The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-08-09
JUDGE THURM0SD.


,,ypIerview with the kN-MaJor Ina
rbich lie Urges Caution, Economy
naVuanmiIy of Effort in Our Mu-
,,,c,pal troubles.
HERALD representative meeting Judge
hammond on the street yesterday, and
,,ooviDe that he had given much thought
.,a had some experience in the water
work; snd gas works matters, thus APP
prOsched him;
JUDGE THURMoND,
Won have served us as mayor, and during
that period and pending your candidacy for
The office you were regarded as an opponent
- tbe waite. works, and believing that you
nave given the subject some study, and
while north recently, in u communication to
he HERALD, you stated that you had ''vis-
| ssl Milwaukee and other cities with the view
Investigating her water works, gas works,
slc D now please give us your opinion regards
;rc The present controversy between the city
sc1ncil and the water supply company of
DIlss.
oDV opposed to the Water Supply company
an The ground that their charges against the
city we're an extoltion, when compared with
me- rstes charged by other cities, and
MAR present proposition to the
Sty council proves that | was
ycbt, and but for some of the aldermen, who
we're partial to the company or lis officers,
90 could have secured reduction of at
ASST two ffths of the old contracts,
Permit me one Gurther remark, thst l
would not demand from this company, the
css company, the bridge company, nor any
otber company whose Interests may conflict
nth the city of Dallas or her citizens, more
han a fair and equitable contract. To dc.
msnd more would be I'm imposition upon
4 those of our citizens, who With commend
sNe spirit had invested largely in these en-
sapTises.
Your questions involve the proprietY Of
hiding water works by the city, and the
isuanco of bonds for that purpose, the
4 bulding of sewers and the issuance Of bonds
br that purpose, and the pave
4 meut Of streets and the igsuS
,ce OF bonds for that purpose,
and number of other things, public schools,
parks, lakes, fountains, etc. The great
4 Question: anu buo uu6 Wo liuSh OIL ouSWOi III
40 we ready to break the ico and launch our
craft upon this tempestuous sea OF bonded
bankruptcy We need all these things. but
40 we in condition to purchase oil these
recessaries or luxuries Our taxable proper
" was strained to its utmost capacity and
reached less than S5,000,0O0. Our taxes,
cty, county, state and charitable, are now
more than the standard interest paid By the
/ government.
Capital will not Invest when the taxes eX-
A coed the legitimate interest upon capital,
4 Now, which is the cheaper plan for the city
and the people, 10 build upon the bonded
4 plan, or rent from the Water Supply company
1 ST unreasonable rates and from the Gas comps
/ nv q. reasonable rates l answer without hes
i htion, | have never uttered a thought other
i WISE to rent from these companies as in the
4 past, but at reasonable rates,
/ Now the question rs to whether the present
proposition for a ten years contract is rea>
/ iOnhble, | an not prepared to say. am
4 Inclined to think thirty or thirty'hve dollars
per hydrsnt, with provision that the stand
pipe shall be kept full and that gauge shall
be placed BY the company upon the stand
pipe, so that the city may know that the pipe
is full, would be reasonable. Such con-
tract made for term of cay two, three or
fou- yeas, would be ING ymparably better
than a wild venture in building water works
at this time. The same with the gas works.
Some argue tAat private consumers pay
80 l.3 per cent more for water than in cities
where the city owns her own works. This
htrue. But take Philadelphia, milwaukee,,
and other cities which own their
works and the citizens are required to assist
in defraying the cost of digging
bitches aud laying pipes i'll front of their
property. So you see there are two sides to
the question. Let US go slow, avoid bonded
Indebtedness, reduce instead of increase the
expenses of the city, make reasonable con-
tracts with the wafer works and the gas
works, lift can be done, and let us as q
united people put our shoulders to the wheel,
forgetting our grievances il we have any,
and move on to the accomplishment of the
grand purposes of life, build up our homes
our city and our state.