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GIVE THE REASONS The twelve aldermen who voted to submit the proposition to pur chase the gas and water plants for the sum of $1,695,000 have signed a statement of the reasons that im pelled them to vote as they did, in order that their constituents may clearly understand the situation. Ail those aldermen that voted to pass the resolution over the Mayor's veto have signed the statement. The statement is as follows: We voted as we did for the follow ing reasons: First. The price of the tw5plants (gas and water) is the lowest yet submitted by the gas and water company. The former proposition for both plants was $2,106,000, made up as follows: The city was to as sume the bonds of the company outstanding, being $295,000, at 6 per cent, and $1,517,000 a 5 per cent, with the possible chance of refunding $750,000 of the 5 per cent bonds with city bonds at 4 per cent. The bal ance $294,000, the stockholders agreed to take in city bonds bear ing 4 p*-r cent. The present proposition is $1,695, 000—the city to assume the $295,000 6 per cent bonds oftheDuluth Gas& Water company, and for the balance of the purchase price ($1,400,000) to give city boncls bearing 4% per cent. The difference in price absolutely between the former proposition and the present one is $411,000, in favor of the present proposition. The in terest on this difference at 4^ per cent for 30 years amounts to $554, 850 making a total saving over former proposition, counting prin cipal and interest, of $965,850. Or figuring it in another way: Former proposition— Principal $2,106,000 Int. at 6 per cent on $295,000 for 10 years 177,000 Int. at 4 per cent on $750,000 for 30 years 900,000 Int. at 5 per cent on $767,000 for 30 years 1,150,500 Int. at 4 per cent on $294,000 for 30 years 352,800 Total... $4,686,300 Present proposition— Principal .$1,695,000 Int. at 6 per cent on $295, 000 for 10 years 177,000 Int. at 4Y2 per cent on $1,400, 000 for 30 years 1,890,000 Total $3,762,000 Difference in favor of pres position 924,300 Total $4,686,300 The former proposition was car ried before the people, but was set aside ^y the courts. This present proposition is so much lower than the former one that we feel that it would be unjust for us to say it is too high, and refuse to allow the people to vote upon it. Second. While the estimated value of the gas and water plant is only $1,114,000, we think it may be worth more than that to the city of Duluth. The city engineer made no allowance in the above estimate for the value of the present service connections. It will cost the city or the people something to sever connections with the present plant and connect it on to a new city plant. Mr. Coffin estimates that at at $300,000 suppose it will cost $100, 000. If we build an entirely new plant, we will have to pay interest on the money invested out of money raised by taxation until the new plant brings in a revenue sufficient to pay interest on the bonds and running expenses. This may be one year, and it may be five. Say two years' interest at 5 per cent on estimated cost of force main and duplicating pressure water plant ($1,400,000), which would be $140,000 in interest. Then we have a contract with the present company for hydrant rent als, amounting to $24,600 per year, which has per contract, 19 years yet to run. If we are compelled to pay this up to the end of the period, it will amount to $467,400. The city attorney says if we can win in the quo warranto suit to annul the franchise of the water company, the hydrant rental contract dies with the franchise. But that suit is not ended yet, and we think that to have the hydrant rental contract wiped out by a purchase of the plant is worth at least one half of the total amount, or $233,700. Recapitulation— City engineers estimate.. .$1,114,000 Service connections 100,000 Loss in interest 140,000 Settlement of hydrant rental contract 233,70q Total $1,587,700 Some will estimate these amounts to be more than we have, some less. We have not taken into account the inconvenience, sickness and money loss to the community that come from tearing up our streets in building a new plant, the damage suits that might arise from injury to service connections in attempt ing to parallel the present plant, the costs of carrying on the lega warfare with the Duluth Gas & Water company, nor the saving in machinery and reservoir by buying the present plant, which would materially reduce the estimated cost of the force main, which in cludes pumping machinery and a reservoir. Third: While the bondholders oftheDuluth Gas & Water com pany may be deprived of their in terest by our carrying on the fight against them, the city is losing its reputation for health. The health of our people stands paramount to any mere money consideration and while we may in time so de preciate the value of the old plant that we may get it cheaper than now, in the end we will lose vastly more than the water company. Undoubtedly the city's financial standing has been injured by the controversy. The city has had to agree to pay 5 per cent interest on its bonds, the charter limit, in order to raise money, and even then the bondholders of the Duluth Gas & Water company were the only ones that stood ready to take the bonds. This was a remarkable circum stance to say the least. We cannot THE LABOR WORLD 5 believe the end is yet there will be more stumbling blocks put in our way, and delays will arise that we cannot now foresee. The bond holders cannot be expected to sur render without a struggle. Reasons for submitting the pro position at the coming election: We thought best to submit the proposition at this election because we wanted to know, and that as soon as possible, without any ex pense, what the people thought of it. It might hamper us seriously having this proposition pending from now until spring and not know how the people regard it. It is considered a matter of the utmost importance to get pure water as soon as possible, and we anticipate much difficulty and ex pense in attaching on to the pres ent system, as has been suggested, when our force main is completed and before owning the old plant, and it is a serious question whether any arrangement to do so could be made at all should the Duluth Gas & Water company be unwilling. This proposition comes to us un solicited from the bondholders of the Duluth Gas & Water company. It is $111,000 less than the bonded indebtedness of the plant. Last of all, we do not feel that we would be true to our constituents if we should substitute our own judgment in this matter and not give them an opportunity to express their views now. This is to a certain extent a matter of life and death, and in case we re fused to submit this proposition at this time, and by the delay thus caused further hindrances and de lays should arise, we feel that we might justly be censured by the people. In case the people vote this mat ter down, no money will have been unnecessarily expended. We will have had a full and fair expression of all the people, and will, so far as in us lies, to carry out the wishes of the sovereign people. JAMES T. HALE, C. T. CRANDALL, DAVID SANG, I. J. RICHARDSON, A. J. HARKER, THOS. F. TREVILLION, J. W. ROWLEY, D. E. STEVENS, JOHN COVENTRY, THOMAS OLAFSON, LOUIS CHRISTENSEN. J. W. NELSON. "Put Him Out," "If we do restore the coinage of silver dollars how are you going to get any of them?" sung out a gold bug orator the other night. "Work, for them, d—n you said a big longshoreman, "we will leave Mark Hanna and the plutes to do the stealing/' And though he had only answered the question, they put him out for disturbing the meeting.