The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-02-18
CLERK COFFEY EXPLAINS.
He Says That Expert Seymour Made
Several Mistakes.
Cannot Deal as Rigidly With People,
He Says, as Would Private
Person or Company.

Matt Coffey, Clerk of the Water Works,
appears to have been exporting Mr.. Ex-
pert Seymour. The latter, in his report
to the Grand Jury, paid considerable at
tentlon to the Water Works Department,
and presented an array of figures to show
that there had been discrimination prac-
ticed in the collection of water rates, as
well as a lack OF attention given to the
requirements of the law.
In an interview yesterday with Mr..
Cotfey on the subject, that gentleman
said that Expert Seymour had been
foundering in deep water-that he was
wide of the mark, and had written about
matters with which he was not familiar
Being requested to point out some of the
experts alleged mistakes. he submitted
the following:
reply to Expert Seymour in regard
to collection of water rates.
The hotel rates were fixed by my pre-
decessor.
The Western Hotel was paying S45
They now are paying $50, an increase Of
50 per month.
The Golden Eagle was paying S25
They now pay $50, an increase of So.
The Eldred House was paying 81. They
now pay $40, ali increase OF IS.
The Fifth-street Hotel was paying 81.
They now pay $40, an increase of So.
The Pacific Hotel pays $40 so. and is
paid up to January, 1892, nothwithstand-
ing the expert says it only pays IS.
The Ddtiy Bee was paving s. per
month. They now pay 81 30, an increase
OF 81 80.
Arthur Miller was paying s. 80. He
now pays s. 90.
the high license a good many of them
have given UP their bars, and had to have
reduction accordingly.
Mr.. Seymour has made a great many
mistakes in his report. He says that A.
Meiss only pays - 80 per quarter at 1872
* street, whereas he pays that sum
monthly.
his stable of six horses, and his landlord.
). Dwyer, pays IS for his family rate
NJ. III. Meagher on Il, between Seven
teenth and Eighteenth streets, pays $50
per quarter, an increase of $40 during my
term.
T. w. Sheehan does not use the city
water at his stables, as alleged as he has
pump.
The livery stables are paying about all
that can be collected by the ordinances
Wilson'S stable pays on so horses, the
Pacific pays on 90, NJ. Miller on 81. ID.
ellis on 70, f. S. Smith on 90, Stanley's
stable on 70, SERVERS on IS, and smaller
stables in proportion.
The saloons all pay the regular rate,
81 80 per month, with eating houses ex-
ira.
Some of the contractors spoken of are
not in business, while those that are pay
for what water they use.
The irrigation rates are collected where
water is used for that purpose.
The irrigation rates at the cemeteries
are collected by the Superintendent. He
receives 3 per cent. commission, and it is
to his advantage to see that no one es-
capes. According to the expert, he must
have attended to his business, as several
persons have over-paid.
Barber-shops and lighthouses vary.
some having small shops and others
larger. We endeavor to charge what the
ordinance calls for.
On the lst of January I caused all the
China washhouses to be raised from So
and So to 81, So and So per month.
The rates on breweries were fixed by
the Superintendent of the Water Works
before l went into office.
Il have not time to answer all of Mr.
Seymour's report" added Mr.. Coffey,
but l have tried to answer it as briefly
as possible. Since taking charge of this
office | have tried to do what was right
between the water takers and the CITY.
OF course, we may not be as eXacting as
private company would be in all cases,
but we endeavor to collect what the city
is entitled TO and at the same time be lib
eral with our customers, who are really
the owners of the Water Works.
There may be some small sums the
city loses-for instance, on horses and
COWS and on bathtubs-but we endeavor
10 make the owners pay whenever we
find them enjoying these luxuries. After
reading the Experts report and finding
so many errors, 1 thought it no more
than proper that l should correct them.
| will say furthermore that do not want
to, nor have l the time, to enter into any
newspaper argument, but console myself
with the fact that we are doing our duty
as nearly as we ean."