San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-06-09
THE MAYORS MESSAGE
To the Council on the Sewerage
Question.

message on the subject of sewer
age, the question which has gone
over from time to time and has
been of so much interest to the
citizens. The message was as fol-
lows:
''To the Honorable City Council
of the City of San AntoniO-Gen-
tlemen: Referring to my message
of May l, last, to your honorable
body in which 1 urgently recon-
mended that some immediate &C
ton be taken looking to the erec-
ton of system of sewerage, l
would now respectfully again call
your attention to the existing
necessity for such a system.
Aside from the question of con-
venience the public health is in
volved, which is paramount to
every other consideration. Why
should this matter be longer de-
layed in bringing it before the
public?
The continuing growth of our
city demonstrates day by day the
absolute folly of postponing this
question for further discussion. In
my opinion the time has come for
action.
If the means are at our disposal
to consummate this much desired
end and we fail to act, then we cam
not expect to be held guiltless
should natures sanitary inspector,
in the shape of cholera, visit our
homes and decimate our popula-
ton.
This city can never be put in a
proper sanitary condition without
sewers, and just so long as this
matter is neglected will those in
authority be held to account for
failure to bring the whole question
before the people, and it should be
so brought and upon sufficient and
complete data and calculations,
that they may act intelligently
thereon.
If the city has no means at it's
disposal for such purposes that
would end the controversy, but |
respectfully submit that it has all
the means requisite at it's COM
mand should the people desire to
use them for this end. Certain it
is that their wishes in the matter
will never be known unless the
question is ordered to be submitted
to them by resolution of your hon
Orable body.
In order to demonstrate the
ability of the city to enter upon
and fully carry out such a system
in all of it's details, l would re-
spectfully remind you that our
charter provides that the bonded
debt of the city shall not exceed s
per cent of the assessed values.
Our assessed values are in round
numbers $30,OO0,OOO upon which
we are EMIT ed to create a bonded
debt of 100000. Our bonded
debt is now $1,233,5OO, leaving a
margin of 81, 1860 upon which to
raise money for public improve
ments. 1t will thus be seen that
we have passed the half mile post,
and it is merely question of time
before we reach the limit that the
law has fixed.
There is no manner of doubt but
that this remaining portion of
Sligo, 10000, that the law has given
us,will be expended sooner or later.
The history of every growing city
in the United States shows that
they go to the very limit that the
law allows them in creating a
bonded indebtedness for public inn
provements, and there is no reason
to suppose that San Antonio will
prove an exception to the rule.
Should any one think that the
people will veto the, ultimate
expenditure of this balance by
a negative vote, let me remind
him that the city has the
right for some years to come
to issue bonds to the extent
of sixty thousand dollars a year
without vote of the people, and if
this policy is persisted in the re-
manning capital allotted to us by
law will be frittered away piece
meal and will leave us stranded to
carry on any system of public i'm
provements by which the city can
own and control it's own system of
sewers and water works, which it
should without doubt own and con-
troll.
l have heard the argu ment adj
vanced that we can afford to go on
as we have been going and delay
the question of sewers and water
works, until increased assessed
values will gives us larger mar
gin upon which to create a bonded