortland Water Works Company, it was provided—"Also that the village of Cortland, as a corporation shall be furnished with water by the aforesaid persons &c., at a certain rate to be fixed upon by one member of the Board of Trustees of said village to be designated by said Board; and by one member of the persons &c., or Water Association, to be designated by said Water Company or Association, when said Company or Association is formed. And if the said two persons cannot agree upon said rate, then these two men shall choose and designate a third man, who shall be a Civil Engineer, and then the three persons so designated shall fix and determine said rate." And that the said Company are willing in case said Village of Cortland and said Company, cannot agree upon the hydrant rental that shall be paid for such fire protection, arbitrate such question as provided in said franchise.

   The Cortland Water Works Company also desires to respectfully call your attention to the fact, that they have constructed and are maintaining in your Village a first-class system of water works. That no cause of complaint, either as to the quality of the water or as to the insufficiency of the fire protection has ever been presented to them, or in any way come to their notice or attention. That they will extend said works in such manner as to most fully and completely afford the best fire protection to the whole of the Village of Cortland, and will enlarge the works and maintain them in a first class manner, and will provide against any possible source of pollution of their water supply. That should any just cause for grievance arise between the Village of Cortland, or any of its citizens, and the Cortland Water Works Company, they stand ready, and hereby offer to meet and adjust any such difference in a spirit of fairness and equity. That they will furnish water to private consumers at as low a rate as it can possibly he afforded, and at the same time maintain the works in proper efficiency, and agree that they will charge no more to private customers than the average rates charged in other towns of like [situation], and supplied in the above manner, all of which is respectfully, submitted.

CORTLAND WATER WORKS CO.

By B. F. TAYLOR, President.

CORTLAND AND VICINITY.

   Wickwire Brothers are now running two gangs of men, the night and day force.

   People who wish to know when it is good skating at the Trout Ponds can tell by watching for a gilded ball in front of W. P. Robinson’s book store.

   Why don't some enterprising person start a toboggan slide in Cortland? Places that are not as large as this have one and it seems to pay. Let some one get up a club.

   The answer in the case of Lewis S. Hayes against S. Ham Strowbridge [libel suit] was served against the plaintiffs attorney last Friday. It contains over fifty folios and is of such length that we are unable to publish it this week.

   While in Freeville one day last week we were informed that the Freeville Express had collapsed after a short life of six months. They did not say whether the editor had starved to death or not but we had our own thoughts.

   The annual pew renting of the Baptist church will take place on Monday next, Dec. 20th, commencing at 2 o’clock a. m., and continue through the evening. All persons interested are cordially invited to be present.