The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1869-06-16
[For the sl.,t1cnnntr penocr.t.l
Tshe CantonI water Works
Their IsroEnbIe PrOfits sc.

~
Their ProbnbIe Profits Sc 4
Mn, EDIroR In your last issue no,
tiee an invitation for me to make 9 /
statement oftbe probable benefits and in' I
come to be derived from the water works
now in construction for this city Pri' |
vate water companies generally keep /
their profits to themselves and is seldom |
that outsiders can get q look at the -diY'
idend bookssl butiti is wen known 70
many that their profits are enormous.
The works Ia the adjoining town OF
Massillon are known to be highly re-
muneratiVe. The PrunachOak Co. of
tai stock. And the work on the Holley
plan in Auburn, N. Y, are q source Of
so great an income to the owners, that
they have been making vigorous efforts
to obtain control OF the water Interests
OF Indiana polls.
We may assume, without exposing
our Judgment to sharp criticism, that
the Canton works will pay II per cent
on cost from water rents. The large
demand for water sor the modern house
fixtures, aquariums, fountains and
sprinkling purposes will perhaps equal
the dsmand for strict domestic use.
Then every steam work IN town will
require II, for no man knows better the
value of soft water than the thorough
bred steam engineer. The tOundFies
Will all require IL for Il will save them
from five TO ten dollars a day in scaling
castings and sprinkling moulding sand;
every brewer knows sOtt water Will
make bettor beer than hard water, and
every washer woman in the city Will tell
you that she can save the cost OF water
fixtures and rent annually in soap, TO
say nothing Of better work. The rails
road company intend to have il, and use
II largely, for their SQpeFintendents as
soon as he learned that we expected to
Introduce soft water, wrote me asking
what the city would charge for $4,000
gallons daily. This amount II sold at
Pittsburgh prices (2s cts per 1000 gal
lons) would pay about $4,000 a year. II
seems to me that almost every person in
town intends TO use IL and there is quite
a feeling OF impaHenOe until they can
begin 20 enjoy its benefits. .-
The experience OF city water works
are that almost every family is sooner
or later supplied from the street main,
and this place is not likely to prove an
exception. Nothing invites settlement
& contributes 70 the com mfort, cleanliness
much as the unlimited control OF fabun'
dance OF pure water.
have been told that the income OF
the Auburn work Is Is per cent, on the
cost and know from good authority
that the city pays them SIS annually for
(amounting to nearly 1907 thus making
a sum equal to interest on the cost Of
distribution. IA -
In view OF this fact 1t does not seem
strange that wealthy citizens should de-
sire 70 own and control a source OF such
liberal income, with SO little outlay.
But Is II not better for all Glasses that
the city own and contr7l II and benefit
poorer people by letting them have the
water at rate just sufficient to raise a
sum that shall pay present interest and
slowly retire the bonds and then let
L them have If q low 10 mill
iairly maintain the works, which I uu-
derstands Is the pan to be adopted here,
| The systeL by which the water Is
forced into the city is the whole course
OF It's Vslue and efhcisncy for extin-
gushing fires. If the wafer came by
gravity alone, only a small part of the
! city would be reasona bly, well supplied
for domestic purposes only, and the re-
mainder poorly or n OF at all.
Tusearawas street and the Low level
\ near by it might under gravity head
/ get water enough Tor domes tic uses,
] These parts removed far from rusca-
lawas street and the upper plateau,
| would get very little, and in the vicinity
OF Mr.. Aultman's new building would
/ get mona. ...... ..---- r. -
The riason for this is the loss of head
caused by friction in the pipes, bends
&c, 1t increases directly with length
and right angle In the pipe, causes an
| immense loss of head, and muItiplyine
them and extending pipe will eventual
| ly absorb or equal the whole head, and
then no water is delivered. The only
remedy. for this Is to increase the size oi
pipes, Ia very expensive prescription
or increase the head by extra height o
reservoir or artificial power. The Lake
cannot be made higher, and we therefort
look to water power machinery to Civ
us this extra head and thus put all part
OF the city on equality, at the samt
time we save the cost OF this machinery
by emitting the reservoir, and. we US,
inches pipes in distribution Wherl
both an upass0Fted head we should b.
obliged to use inch, also inch wher
we must otherwise have laid inch. B,
this machinery the water is forced to al
parts of the city and every hydrant viii
be superior in power to a first class stean
, fire engine. BV using half a mile o
hose, nine streams can be poured oman,
fire in the compact part of the city, AM
we can send itthroQgh hose half n mil
} beyond any hYdrant-
Then stream~ can be thrown all day
desired when this is fairly in operation
and pipes laid in every street with ny
drant ateVery street intersection. Can
ton can do, as OgdensburR has done, sci
their Steam Engine, and maintain tn
water and fire department for much les
expense than the fire department nov
: costs These works besides conflrmln
| all the advantages alluded to, Will rec NC
the cost of insurance one half and here
where the tax payer makes his money
This reduction has been attained in otl
er cities and will be here, and the ia
payer who has insured property will saw
by his reduced rate of insurance NOR
than he will ever have to pay in the shap
OF water tax. The proof OF this is foun
in the following statement a writer in th
Dem. some months ago, gave a view
the same matter, but he should put th
| anffrn nnEt nf vvpfnr uvnrka and niCfrfhr
ton at 500. 600. and the saving of his II
surance $S7 500. Then -f .a. s.-
If the cost of works entire Is. 800, 90
And legal interest year. 49,. 600
$4,000
The annual saving of insurance. $3.50
: Leaving at end of 1st year......$ 6s,5
Then interest one year. ...... I, IL
5 1851
Second year saving of insurance $50
Leaving at end of second year. ..S I'll
} Then interest one year. ,........ 200
....' .. .'-' w. 5 87,1i
Third year saving of insurance, $3.50
Or s16 more than cost of works. Al
. Then 8 years saving OF insurance wi
more than equal cost or water work
what then will be the saving OF insuranC
: perpetually be, but an actual source {
, income 10 tax payers more than the
} water fixtures and water rent would eve
l amount TO. -..- 81 h'.--'... P. ..s --|-
To the rich and poor alike this savip
acerues, and is especially useful to Ii
} | Of Upan1arafa Wuh ~,
neglect his insurance lost his whole life
labor should be swept away by fire.
1t is the pressure system only thu
makes the works capable OF producin
these low rates of insurance. The fund
already in hand are believed to enOug
. to bring The water into the city accordin
! to the first estimate, and this extra ca
for $50, 600 is to distribute aEd place a h.