The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-08-16
Municipal Matters.
August 18th, 1881.

We received with some interest and moi
much annoyance your criticisms in this
mornjRg's Issue on our communication OF
yesterday. You start of by saying you
need but very small space to reply. Per
haps that was trne, but we notice you took
AZ least one third moro space than wa occu
pied. We will not insist however accord
lug to your proposition on double the space,
but will be content Us we always are with
on equal showing So far as the HERALD's
reputation for honesty, justice and fair deal
Jog is concerned, it is not our purpose in
these communications to call in question;
but the acts of public journals like those
of public men ore public property,
and are and should be watched by the
people with Jealous eye. Their acts are
islhble because they are human, and are
more or less governed by ayarice and selfish
noss and we hope the HERALD, being one OF
the leading journals OF the state, Will ways
be able 10 exhoneraie itself from any charge
of corruption. Your criticism on gus not
being invented may be sound. das 10 II
combination Of different elements. The art
of this combinsti)n would b. copsldered III
the patent office an invention. Wood and
iron Hre not Inventions, but the idea OF put
tng these substances together to form ma
chinery, is an invention. We did say we
knew whole cities being lighted before gas
was manufactured, and well lighted
and we suppose the change "
gas was mainly on accouI. OF economy,
and We presume that is sho governing reason
now that makes tho use VI gas almost unlver-
sal. But the question at ISSUE IL, should
Dallas use gas at nearly double tho price oi
other methods Of Lighting tue CITY because
other cities use gas! An expert in Chicago |
"a few wears ago as Il witness IN the great gas |
trial there between the company and the |
city, declared that the fret cost of msuutac |
turing gas was forly-Ave cents per thousand
foot We will say it costs double that here,
ninety cents, then ali over that 10 profit. |
Look at your gas bills and determine
Tor yourselves whether you ere swindled
Or not. Perhaps the HERALD
g not GwindIed las believe 1t to be q unio
lersal practice for newspaper men to get
heir rates from these companies at hail
price) And now in regard TO the sloth AID
of South America, We do not
Iee the point or application on this question,
md are willing the HERALD shall have full
)eneii! of the argument without criticism.
fhe HER AID in its sosrings and wanderipgs
inally brought up in the greenback party.
That party must haunt tho Midnight
musings and slumbers OF the HERALD. Every
urn II makes it tries to give 1t thrust. IL
nlmates that we were connected with that
PARTY, and that it was visionary, and every
,ody connected with it must DO visionary,
md that must bs conclusive
violence we were wrong. IL says this party
lad found u new and cheap method OF
making money out Of paper. Now we beg
o inform the HERALD that the greonback
,srty never claimed originality in It's idea OF
,apsr money, but traced tho circulation OF
he kind of money they proposed back with
he most successful results 10 the foundation
If the Venician Republic, which money raised
hat nation 70 great power and wealth.
1t adds II does not wish 10 be cruel, but do
No not remember this party! No apology Is
ieeded, we distinctly remember and are
proud TO know that our memory is refreshed
rom day TO day by the journals on
)ur desk, of the great activity and
,,pid progress of the patriots who
owe liberty and their country, who have
Jared to confront The great millionaires OF our
nation, who haze piled up their fortunes by
subsidized legislation 10 the injury oil our
suffering millions. We repeat, We are proud 10
be- associated with the peoples or national
party, and now to the figures and such data
AZ we have at command. The interest on
Sl25, 600 a! six per cent. ia $1,000. We will
now take small section Of the water works,
which We are to presume is an average.
There il about six hundred feet Of pipe runs
ming two aides of block in the Cedars, the
pipe is small two ioch the lots are large, 80
tina, consumers arc not as plenty rs
where the lots arc smaller; so that
cost and consumption in this place
would balance tho cost and consumption in
other places whore the pipes were larger and
houses more plenty. The cost putting down
this QUO feet OF pipe was probably 500. Il
have handled iron pipe and know something
about the original cost of it, Tho renu
now collected from the strip Of piping is
Sli8 per annum. We will say, (which wo
think liberal) that the piping Is only two,
thirds OF the capital invested, the other third
consisting OF tank, reservoir, engines and
machinery Tor operating tho works. Then
TO every $500 worth ofpipe we add 500 for
other stock, which would make, added to our
estimates above, $500, upon which WAS rosl
lied Sl4S or nearly fifty per cent.
This Is from private consumers.
We will say the city as corporstion.pay the
company enough to meet running expenses,
or We will take per cent. of aud add 10
what tho city pays, and they still have 40 per
cont profit; now the truth OF the matter is
the city Is paying about $4,000 annually,
(includiog private consumers) fos their
water. The city is made up OF It's people,
and what benefits tho city benefits tho PEG.
pie. The account then would stand about
as followt;
on PROPOSITION on COUNCIL.
CITY, pN.
To Interest on bonds..u..o,,",Sii 800
10 running expenses ."""",,,,." O,OW
Total, ,".,...,,',,"''''''' lJ,oOO
CITY, ca,
Iiftv hvdrantg fSlO paCh......... $50