Telegram-herald., 1889-11-02
A WATER SUPPLY
The Great Question Is How 70 Get
II and Plenty OF II.
PRIYATEyS. PUBLIC WATER SYSIEHS
more Light On n Matter Of vital Import
aace "a GFaad Rapids Facts aAd
Figures Tor fsssrion-no~ Otnsr
Citlss are served.


Npt - +t-c+N 80 -'t--~
Contained 10 lt. which. without further
explanation, might be misleading.
L. speaking OF the present system
owned by the city. you refer 70 u As be-
ing completed. The reports OF the va
nous comm uecs whichhsve from time
u time investigated tls matter show
these statements % be an error partic-
ultrly the report OF the committee OF
thirteen which was appointed n iss6,
wherein they ak for 40 least $500 more
aoDropriauOn % complete the city
water works, on the basis of taking
water from the river, and i VII take
about 81 900 900 more 70 complete the
system on the same basis of pipe that
Rochester, which YOU quote, now
has, only we would have river water IN
stead OF pure lake water like Rochester.
It's very evident that the present
ystem of city water works IS in an un-
finished condition instead Of beingcOm-
pleted.
The citv has about one hundred and
forty miles OF streets. a large proper
ton OF which viii require water pipes,
and the total present mileage of pipes,
according 20 the report Of the BOARD OF
Public Works, is only tortr-eight miles.
The income Qf the CITY has not III
creased i'm proportion 70 the extensions
OF the pipes, bur has, IN fact. decreased,
and the expenses have increased, a
appears from an aalvsIs OF the Board
of Public Works report.
In the article referred 10. you quote
the city Of Rochester, Y y, as an eN-
ample OF city management, a against
private management. but you DO not
publish all the facts in regard TO
Rochester. IL appears by reference TO
the manual of American water works.
that the city of Rochester has 2lS miles
of water pipes. showing that that city Is
thoroughly p.ped. They have a water
works debt OF S3.lS2 600. with interest
a. per cent The annual operating
expenses are $50, 600 per year, and the
income from consumers j 1896, ,456.
And 10 further appears that the city
makes upan annual deficiency of $780,
600. From your article one would Judge
that the city Of Rochester was making
a profit on its works of over $3.50. 900
per wear, whereas the fact Is that there
Is deficiency Of Sl0O.0 per annum.
10 saw nothing OF the load of debt of
over s.. 900 900 which the city IS obliged
% carry.
Another thing "a, the water works in
Rochester are what Is known as Gravity
works. the water running into the city
without anv pumping or expenses of
pumping. IL being taken from HemlOck
lake. twentv-eight miles south of the
city. at an elevation Of 3SS feet above
the city level. so that IL runs in of its
own force. The Rochester works have
been completed since 1872 or seventeen
wears ago. so that after seventeen
years operation hv the city. with
Il. 900 consumers or taps. hetax PAYERS
of that town are obliged 20 make up an
annual deficiency Of 800 900. And it
also appears that the consumers Of
Rochester, I'm addition to being
hurienrd with 5000 900 debt, paw
about Sil apiece each for their water
for domestic use.
Vow. rs contrasting this, let us take
Cltv about the same SIZE as Rochester
whore the water works arc run upon
business priDclnlns fv private COM
panv. For instance. indianapolis. Ind,
CITY ~ about the same population.
wherein the w1ter works arc operated
hv n private company. Ind annapolis
h7s0o c.tv water q .i,' The total *
pensc Of tho ctv for fire protection.
ETC.. s33.5-f 0er year. whereas in
Bochesf.r i.is Sl0000o Dor annum: and
iu Grand R1o.ds. q citv Of much less
reputation than indianapolis accord
i0v t0 v0ur cstimatel, 10 Is SS39l5.
r. has lone brnn rcc0~0iroI hv those
who h1re r-von anv study - tho s,rb-
iert that-nr,vqfa contnaries car, orer,to o
and m1utain st~oct m roads. cas
comuani-S wefor co.ro7nics. etc.
i0 mm c.pa'tirs ru-h chcaror
than the cffv its-'f could DO.
Tt s r~oh7hlv owing ~ thc
facf -hat n ~1rr -h,.,,- 20 fu4 4 c-tv
whose af7irs o~o 71m 7's.e~ed with
that io~~or of business s'S'| 1r conn
orrv va.rh rc~s0us vou'f h~.rQ 20 Tho
Co~ifrt 0t fhorr own Affairs. THIS v'cw
90 tno matter fast nc'nC sioD'ct n
fh conu'r 'rv so '7~ 7s w7tor works a~c
crrrrr0eI. ou' ofa total ~ 1870 water
works 0 th0 Inte' ~f1f.s. -i5 ore
owned hv towns and 937 hv private
CowDa0'cs. Tho reason vnv so ma0v
works 7rn owned hv 'r'na if'Ns S
hco1r-o tnnv wore huIt n'a0v v07r'
a~o when Tho u0ocss1rv capital FOR
fheir construction hv -.~1tc cowua1ios
rotit 00t ho ont1nr'. Tho CoustrrC-
to- of w1trr works Is an expensive
tr.~r. an3 US only within q coUnara-
Fvriv few vrsrs t'1lf has heen under
tlkcr IN any great ovt-rt hv private i'm
d,v.drafs oo~nora t.a~s
rtisstfe to sa~ th.. great majority