Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-04-26
THE WATER WORKS.
SIN Another side.

MR. Editor II your ISSUES Va TIE
22nd and Oath insts. appear two COM
munications on the subject Of water
works. As neither article is signed
we will degignate them as Nos. "Onen
and Two" In order TO present still
another view of the question, and yet
to be short, shall only say Of article
No "Oue" that it assumes that we can
only secure water works by accepting
one OF the two propositions made, and
just in the shape as proposed, while ID
/ the article but liiIe il said, except az
| 20 the fiOancial condition of the city
I foi building aud owning the wafer
works. l. can certainly be regretted
I that Ibis cool, Clear-headed busine g
man who looks at the matter 10 busi-
ness w.yv should not have went be-
voud the mere objec.iog 10 any one or
more plans suggested or proposition
made. and himself made some sugges-
ti0us as the means by which The
" comfort and convenience " OF. water
works shall be secured, and then 90
have nut 70 the credit of the yearly in
debtedness of the city on this account
property saved from destruction by
fire, reduced rates Of Insurance., re-
duced expense Of the fire department,
saving of individual expense for
surinkIing your streets, savings TO
both civ aad individuals in erecting
repairing aud cleaning cisterns, etc,
etc, TO say nothing of the great saui-
tary purpose secured through this en-
teTprIse, or the comfort and cOnye-
niencen so desirable" We agree
with the wfi.er, that the city is in no
condition TO, herself, construct water
works, aud the fact iDat such short
sighted policy has Of late bsen adopted
OF fixing our corporation tax below
- hat viii meet current expenses,
rather than, Is IL should be, sufficient
TO reduce yearly our outstanding HOat-
ing Indebtedness, Is one reason which
prompts the writer to 50 contract III
this matter "a 10 not place it in the
power Of future Boards of Mayor and
Aldermen to incur large indebtedness
by the erection Of fire plugs at public
expense for private benefit OF some
favored constituency as Is now TOO
often done in the erection Of lamp
pO5ts.
As to article \ o. Two. "il il en- 3ugh
to say That, although its true that me
number Of ire plugs (hly is IS little !
IS the city would want TO start with, |
aud the price $50 eacb) IS a Teas0aa- |
ole price, if the cities referred 10 are TO /
be proper crl-eflan - judge Uy. Yet, /
even a. 10 this, We wound suggest ,hst |
in nearly AL these cities these /
works were built and contracts /
made - aru prices FOR labor and maze I
rails were very much higher than now.
Those or Dauvti.e, Virginia. We b
iIeve were constructed about 1878,
when pipe vas wOT,h about SAG 90 as
com pared with S36 90 now, la how
ever tAiz may be the ohjeclion TO ghis
pTopUsIt!0l of taking f-Ey fire p ugs
a SO 60 each Is patent ubou lis face, |
aLu IS because Iue expense To the city !
WUuli be more than d per cent. Inter |
sst on the entire c3pltai required 10 /
construct the water works Now by |
some WHO have investigated tie mat /
teT very clos >, &c - Thought that the /
entire expense Of constructing these |
Wa.eT works embracing seven miles Of /
suitable sized pipe, being laid and lifly |
Ire pin = eTeU.ed viii l-Il bElOW sixty /
Thousand q .II4I-, but ASS 4mtug iuls /
sum 10 be Tie cost and 10 asree with /
the writer Of article No. Two that
the ac uai cust VI y figs plug IS 50 90
out iiIlIe above he actual cost Of 4
one-way fire Plug as we underztaui)
let "a suggest glIli another proposition
for the consideration Of the committee
now investigating this matter On
The part g! saU cay, she shall grant the
rlEh. Of way ..-ouga thesiTee sex mpL
{ 80 laT g. uI- Board Cal oiud AuUlL-r
iH tLi-) fran JtXaitJI i.I i've ye-Ts-
Agree 10 uaw purchase aud pay Tor
Ghy fire piuE7 paying therefor their I
actual cost urfy ana lastly, and for lhe
wafer privilege 10 pay TWO per cent.
Oh tie cost OF - 200 Annually.
o. lle part o. the Water Works
Company tuey shall biui themselves;
frs, TO - gIOie- location anu cJusruc-
IUu Of Ttveryu.T and engine house,
securing an ample supply OF pure and
y ell filtered water and with height |
sufli lent 10 answer IL cases OF ire
any where within tlg CI.yi second,
upon maximum rate 81 charges ioT
supply of Ciugaus : and thirdly, 10 |
erect Il ire plugs = the future when aud
where dire c,ed by Tie Board upon the
latter, first paying The actual cost OF
such ire plug and is erection, which
shall Ce iirst agreed on.
Whether the : 600 annually for the
wa:eF privilege should be limited IN
tame or graduated "a the Income upon
.ha capital Invested should reach a
ssrtain per cent. we will not uow dis
,uss, ls this i mere matter OF detail,
.ud we have not space 10 consider !
CERTAIN j. The city eau well attJEd to
Jay This sum while The company eau
at well decline a proposition winch
" Que consumer contributes el,ZJO 10
he cunsiruc ION, aud after hat secures
ii least Us per -ce-f. upon the invest
Neut. AETICLE M.