The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-07-15
The Water 9aestiou.

TIE Water Question.
We publish to-day secoId communication
from Experience" urging the creation Of
water debt aud The construction of water
works hy the city in its corporate capacity,
On several important points it appears to us
that Experience" is either msiufarmed or
misludges. 1t Is of the highest Importance to
this community that the truth respecting
this matter should appear, and we know Of
no way TO reach correct views on this or any
other question, except by discussion. We pro-
coed therefore to examine the statements of
Experience" trusting IF he is wrong to make
his errors appear, and no less anxious to state
oar own opinions, which are shared by many
of our fellow citizens, so clearly that IT Ill
founded they may be easily apprehended ana
promptly set right.
In the first place, we do not see that 1t Is
necessary at present to consider the question
whether the expense of building these works
should fall upon property or upon the consum.
ers of water. Granting, what seems to be
reasonable, that the people who have the bene-
fit of the works should pay for them, is there
anything to prevent the creation of water
debt for the purchase of the works? Cannot
tina accruing interest on such q debt, be as we'll
provided for in the adjustment of water rates,
If the werks are bought as il they were built
by the city?
But it will be urged, here are''annual pay
ments of $4,000, which must certainly be pro-
vided for by a tax on property. That is true,
bat at the outside there can be only four Of
these annual payments before the city may
take the works. These four payments amount
to 100000, and the annual interest on that sum
is only $l2,ooO. The city win unquestionably
save more than $4,000 year in the fire de
paItnient alone by the introduction of water
Instead Of increasing the burden of taxation
then. the proposition so far is to tighten it, We
do not say, be it observed, that $4,000 year
ought to he paid to the company. The city
government may be able to do better than
that; it is the duty of the city government to
do better, If possible. But we do say it would
be much better to pay $4,000 year for four
years, than to 90 without the water. .e
In the second place, we believe that time Ia
ali element to be considered in questions of
economy. 1t is north more to the city to have
water IN two years than in three. Even If the
plan which Experience" offers were better in
sAN ioS"<ASti yCb ~ ~ lufOlfSS uSity WHICH
might Otherwise be avoided, it is SO far bad
plan. The annual payments can only begin
when the works are completed and the water
Il here. The company has accordingly the
stronge motive to push forward the work to
compilation, and is ready, as we understand, to
break ground Immediately. Can any such
stimulus be applied to men working ION days
works. and paid out of the city treasury?
Thirdly, we believe the work can be done
more economicallys,y private parties then by
the city. 50 fac as we have observed "tle
sharp scrutiny which the public maintain over
tn ir employees" is not half so strictas the scru-
tiny Of private individuals, looking after their
immediate interests. Why, thevery word 'con-
tractor has become ,eproach, ON account of
the notorious facility with which the public is
robbed! 1t is new doctrine, that private eiti-
zeDs are less economical in their management
than public funotionaries. 81
There is no doubt that the work can be done
at less figure by the company than by the
city. Tue only question Is, whether the pur-
chase can be effected On such terms as to al.
low the city to profit by this advantage. This
question Experience" avoids when lie says
the new City Hall "did not cost half what it
would If done by private speculators in the as
Surdace that the city could take it afteraoords
OF their hands" What is implied here is that
the city is to take the work at the contractors
price. That would Of course be foolish bar
gain-so foolish that We should be unwilling to
impute to the city government such egregiors
incapacity as it would prove. The truth is, the
terms of the purchase are to be fixed by disin-
terested commissioners, to be appointed by the
supreme Court IL will be the duty of those
commissioners to make a stair appraisal" of
the property. There is no reason why the
committee on the part of the city should not
know, within thousand dollars, how much
these works onght to cost, just as we'll as the
company knows. 1t is their business and
their duty to know, and to make that knowl-
edge available in the appraisal, If need be; and
We ara glad to be able to assure our readers
tina! they aro moving actively in the matter.
Experience" is entirely wrong when he
says again, that tho Long Greek scheme was
started BY Tnen who wanted Job" 1t was
started by the corporators, whom we have
once named, who are generally supposed to be
men OF ordinary intelligence" and who
wanted not job but water. It was examined
by sknfui engineers; the plan was pronounced
entirely feasible; aud some Of the original
movers eyea now regard IL as the best and sat.
est proposition which has been considesed.-
The present company is not composed wholly
OF outsider" The directors Of the company
are Ie@rs. Geo. !. shepley Of Portland, c. J.
Gilman Of Brunswick. c. II. Tsdd Of New
York, O. K. Green of Exeter, v. H., and A. A.
stEoat Of Portland. All these gentlemen, we
understand. are bona Jfds stockholders. The
capital 10 be invested Is Portland capital, In
part. The company 10 neither composed Of
eHsRysprcelatoTs nor Of eonspirators against the
public God, bnt of upright business men who
see god work waiting 10 be done and expect
~ sonfeS public beneGt and TO end their prl-
yata advantage in 30 doing. Whether their
present offer Is the best which can be afforded,
Is question which can only he decided after
the data are la hand, which the committee on
the part Of the city is nov collecting. If 10 Is,
We have no doubt IL will be accepted. IL Il Ia
NOS, we ssiu bslievs ID 10 better than none, but
there wal probably DO no difficulty In getting
botter ptopossion from some quarter. ia