Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-09-20
Total per quarter

Total per quarter. $40 10
Total per year..................... S4s 90
But as .he horse may be sent to pasture for four
months OF the year, and irrigation may not he
necessary for six months OF the year, it s proper
sui tract "a 20 and rs the luxury OF hose for
buggy washing may be dispensed with for the same
pero1, IL will be proper to take off 50, leaving the
annual water rate for such family SS6 so, of which
the larger part is clear profit to the city-Or the
bOudhoders, If they win. The bill Of family Of
five similarly situated will be s. Less, or $50 So In
the first case by dispensing with horse and buggy,
garden plat irrigation and hose, the man with nine
IN family may reduce his cost Tor watered sl!ckens
to So 70 per quarter or the neat and trlfng OF
S27 year while the man with five, by using water
other purpose than that Of the interior of the
| house. may get OF with SIS year. The man
who is not "cursed with children, who
has but himself and wife to provide for,
will find his bill for the two to be Sc
year. 1t is fair to say that for very small families
the new schedule reduces rates. That is to say,
two persons in 4 house now pay 81 per month, or
g Fer quarter Under the new schedule they VIII
pay 80 cents a month, or 81 so per quarter. But
five persons in family pay 81, sS per quar-
ter and under the new schedule viii have to pay
81 % per month, or % 70 per quarter. No one OBJ
iects TO the reduction on the single couple, hut
there sh0ud be no increase to the family Of five
As a rule the householder with a large
family is least able to pay a high rate aud
hence the schedule reduces the rate
to those most able TO pay, and increases the tax to
those least able. Some Of the peculisrites Of
the schedule mar be thus illustrated By washing
ones buggy with sponge aud using bucket he
can consume as many thousand gallons OF water
he peases, free Of cost, and he may keep his SER
wants and children casting water on his walk porch
or windows all day, so long as ne does not use q
| hose and there will be No charge whatever. Some
OF the large mansions of the city, where for fifty
OUT of fifty two weeks in the year Shere is only
housekeeper in charge, but where ocean of water
is needed TO keep the vast bui dngs clean, viii pay
but % cents month, while the cottage next door,
OF two rooms, and with family OF six who have no
bath tnb IN the house, ana send s the washing to
| Laundry, viii pay 81 50 quarter, or SlS year.
| store twenty feet wide, with eight ten employees
IN 1t, aud OF whom use the bydr5nts OF the place
for drinking ana washing, snd where water is used
By the dozen buc6eifuls nightly to cleanse the floor,
and where perhaps water is copiously used for pur
poses not mentioned in trade IS TO pay but Is cent?
! per mouth. Those who board in hotel are rated
| at 20 cents month"; while consumers who live in
homes or boarding-houses, or board with families
are rated at 25 cents a month for the water they
use The family with a bath tub pays no more than
| the family without one the family which sends TO
a laundry all its washing pays rs much rs the family
which uses water for the family wash.
| Alorg some Of our streets the city has sought by
ordinance to encourage Residents to cutiyat grass
plats between the edge Of the sidewalk and tbs city
street line II beGutles the city, aad lessons the
cost Of keeping streets in repair by narrowing the
roadway. Under the city ordinance, the gentleman
who has strip 100 on one side by 81 on the other
and feet wide OF this kind of lawn, aud Of which
there many in the city, must pay in addition to
all his house and yard bills, the monthly OF so
cents for the first fifty square Yards and one cent
for every additional square yard for, say six months
in the year, $40 26 for his public enterprise,
| else permit his blue grass to die. This is new
| charge and bodily increase. 4 family OF
six persons must pay 81 50 for water
for domestic purposes alone, but the sa-
loon Proprietor who supplies from 100 to 800 cus-
! toners daily, maintains a layatory and water
| closet, washes vast quantities of glassware, and
probably runs a kitchen for the lunch table, pays
no more The laundry employing twenty washers,
or any greater number, pays 81 month, while the
Chinaman with four washers, the widow with
modest wash house and three assistants, pays pre-
cisely the same sum. Where family lives In a
store paying the 10 cent rate it is charged but half
domestic rate irrespective Of the number in it, and
thus large family will be privileged The mer-
chant who pays for store AMI house will be discrinl-
mated against in favor OF the merchant who lives in
the rear Of his stOre-rOom, though both families
NAV be Of equal size. A wholesale liquor store Ia
charged q % month"; irrespective OF the few or
the thousands OF gallons OF water used IN rectfy-
| ing or in preparing low-grade goods. The private
citizen who keeps team and buggy, or carriage,
must pay for water TO wash the vehicles so cents
| month, and for each horse 81 Quarter; but the
livery keeper may keep fifty horses at the OF 20
cents per head, and is charged nothing whatever for
| all the water consumed in washing thousands Of
| wagons and vehicles annually. II is not clear what
interest the ctv has III giring water away by whole
sale and charging for 1t by retail For horses III
excess of fifty, the livery keeper is to pay still less
rate--to wit; 10 cents These livery rates NC must
| not be understood IS condemning, but rather the
discrimination against the poor chap who has five
or six horses but does not keep livery stabla
The right thing for all such 70 do is 70 hoist
sign Livery Stable" at once, and thus
| save forty per cent on the cost OF water.
The schedule is in other respects unequal and too
high The water tax should be the lowest possible
tax consistent with the necessities Of the city The
new rate Is higher than that to which the people
| have been accustomed for all dwelliDg-houses
where there sre average sized families. 10 horse
men and few others II is more favorable and there
is no reason why t5e reduction TO them should not
, ! have been made long but equally reduction
should be made 10 heads Of families and there
should be no dise0ur cement to those VINO 5eautfy
| homes or gather conf ITS about the home. lhe
water tax added TO the regular city aud county tax
| and State rate, becomes serious matter TO the
property-owner.
The truth l., any per capita rate must operate
uneduSlly There are better systems, such IS those
that seek to ascertain the amount OF water USED
the extent of premises supplied, etc But II PEI
capita must be adhered to- irrespective OF thf
! amount Of water used then We have the authority
Of Trustee Gutenberger for saying that this eitJ
easily afford to reduce the rates now IN vogue
25 per cent In other words where the usual cnarg'
has been 81 month, it be reduced to 20 cents
and still leave the city surplus in the water fund
: The sIpposition has been that the new ordinance
: was passed to make reduction OF water dues. TWC
of the Trustees elected on the pledge
greatly reduce these rates. but have the author
ity OF the Clerk OF the Water Works for saying tina
he does not anticipate that the new schedule vii
materially, il at ALL lessen the citys income frou
, water taxes and II has been shown in this artic
that such estimate Is justified by the facts. II tn
rA,epsysrs rest content under this new adjustmen
. ,NrwN t--I1t- sd