San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-09-23
SPEECH OF F. GROOS,
ONE OF OUR ABLEST FINAN-
CIERS.
Delivered at the Mass Meeting Las
Saturday Night Oh the Water
Works Question.

dU OppOSeu u IHe puECHdSe, Dy tne
city, of the San Antonio waterworkS for
the sum of two million dollars, payable
in 5O-year per cent. bonds, for the fol-
lowing reasons:
In the frat place because do not think
that we absolutely need them.
In the second place because the pro-
posed price is too high.
In the third place because, even if we
needed them, and if the price asked for
them were reasonable, the city in my
opinion is not in position, at present, TO
pay that price.
Having lately been absent from the city
for several weeks | have not read every
thing published on this movement since it
was first started, and | may possibly be
mistaken if say that 1t was first started
by the city administration, or rather by
Mayor Callaghan, and that his principal
argument in favor of the purchase of the
waterworks was this:
THAT we must have sewerage, that we
cannot have it without owning the wa
terworkS, and that we must therefore buy
the waterworkS."
am not aware that it has been even
attempted to prove this assertion, and
to be believed. 1t is no mathematical
axiom that needs no proof.
! believe, on the contrary, that it would
be perfectly feasible for the city to erect
waterworks for the purpose of sewerage
and for other purposes without in the
least interfering with the present system.
| cannot myself absolutely prove what
| believe as stated, but | venture TO say
that the city can obtain the water, as
hot f,np ia nod hu a
ent waterwOrkS, any assertions to the
contrary Notwithstanding. And | may
add that am confirmed in this opinion
by that OF a person whom | believe 10 be
a competent engineer.
When the sewerage question was moot
ed, few years ago. Mr.. Breckenridge
declared himself willing to furnish the
necessary water at a very liberal rate.
but declined to bind himself to furnish it
always, experimenting that the capacity
of his works might not be sufficient for
sewerage and all. And if that be so, we
shall be obliged, in order to have sewer
age, either to increase the capacity of the
preSentworkS, after buying them, or else
TO erect other works for the purpose Of
sewerage.
/ admit that the laudS to be included in
the purchase are valuable, and likely TO
become more so in future. But ought the
city TO speculate in lands?
Did not most of these lands originally
belong TO the city, were they not thrown
away by former administrations, and
ought we to buy them back again now at
a high price, perhaps only TO be thrown
away again by some future administra-
ton?
Or do we need more parks, when we
have never been able or willing to take
proper care of those we already possess?
For these reasons, principally, | am of
opinion that we do not absolutely need
the waterworkS.
And l believe, also, that the proposed
price is too high.
Mr. w. j. Williams, who is brought in
as an authority by Mayor Callaghan, fig
ureS the cost of los miles of pipe, of cast
ingS, hydrantS, watergates, &c, at nearly
100000, not including pump-houses and
machinery, and then says that according
10 his experience the present works can
not be duplicated for less than 81, 100000
Mayor Callaghan says the lands are worth
100000, making S1,70O,OO0 in all, and the
WaterworkS Co. ought to have 100000
more for their trouble for the last ID years,
which would complete the two millions.
Atpresent there are 4S7 fire hydrants in
use, which am told were at first placed
go feet, then $50 feet apart, 4S7 hy-
drants. all $50 feet apart, would re-
Quire only 81 miles of pipe, counting only
500 feet per mile, and 7SS hydrants, which
we are told we shall soon have, would
give 80 miles. OF course pipe has been
laid also to and from the reservoir, and
elsewhere, but still there seems TO be
quite a discrepancy between the number
of miles that can be obtained by figuring
as above and that given by Mr.. Williams.
An whereas the los miles of Mr.. Williams
have evidently been valued by him as
though they were all new and sound,
miles and miles of them must now be
more or leSe rotten and worthless. And
then Mr.. Williams throws in $4,000. and
the proposition is to throw in 100000
more on top of that!
] confess that am not so liberal, and
that therefore, in my opinion, the pro-
posed price is far too high, but even II the
price were reasonable. the city is not in a
position to pay ii at present.
Our charter, as IL now stands, requires
a sinking fund of ten per cent. annually,
but Mayor Callaghan informs us that
Colonel Breckenridge has agreed that not
more than two per cent. shall be levied
for this purpose.
Col. Breckenridge certainly is most
distinguished and influential citizen, but
it seems to me that he cannot change the
law: not even the highest authority of
the land can do that. If we now vOIe to
issue S2,OOO,OOO of bonds, ten per cent.
must be levied annually for a sinking
fund.
Therefore, if we purchase the water
works now, as proposed, we shall be
obliged for the next ten years to raise by
taxation 100000 annually 10 comply with
the law in regard to the sinking fund and
100000 to pay the interest, making, in all,
100000 per annum.
And that would neceSSitate an increase
in the taxation of $3.50 on every 500,
taking the assessed value of assessed
property at the round sum of S2O,OOO,OOO.
The present rate of taxation would
therefore, during the next ten years, be