Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-04-23
CITY WATER.
COMPARISONS BETWEEN OLD AND
NEW RATES.
The Changes Affect Families Very
Slightiy-How the Old Ordi-
nance Has been Evaded.

Since the passage by the City Trustees Of
the new ordinance regulating water rates
1t has been the subject of general discus
sion throughout the city, and severely con-
demned by great many citizens. A care
full comparison of it with the old ordi-
nance, however, shows that the increased
rates do not fall on the poorer classes, but
on the larger manufactures, liquor houses,
saloons, laundries, etc., which use great
quantities of water but have hitherto not
paid their proper proportion of the tax.
For instance, under the old ordinance a
hotel bar or other saloon paid 81 so per
month for the water used, while under the
new ordinance the rate will be 81 so, with
81 extra where hot lunches are served.
Bars in grocery stores, which formerly paid
10 cents per month, will now be charged
81 90. Drug stores that paid 50 so per
month will pay the same under the new
ordinance, but each soda fountain must
hencetorth pay an additional 81 30.
STOPPING LARGE LEAKS.
Under the old ordinance laundries en-
month. As a matter of fact, some en-
ploy four times that number; and, while
the rate for four employees will be the same
under the new ordinance, it permits of an
increase from 81 up to s25, according to the
number OF persons employed.
Wholesale liquor stores, which use con-
siderable water in one way or another, will
pay SIS instead of So 80. and there has been
considerable increase in the rate for print.
ing offices, which are also large consumers
of water.
FOR FAMILY UsEEs.
The increased rate for water used for
family or household purposes is very small,
as comparison of the old and new ordi-
nances will show. Heretofore the rate
charged, or supposed TO be charged, fami-
lies of four or more persons was twenty
five cents each per month, or 81 at the low
est. Under the new ordinance all families
of two or more persons are to be charged
at the rate Of 81 per month, and it is mat
ter of fact that hundreds of families of
from three to five persons have heretofore
escaped payment of the full rate bv claim
ing to have but two members each, the rate
for which was fifty cents per month per
person, or 81 so per quarter.
FAMILIES THAT EvADE THEIR SHARE.
The books at the Water Works show
1888 families of four or more members,
736 OF three members, 1,697 of two men,
bers, and SO " families of one member.
OF the ,697 families that claim to have but
two members each, probably one-half or
more have at least four members, and the
one-member families probably have at least
two or three.
Thus it will be seen that, so far as fam
lies are concerned, there will be practically
no difference in the rates collected under
the new ordinance and what should have
been collected under the old.
BUT THE CHIEF ADVANTAGE
Expected to be derived from the operation
of the new ordinance is the sum that will
be collected from certain class of the
| floating population-those who change
| their residence every two or three months
| 1t is estimated that there are at least 400
| tenement-houses in the city that practically
| escape the payment of water rates. Most
OF these are situated in the alleys. The
| collector is put off a few times by tenant,
who then removes and a new family comes
| in, and the same game is repeated. The
proposition now is to collect the water rates
| from the owners Of these tenements, who
are receiving rents from them solely be-
cause the city has been magnanimous
enough to keep them supplied with an
| abundance of water. When landlords find
that they cannot rent their houses without
water supplies are included, they will be
| very careful to see that the water is paid
| for.
| SOME FACTS AND FIGURES.
The principal changes in the rates from
| the old to the new ordinance will be noted
below. In few instances only the figures
refer to quarterly payments, and these
are so designated in each case. All the
other rates Except for taps are by the
month. Beside those included in the fol.
lowing lists, slight changes are made in the
rates for bakeries, brickmasons, ETC., bui
| they are of tritiing character, and hardly
worth enumerating.
OLD ORDINANCE. NEW ORDINANCE.
Families OF and Families of or
less than S.........Sl % more perSOns......S1 OF
| Each person above
| o....-.... 70
| Families of per-
| sOnS.... %
| For right to attach For right to attach
hose Tor washing hose for washing
| windows carri- windows, carri-
ages, etc............. % ages etc...,.,..... 81
| Bar in hotel or sa-
loon............. so Saloons. . 81
! Hot lunch houses
| connected with
saloons.............. i q
Bar IN grocery 20 Bar in grocery. 81
| luD III uOuSe
(per quarter. 90 Bath-tub in house 81
| Stores of 20 feet Stores of % feet
1ront....-.........,.. 20 front. ] On
| Wholesale liquor Wholesale liquor
stores.................. 2 so stores.......... o.
| LaundTies(employ-
ing or more per-
sons. ............... 90 Laundries-7 90 10 25 o.
lrrigatlon..........., % Irrigation
| BaTber-shop, each Barber-shop each
CHAIR .........'...- 0O cnalr W
| Public bath houses, Public bath houses,
one tub.............. 1 % one tub.... 81
| Each extra tub. 40 Each extra tub..... ! u
Printing offices mot Printing Offices mot
steam-......:l 90 to 90 steam)......2 50 to 6 o.
Private stables (per Private stables (per
| quarter .......... 90 quarter ! o.
| Public livery sta Public livery sta
bles (per horse). % bles (per horse) Q
| Confectioners and IConfectioners and
| syrup makers..-. syrup-makers.
...........1 90 TO 5 co. .............2 % to 6 o.
| Eating houses. Eating houses.
..-.........-l % to OBJ .............2 90 to o.
Drug stores............ 30 Drug stores...... 3
| Soda fountains. 2 y
l-ineh tap quitting finch tap quitting
ln)--............. . UOl ln)
%inch tap put 1a-inch tap (put-
ting I'M .....--..-..... 00l ting in)....... 2 o.
ss-inch tap put ssinch tap (put-
ting I'M ............... 00l ting iu).....-.. o.
54-iDch tap put q inch tap put
ting lnl............... 90 ting I'M ....... 6 O
The Police Court.