San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-08-02
SEWERAGE AND wATERwoRKs,
Alderman Joe Beckmann Tells his
Ideal Methods About Both.


Ideal Methods About Both.
1t was in the heat of the day,
when LIGHT representative found
. Mr.. Beckmann, though under the
"sweat of his brow" yet in good
humor. To an Interrogation by
the LIGHT scribe, said:
Mr.. Beckmann, what about the
two most absorbing questions in
our city affairs, that is, the water
works and the sewerage agitation?
Mr.. Beckmann: 81 am not a
Scion in wisdom, nor a Cicero. in
rhetoric or eloquence, but l will
say: This city should by all means
have perfect system of sewerage,
but can we stand the expense
without sacrificing our entire re-
sources? To this / would say: We
can, if we are economical. | have
a plan by which we can put down
plant at a nominally small cost.
This could be accomplished by the
city building two main sewers, one
on each side of river; those two
mains to be paid for by general
taxation of the whole city. Even
before those two mains are con-
tracted, a complete survey should
be had for such mains, and their
respective connections. Then,
whenever Commerce, Houston,
Flores street, or others wish to be
connected, an estimate Of cost
could be had = for each street.
Then divide and establish a pro
rata of cost among the property
owners on such streets, according
to how many square feet of ground
they own, abutting on that street,
and compel them to connect with
the system at the same time, thus
avoiding the constant digging up
of our streets, and also saving eX-
penses for the citizen and the cor
poration. Then, the property owner
who makes use of the sewer is the
one who pays for them, and those
not using, only paying taxes on
the large mains, which certainly
would be comparatively little. |
do not consider it at all right to
tax our suburban residents for i'm
provements, from which they do
not derive any adequate benefits.
"This sewerage question leads
direct to the water question. | am
in favor that the city should con-
troll the water supply, but this
ownership of water works car
ries with itself some very dan
gerOus features and one of
them, the greatest of all,
is the political machine, or the rel
ative connection of one to the 9TH
err; this could be and should be
avoided. The possibility of such
avoidance is to me but very plain |
case. / would recommend the cleo
ton of superintendent, for term
of five years, he to give good |
bond for the faithful performance |
of his duties, and to receive |
a percentage salary calculated
from the cash receipts of
the works. Five directors to |
be elected by property tax payers,
to hold office for five years, to re-
CclNt Slldll Sdldly, chouSh w
compensate for services rendered,
as they would not be required to
devote their entire time to the Of |
flee. l am firmly convinced that
the purity of our city elections
whether general or special, could
be improved, if all public works
or improvements were stopped at
least, say at from fifteen
to thirty days before or
next preceding such elections, for
then no extra employees would be
engaged for election purposes, as
has been very frequently done.
And right here 1 would also have
it understood that l would favor
the election of water works officials
to take place on special date,
separate and apart from the gen.
eral city election, and in such
case the public would hardly call
the election a political machine"