The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-08-06
wATER-w0REs.
-. Report of Mayor Sro~dus So 'he
city council.

reDort of Mayor SrOWdus 90 Oh
city Council.
~, flloWifg is the report made |
-, Crowdu. to the city council on h
I from tour through Missouri
,.sar, Illinois, Kntueky and Te-
go WHITTIER he went to stud
vi Investigate the wster-works of III
Dot noints he visited, with the view O
;a.;"s before the council bis opinion rs t
a,5ar or not the city of Dallas shout
-O her own works AID to give thu
| ~ SOME idea Of what they cost:
| Gentlemen of the city eounc'l:-lI
,AsSiepce to your resolution of July OH, di
cling me to visit various cities for the pur
Wa Of exsmising their water works, | hay,
',eS the cities of Kansas City, St. Josept
"a Hannibal, Missouri; 2 lincy, Jackson
< N. Springfield, Bloomington and De-
.~, Illinois: Terre Hsu.e and Evansville
i,Sisns Henderson and BJwling Greeb, Ken
,ustv and Nashville, Tennessee, and have
...hlly examined the waer works at each
.i.cs, making a separate statement of all
Ssnformstion could get While in each city
vhich nave 1ltu III my ohSo III tho W.
hrmston OF the council. | have noticed
!, yi,l,ipg the water works OF each city, the
NT.em upon which they were built, the
I.nrce o. water supply, size and number OF
Miles of water pipe, number OF hydrants,
ma e1gnts and water pumps used and
Nail capacity, the capacity of reservoirs, the
auscty OF stand pipes, where used, the cost
f,be various works, ana in most Instances,
i h, cot of the separate parts, the annual,
nDetses of operating the works
ra the annual receipts from
mysts consumers. l have on file the W ter
me-: OF private consumers in every city |
Visited, whether the works were owned BY
a Ne civ or private corporations. Also the
rep,,l for FIRE hydrants in cities 10 which tine
works are owHed by private corporations.
( The water rates to private consumers are es-
Ablished BY ordinance, 10 avery city l have
n fised.
4 Ny attention was particularly directed to
y lconparisoh of the works owned by private
Fl operations with those owned by cities.
4 Tn water works In five of the cities ::
In.ss City, St. Joseph and Hannibal,
inouri; Quincy, Illinois, and
Irs llaute, Indiana, are owned
HI private corporations, the rates
angsd private consumers are reason able
nd as far asI could learn, satisfactory to
asCOnsumers. The supply IT Snter for all
Tvste purposes was also satisfactory; but
no OF the i've companies were having
Nuble with the city as to water supply for
10 purposes and also as 10 rates charged for
l!drarts; with this exception everything was
;lite satisfactory.
The water works in eight of the cities,
Nhcnville, Springfield, Bloomington and
Decatur, Illinois, Evansville, Indiana, Hen
enon aud Bowling Green, kentucky, and
Nashville, Tennessee, are owned by the
LIES The rates charged private individuals
II unreasonable, about the same charged by
aeother.cltes named above. The w1rks
most instances have cost more than they
Re worth and the income from water rent
]n about covers running expenses.
4 The officials In all the cities
lEning their own works express themselves
swell satisfied with their investments, and
iank it best for cities to own their water
Frks.
II we could have resso enable rates and
Plndsnt supply for public and private uses,
ch ss they have in Hannibal, Missouri. and
Iirre Hsute, Iudians,I would be well satisfied
have the works in our city operated by u
ryate corporation, and think it would be
. NN enough for the city in our present
aditon, rs we need so many moro i'm
/ nVements.
Bl! unless we can enter into contract
vih The present Water Supply company,
ma basis Of a reasonable price for water for
Ebic use and fire purposes, an established
NCe, at reasonable rates, to private con-
hnsrs, and plentiful supply of pure water,
We should certainly build water works at
rom the information 1 have, Think we
a build system OF water works with
Teet pipes extending throughout the
quickly populated portion Of the city, with
NO hundred Are hydrsnts, which would
I'VE FIRE protection to all portions OF the
aS, at a cost of one hundred aud twenty
I've thousand dollars, and with the receipts
l'Om water rents, could furnish private cit
lans with an abundant supply of water at u
lSs oil SSt per cent lower than the present
salei supply company charges. On this esti-
mate land | think a liberal estimste) the
,Soat OF the two hundred hydrants would be
Inc interest on one hundred and twenty-five
thousand dollars at, say six per cent, which
sould DO seven Thousand five hundred dol
M besides giving the citizens water at a
sylng of 80 per cent,
10 every city visited those in charge Of
water works cheerfully gave me any infor-
nation desired. For further information
refer you to the different reports which are
% hlein my office, which give detailed
NcOuns ofconstruction, system, operation, etc.
Respectfully,
j. w. CRowDus, Mayor.