Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-09-20
TIE NEW WATER ORDINANCE.
It's Inequalities and Absurdities-some
Raising and Some Lowering Of Rates
Practical Raise Alonp the Whole Line.

The Trustees have adopted new schedule OF
water rates, and it Is now being published As re-
quired BY law. In most respects the ordinance is
Objectionable, and will visit upon many people
hardships. 1t does not appear to have been de-
manded by the necessities OF the community, and It
has not the cordial approval Of the Water Commis-
sioner That it will meet with popular disapproval
is foregone conclusion. l. must be prefaced that
the old ordnance has not for long time been en-
forced; why, is obvious, because II was so unequal
in Its operations, and severe In many respects,
that IL has been abandoned by common consent, and
rates have been fixed and collected by the water
collectors according TO their Judgment OF what
right and proper. Now and then the rates in the
old ordinance we're enorced-that is, in some cases
the collectors approached as nearly to the legal
rates as the people would bear and In respects
the actual rates required by law are now
collected, but the great mass OF collections
are made on the personal judgment OF
the collector. That official, however, has
pursued this course with the knowledge. and there
fore with the consent Of the Trustees and because
it was impossible to enforce the old law. When he
attempted it, rate payers appealed to the Trustees,
who directed from time TO time shat A or b or Z be
permitted Ito use water at the rate heretofore
prevailing The Trustees recently concluded that
as the existing system very loose in character,
and as the old schedule was not being enfor ed,
new ordinance had better be framed as en- expert
ment, and, IL found impraetcable, It Iuld be
amended hence the present schedule, which was
published in the RECORD UNION yesterday Trustee
GutenbeTger says that his plan was, and is, to re-
duce water rates 25 per cent below the rates now or
usually collected II 10 10 be noted that the water
rates now collected net surplus TO the water fund
about double the expense account and that there s
therefore plenty OF margin for very material reduc
tons The new schedule, II enforced, will still pro-
duce large surplus for the fund This surplus is
what the bondholders contend for. By large po--
ton, if not majority Of the community, it is held
that the rates should not exceed the cost Of main
I
time ago the REC0RD-UNIoE advocated total abol-
tion Of water above the sum necessary to pay
operating costs and extensions as needed. We have
seen no reason to recede from that position. The
new schedule will he best understood by few Illus
! trations. By these it Will be seen that it dis
| eliminates against populou5 homes, and
thereby tends to discourage them, whereas
the efforts OF civilization should be directed
toward the encouragement Of homes and the rearing
of families. The new schedule discourages the
watering and beautifying of grounds, which 1t has
| been the policy OF the city to encourage. 1t dis
courAges the keeping OF horses and to that extent is
mi lri0us TO all carriage builders, backsmiths har
ness makers, dealers in feed and Others. When the
water rate is high that the poor man, or the
on q moOest salary, feels it to be burden he can
i'll afford he viii cut Off very naturally. those items
of the bill not absolutely necessary, and hence the
family horse aRd buggy, the neatly kept lawn, the
flower garden, etc, viii be eliminated to a great
degree. ana the consequence will be decline OF the
| attracCveness Of the city. In analyzing the new
| schedule no reference whatever should be had to
the old one, which has been practically abandoned
for years, and is not, therefore, factor In com
paIisOn. The only thing TO be considered is the
statement Of the Water Commissioner, who certifies
that the rates collected be reduced 25 per
cent without injury to the city. Take family OF
ten-husband wife, servant and seven children. It
keeps horse or COW, and buggy, and irrisates a
small plat OF grass. The children are all over eight
years Of years. except The water bill OF such
family will be for one quarter:
Nine persons at % cents per month per