The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-10
THE CITY EXECUTIVE
Annual Report Of the Board Of
Public Works.
Recommendation That the City Own Isa
Electric Pisnt-work Done by
the Departments.

The las. d he annual reports Of city o.
feers for issZ was tiled yesterday. II is
that 81 the board Of public works, AID
among other things u says
TBS bard ss so~ coasiss4sse IL .sKiEY I'd II
fse; ass taxsa ss.es gsEe J. tsssy active. PER
soz4l Stss "a tos work Ds1ag 1o1s - 80
several <ksa-.saes.s. s.z tie -s~,s.ss Es~e cerr-
cyss.stse the sisdorz Of saes e1s-ss. TIE
el:T ass essa gsssi3g - roo1 ssrvies sro-a tas
feso IL 10 employ ~ ,rsvsts Parties CT eor-
ypgsssens coa41 gst from sneE gorx-
jng sa1ss similar csrcz.ss.sDess Tax
Ing s1to eo1ss5er1ssoa It's fset slaz.
tie city "a ,syiag roEs1 IL Do. rnoYs fog slgzt
Eo1rs gork thss is bssDg rsi1 by eoasrsetors
FOR ten hours las2., tss rsssorts 81 sas vs-5o1s
DEPARTMENTS viii sbow thss tks cos: q i:zp-ovs-
T3s3is n@s1s vince tsss soDgs dsts bes Dse5 ~ o
fn!u5ap1za prlce. Tbs geaerzl deyress Ipn fn
BUSINESS tbsoDg1og: tie eoautrF las eazssd a
isrgs tr81x Of ssDS-Srs 70 tbs city. s21 "a ire
city is paying the ssras wages ~. sswsf a0g,s'
woEx thzs sze p8a9 s3sex hers. tie FzrIpgs ds-
rsrtzaen.s hare bssa psrzas;sns5y bssasgs6 i0r
scrs.
s7s cite. oos:iy improvements Under eons;r1e-
.31u 81 tas city gsss 81 s1ea condition fas.
tas bosy1 felt warranted IL removing from
ossee tie YsntssEssa thea IA control 81 .ae
ssgeszl departments suGer this board sd saee3-
sng Is tier stead gentlemen Ia on !BsgIaen:
work Tie results we taink have 5sstias6 osr
sss1on SD while ge % 10. MAKE egsapsy1sons
here. We ID act EssslGss U saF tazt were t2gy ~
bs made thsY would no. be 10 oar G.spsssGe-
rosnt- TIE reports herewith submitted fhsul-
selves sEyite COR ysrsDa g4t5 yres2osss reports,
ens che public shoa-d give thea closs
scrutiny 70 tie euf TIA. they mGy
become thoroughly familiar with tbs manage
nent os municipal sEaIrs. without going
unto detail og giving synofs4g u TIE ytr4o1s
reySssx sunn .ttES--sor tat 81 unBeessasrF.
owing ~ tier bsiag both 60 o0zyaste GrG i1el7
the b0sse 6e..res ~ rail your sp.selal sttsu-
fsoa - q few questions that Cal for Gao,e thai
ordinary consideration.
In TIE oosr6's reTsos: of December q. Iss1. 4
yas stste1 that when The Holly pump would y
33 operation and the PIPE then o. lAud wcg-1
De- is3s, ths water systeza so1ld - practically
eorGpiste Tor al present gurjnsss and there
would D. need % 10 sKteasiTs editions tO;TesTs
Notwithstanding tbe very T1o1era;e grOwta
% the city during TIE year ~, the increased
cesDsna for water service, together VIA tae
sc;a15 experience oi tie Use 81 she HOl.E pump
have furnished practical DEMONSTRATIONS that
TIE observations Il tie b0sfd Feierfs1 - were
entirely TOO CONSERVATIVE. Thousancs Of tone
Of pipe have teen lad during tie pat year,
aud were we u at:smp; 90 supply al the resi-
dents now asking for service. Il would require
the purchase 81 several thousand tons e pipe
81 addition 70 what hes already been laid, and
would tar all our pumping machinery 70 iis
fen capacity. Judging the future by the past,
We may expect greatly increased de-
rnsod for water service IN 1eJ2 II
is our manifest duty - anticipate
This demand apd prepare 10 meet il By careful
and .u5iej0us legislation. Whether Il be re-
v.se1 system Of general taxation for water par-
poses, a. Recommended ~ The super pteade3t
Of water works, 70 whose carefully prepared re-
port eSpecisi attention !s called, and hose OBJ
fgvt "a N ,.s-f,
bic, by again bonding the city, certainly
something should be Gone toward supplying
the city With water by the gravity syster1, the
contamination Of which viii De d iaeaieuiable
benefit 10 our city. Additional pumping 1as-
chinery lie also urgently nee1ed for use during
the present year.
@ssa each recurring month as the bsils 70, the
eitys electric Lighting are presented 10 re
checked Il p by tais board, the necessity o. Iau-
Etcpal illumination presents itseIf wien ever
Increasing ernphasis The difficulty Of keeping
an account check On the Lights tina; are burning
per contract and those that are out night
after Night, the irnpossibiity Of the city know
ing whether the fail candle power Of iigat IL
beiDg furnished Or not-tbese lead the board TO
believe the: sound business judgment demands
that tie city own its own electric lgh. plant
Such plant should be erected, in oar judg-
Inent 81 the Lake Washington pumping s.s-
ton, gforcifg Is Il does superior facilities for
TsoIlrastes almost sf,oV9 per month, or for the
yeGr. about ga so
While tie past Elk yesrs more tnHu rs cities
IN tie United states have taken coatrol and oE,-
Grated electric Aght pianta IL can not be coz
sidefea therefore az experiment In every in
stance where city has operated it, own illufni-
mating plant be,ter service Lac been had at less
cost than when done previously by a private
company. That the public may have al opIor-
tunity of making their own comparison with
reference 70 THE matter which we consider o.
the utmost Importance, we herewta submit
tables which are Of Themselves conclusive proof
of the necessity 81 seattle doing is own Iatulc-
fps illumination. lie ca0.es were prepared ~
Ar. Robert J. Finley aud Published ia the Rer5eso
81 Ksptsus OF February, .s9k
The tables referred 10 show an average
cost per light for cities owning their plant
OF sssi.6i per arc light and siDt0l where
operated by private companies The
board Endorses the reports OF the heads Of
departments.