The record-union., 1891-09-22
EXTRA LICENSE MONEY.
The BondhoIders VIII Allow the City
to Use 1t.
But There VIII be String to 1t, Lead
ing to a Pump Factory-The
Gentlemen Not Posted.

| Frequent reference has been made of
late to the fact that the Trustees of the
city had been endeavoring to prevail
upon the bondholders to waive their
claim for given time to the little more
than one-half the receipts of the Water
! Work, which the law gives them, so that
the money might be expended for addi-
tional pumping machinery and other
wise improving or adding to the city's
pumping plant.
| The supposition has been that the con-
sent of the bondholders to the PROPOSE
| ton had been secured, but it appears that
such is not the case. On the contrary,
they have refused to forego their right to
draw upon these moneys right along.
Trustee Mclaughlin, however, who
seems to have set his heart upon having
the city purchase new pumping machin-
| cry, did not despair when the practical
minded and close-fisted bondholders de-
cEned to let go. The increase In liquor
| licenses gave him an opportunity to re-
new his demand upon them. All but
| two, it is said, agreed to let the liquor
license receipts go toward the purchase of
another pump, repairs, ETC., but these two
would not yield.
Trustee Mclaughlin possesses one
quality that asserts itself in all things he
undertakes, and that is dogged persist
ency. In this respect he much resem-
bles General Grant, for he usually gains
his point. He has clung to the bloated
bondholders until they have all agreed
to allow the city the use Of the money de-
rived from increased liquor licenses for
the period of one year.
In other words, the gentlemen who
hoy fIai, han do lHvS oh
the city's throat insist on still raking
down the same sums they did before
liquor licenses were increased from Sl5 to
SIS per quarter, but will allow all in ex-
cess thereof to be used for time to meet
the alleged needs of the Water Works
department.
Estimating that about two hundred sa-
looms will stand the raise, the sum that
would go to the city exclusively would
be something like $23, 900 year.
This. the RECORD UNION understands,
is about the way the matter stands at this
time. No formal agreement has been
entered into between the City Trustees
and bondholders, but the matter is liable
to come up for ratification at any
moment.
If the bondholders of the city simply
desire to strengthen the latter's hands,
which have become so weakened from
long wearing of their shacl<leS, they will
nOC 1nSlSL tnaC l0lS money snail DE GA-
pended exclusively for the purchase of
new pumps for the Water Works, but
will remove all restrictions upon its use,
in order that it may be applied to needed
levee repairs and other public necessi-
ties.
1t is true the water supply system Of
the city needs to be unprecedented,
there is a pressing demand for it, but q
new and costly pump will not improve
it. The trouble lies IN the deficient pipe
service. What is required in order to
give the eastern portion of the city bet
ter water supply is a proper system Of
mains. From Ninth or Tenth street
eastward the water-mains become so re-
duced in size that all the pumps in Chris
tendon could not force enough water
through them to meet the demands of
that rapidly growing portion of the city.
The pumps now in service could pro-
vide all the water necessary if the mains
were capable of carrying it. There is
''slippage'' enough constantly flowing
back into the river, tor want of some
other place to go, to over and over again
supply the demand for water.
For the city to expend fifty or sixty
thousand dollars, or even five thousand
dollars, for more pumps at this time
would be a useless and wanton waste Of
mOney,