The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-03-30
People VS.. Water Commissioners.

The Water Commissions have o
question to solve which is OF great in
tsrest to the city of Wilmington. and
that question Is no more nor less than
this: Shall not only the great morocco
manufacturing firm Of +. Blumenthal
Il Co., but other Industries be driven
away from our city to locate else.
where. on account OF the high charges
for watarf The Blumenthal Com pany
now employs about 450 hands, aud
they had ulready commenced to en-
large their works to the capacity of
1000 hands when they are met by a
cast iron rule from the Water Depart
ment commanding them to pay for
the water they use, as 1t is dribbled out
to them through water metres, which
will entail an additional cost upon
them of several thousand dollars, or
enough to equal the estimated profits
of tho company. As iu almost every
thing else there are two sides to tho
question.
The Water Commissioners say that
water Is very low in the Brandywino
and that it cannot be spared from
other more pressing and legitimate
uses. Furthermore they say that
wter is already furnished at n mini
mum coat over and aboxa<fhat requir.
cd to meet the 'fsiIfnate expenses OF
the department, and Furthermore that
they cannot discriminate and make, as
it were, fish of one and flesh OF an
other" These may all appear Ike
very cogent reasonlngs. but they do
not reach the point at ISSUE.
II, as the Water Commissioners sny
the water IL so low during the summer
as scarcely to allow sufficient for le'
Ultimate uses. the part OF wisdom
would be to look out Tor larger sup
ply from some other source. VIII
mington, with its 81, 900 Inhabitants, is
not yet to be shut In and walled up.
It's promised career Of prosperity has
but commenced. II the water In the
Brandywine Is barely sufficient to
supply tho wants of $1,000 OF popu
Iation, what is to be done when the
population reaches ice, 900 as 1t will In
q few years? Instead of massing
costly pumping machinery and water
filterers at the head Of tide water.
from whence 1t has to be pumped up
into the highest attitudes OF the city,
at great expense, had the Commission
ers not better strike out on some other
lines for an adequate SUPPLY
But now a word for tho Blumenthal
Company or any ether Industry that
may be in like condition. The first
is case right in point that we all
know something about. 1t is In full
operation amongst us. Its $50 hands
employed means the occupancy oI
nearly one hundred houses. The en-
ployment of 500 more hands would
mean the occupancy OF one hundred
more houses. These two hundred
houses must be built. They will cost
at the least $500 apiece or an agsre-
gate OF $3.50, 600. They would he MS
sessed at, at least their wo.thtfd value
or s24O, 900. The taxes on these houses
alone to say nothing of the taxes upon
the business plant would at tax rate
OF $l.55 per 500, amount to S31. Is
this amcunt not better to the city
than IS, 200 or - 600 saved to 1t by
water metres?
Is this not better than to drive this
enterprlslng firm, with it's thousand
hands, out of the city, to locate II
Chester or some other town near by
where they will be gladly granted tile
fayors refused thern in Wilmington
This question may not deeply inteies'
the Water Commissioners, who have
their cast iron water meter rules to &c
by. and all who do not comply Will
them may "get up and get out but
IL intensely interests the tax payers OF
Wilmington and tho people In gener
al. Tho Wilmington Industrial I'm
provement Company Is strain ms
every nerve to get manufactures In
dustrles to come to Wilmington, bu
the Water Commissioners meet then
with their water mcters to measure
out the water they need in driblets Il
charges at once diseouraging and dis
heartening.
The matter, as it concerns the Blu
menthal Company. resolves Itself intS
1.-THE People vs.. the Water Commits
sloners." What will tho latter d'
about 1t? Will they enforce their Iron
clad rule, and let this enterpristnl
company. with its thousand hand
go, or will they let up and keep
here, where it wants to stay, an
where it will not only be benefit t.
itself, but creator benefit to tn
city? Tho people are watching thi
conflict. and If the decision Is agalas
them. they will most assuredly cor
clude that the time has come wien til
Water Commission should revert bac
to their hands again.
HERE is more expense for Whining
ton. A hill has been introduced in I'll