Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-05-13
Cities and water.,Yorh.
Fonr WoI,ru. M.v,,. !.

To the Editor of the Gazette NY h''0i.
noticed a few days ago r...
graph to the effect that co,,, paw "a 4
proposed buying the water.worrs iauy
. .,. II, as this would imply, thu N.
city authorities had IN intent;o, =" \.
sell, l, an utter stranger to tho go. -
would most respectfully advise NV ths :,
70 Keep their water-works in thai a,...'
hands, and at once and forever ra,' W.
to allow any corporation to mono sss
NE this, one of the first necessities :,
life. 1.-THE city authorities can ~ - ). !
let them look into the history NJ a nvsu,
towns In both the old and new wo v.ue'
ana they will find most of tba , ,,s
cities built, bought or are or have 1 hss.
buying the water-works which s,, ven
stances:' ~. IVY IN
In 1910 Sir Hugh Myddletop srr.
gested that a conduit be brought f Scs
Oxiordshire to supply London with
water. The shares could not be so IA,
ne gave James l., king of England
ana Ann, his wife, several shares y
INDUCE others to buy, but, notwi,S
standing the eclat given the con,nan
by the King becoming u patron n ~ ],
with the greatest difficulty that monss
sufficient could be raised to bring 81,
water to London. wy
| In l6ll the shares were elOo oooh
AT the present time one share ia con
sidered and Is fortune, and fraction,
as low as one-eighth of one share ! !,
often sold by auction at the largest sa ,i,,
room I'm London, viz, Tokenhons,
Yard. The purchase of this and oths,
water.works in London has.bee fin.
and again considered nv IN,
commissioners of works, bit IN,
sum demanded is SO enormo,,
that each succeeding chief has shirker
the question, notwithstanding the fac
that immediate action has been urged
by the citizens for years. There ar,
no shares in the market for any Of tn,
London water-works companies.
One other case, Birmingham, Eng
land. This town is one of the mos
Ego ahead" in England. There wer
two gas companies and one water
works company, and three-quarters 0
million inhabitants. At All immens
advance upon the cost they, abou
eight years ago, bought out all thre
companies; have reduced the price a
water and gas, have made a Larry
profit which goes to the reduction q
the general rates, and they give pure
water and better gas. / could give
score of other instances to the sam
effect.
/ do not blame the public-spirited
that Is sharp, shrewd men who Sc
what is wanted in a town and best cal
culated TO swell their bank accoun;
They deserve to succeed and they d.
succeed, bat / do blame the authorize
of any town who neglect, criminal,
neglect, to supply water and light t
the town they have undertaken b
govern. No town can afford to aloy
u private company to control its waite
or gaS.
Fort Worth, too, had better atten,
to these matters at once. Probabl
those sharp old foxes at the head O
gas and water companies would con
sent to learn an everlasting name
and sell their undertakings for four 0
five times their cost, and the cit
authorities should see that they di
sell and at once, for the timers not ia
distant when to buy out these work
with their daily enhancing values vii
exceed the resources of the Forl
There should be no desire to depriv
the shareholders of the fruits Of thei
pluck. They should be treated Libel
all J and full return made them 70
the good they have done, but the.
should be made to sell to the city q
once, even though it be at "bi
price," for big price they deserve.
In conclusion / would ask the al
thorities at Cleburne before maxim
this movement to the rear to hun
around and see If they can find asingl
instance of water-works compan.
having come to grief in this or an,
other country.