The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-07-14
THE CITY AND TOE WATER SUPPLY
QUESTION.

city council and the Water WORKS coW'
pany and the Gas company, on the qlession
of compensation by the former to tho Later
respectively. Last year tho city RI aid S62 bo
por hydrant TO the Wster Works company
f,r IS bydrants, or SO 437 so total payments.
This supplies the city proper through the
plugs, the city court, the calaboose, the hos-
pitsl and the pound. 1! is claimed by the
council, or such of them as favor a reduce
ton, that the charge OF $62 SO ia excessive,
and that the city ought not to pay it. We
are not apprised of the annual expenses Of
the Water Works company, but we
are Informed by one having
the interest Of Dallas in charge,
in this business, that the conpsny's yearly
income ia now something over $35 600. de-
rived from sources about as follows: From
private citizens, S2s, 900; Texas s. Pacific rail-
road company, ST. 800; Houston u Texas
Central railroad company, 5000; Howard oil
works company, 81 400; city of Dallas, 3d.
437 80; making total receipt of the sum as
aforesaid. Not knowing the expenses of
securing this, as before remsrked, we are not
prepared to cay whether the net annual
prc Fl. is or is not good thing for the Water
Works company on its capital stock. As
Stunning that SO per cent. is fair figure to
represent the annual outgo. and there re-
mains net result of some SIT 500. Now
it is stated that the stock of the company
was $4,000, that is TO say it cost 1t this
sum to produce the revenue as above
indicated. Ifthis be so, then there is an
annual yield equal to nearly 45 per cent.
This is certainly most remunerative invest
ment if the premises be as related to US. Ii
true, then the city would do an excellent
DAVIS work when its representatives shall
decide that it shall own its own water works,
rather than pay even the $40 per hydrant that
they have proposed. AT any rate an issue
has been raised in which the city in its
corporate government capacity, and the
citizens as individuals, are very deeply con"
cerned. Inquiries should be at once put on
foot as to the status Of other cities in the
matter Of water supply. Very full,
accurate and definite inform
ton can be readily secured by the opening
up of a correspondence that will furnish al
the data, such as cost of water works estsb-
lishment. service pipes, laying the same, cur"
rent expenses, etc. Dallas is growing rapid
ly and very soon large amount of water
will be required by an finite number of in
terests about US, by the city itself, by rail-
road companies, manufacturing and general
commercial industries as we'll as by an in
creasing population. Should it take even an
investment of 100000 by our municipal
government, we apprehend that the pre- fits
to be derived from all the sources named,
would not only leave the city without any
cost for a most ample and abundant
supply for sanitary, fire aud general pur-
poses. Indeed we are firmly of the opinion
that in matter of such prime necessity as
the keeping of the city clean and free from
filth by constant fl ,oding of the cutters in
the summer time, aud of such vital import
ancs as an unstinted quantity always ready
for use for the fire department, city
should itself solely own and control the
water works.. In the event of such an insti-
tuition of private character becoming poss
sessed of exclusively by an obstinate directs
DRY, very serious troubles might some
day ensue The water supply,
might, for instance, be cut off in the face OF |
an impending epidemic; or because of some
pending controversy as 70 price for itetc. The
plugs might be sealed sgtinst use some
night, and the city, in consequence, be laid
in ashes by the next morning. 1t ia sins
cerely TO be hoped that.s satisfactory and
speedy adjustment snall be made in the con-
.roversy pending, as in the event ofsuch
evil, there will be fearful re-
Iponlibiliiy somewhere. One death Of q
parent or child, relative or friend, be-
cause of the lack of fresh
water 10 keep the place healthful;
,ne cor1igration that may lose to u. thou
Iands Of dollars, and on somebody's head
will 30 visited most fearful result. We
bould not like TO see = contract made for
my given time beyond one year al fixed
igure. This would be an indiscreet insr-
,ial arrangement on the part Of the lessees,
ls the city might at any time conclude TO
rect and manage and operate its own works.
10 the interim some arrangement ought to
Do quickly settled on. The city fathers
hould desire nothing more than fair and
reasonable figure, and so too of the wster
works company. Whether our finances are
ow or not has nothing 10 do with the case
Ind is puerie question, water
We must have. What q reasonable
sure Is for The water company 10 furnish
H. depends msinly IL no. solely upon Whist
heir nett earnings are uudsr the charges as
how msde. Even $40 per hydrant would be
excessive If the preceding figuring be cor
-eci; II there be error 10 Il, the company
,ugbl 70 be able 10 show il promptly and
,lssrly 10 The council, and the citizens
hrough them our representatives. We care
"A ~ ,nav n, the erisiinO caDitel stock Of