Los Angeles herald., 1892-11-01
SOME FIGURES ABOUT WATER,
Convincing Argument Against
the Proposed Bonds.
Mr.. J. w. Potts Writes an Earnest
Logical Letter.
Comparison of Reliable Statistics Re
suits in Favor of Private Owner
ship of the Water supply
for municipalities.

aOle LnlDg IOr JHe people lor d CiCy W
own and control its own domestic water
works, but that city can and does fur
nish water cheaper to its inhabitants
than private corporations (when all ex-
penses are considered) the most reliable
statistics fail to prove. / have state
ment before me from the New York
Voice, one of the most reliable papers in
the United States, which attempts to
show by comparing 35 cities which own
their own water works with IL cities
where the works are owned by private
corporations, that it is cheaper for cities
to own their own water works. To prove
his theory the Voice man shows that the
35 cities which own their own water
works only pay on an average $2l. 35 per
capita for the water, while the IL cities
where the works are owned by private
corporations pay s2l 20 per capita. To
stop here it would seem that the Voice
man had gained his Gaze; but as every
body knows, a large city compactly
built can furnish water cheaper per
capita than small city scattered over
large territory. So have compared the
35 cities which own their water works
with the 13 cities where the works are
owned by private corporations as to pop
ulation. and find that the 35 cities which
own their own works have an average
population Of 248, III, while the 13 cities
where the works are owned by private
parties only have an average population
of 93,012.
Besides this many of the cities where
the waterworks are owned by private
80
there is no rain in the summer months,
and where large quantities of water are
used for lawns and for street sprinkling,
while there is not one of the 35 cities in
the dry country, and only two in the
in the 35 cities where the water is con-
trolled and owned by the municipality
has cost the people per capita $2l l.25 on
account of the large amount OF people
that are supplied from the same pipe,
while the works owned and operated by
private corporations have cost the cor
porations $50 per capita. So, if you
take into consideration the municipal
steals and defalcations of the custodians
of the public money; and the replacing
OF the works every Is or 20 years, think
that have gained my case, taking the
statistics Of the New York Voice as my
| basis.
know this is very unpopular stand
to take, but am not seeking popular
ity, but truth and facts. If l am cor
rect, and the City Water company of
Los Angeles is charging an average per
capita OF $24 per annum, as claimed by
the New York Voice statistics, while
they are furnishing more water for
street sprinkling, and more water for
lawns. than any city in the United
States for the same population, what
becomes CT the assertions of few poll
ticisns and malicious individuals that
the owners of the Los Angeles City
waterworks are set of extortioners and
swindlers, without any enterprise or in
terest in the welfare OF the city.
l know the owners of the city water
works, and have known some of them
for great number of years. They are
nearly all owners of real estate and resi-
dents of this city, and no better set of
citizens or honorable gentlemen can be
found in any organization Of the same
number. Aud as to the accusation
against 1. w. Hellman, circulated in
the city a few days ago, that he had
blocked the improvements OF the city,
everybody that knows that gentleman
knows the assertion to be false. Mr..
Hellman built several blocks i'm the
early days, commencing in 1870, and al.
ways built the best buildings that were
here at that time, except when he built
the little brick building on Second and
Broadway. When he built his residence
on Main street it was then much the
finest residence in the city, and was a
credit to a little city of 5000 or TO- 1000 u
habitants. He also built street raj,
roads, and was engaged in many other
public improvements. In the early
days it often became my duty to take up
collections for churches and for private
charities, and | never went to l. w.
Hellman for a subscription but what I
got it, and generally got the amount l
named.
And now in conclusion let me say to
to own your own water works don't
bite off your own nose to spite YOUR
face; don't vote for bonds to lay idle for
six or eight years to pay interest on
when you cannot use them to advantage
to the people. but wait until the expira-
tion of the contract between the city
coulcil and the City Water company,
and then if you want to take hold OF the
works for the city come up like civilized
gentlemen and buy or condemn the
works of the City Water company, and
don't act like heather, call men thieves
and swindlers (who are at least your
equals in every respect) because they
have made good thing out of con-
tract with the city that was considered
when the contract was made splendid
thing for the city. The following are
the statistics of tha Nav York Voice
referred to above. j. w. PoTTs.
Municipal Cooperation.