The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1893-04-28

~ 80 (HiNt w s"s ~ 20 "pNCf W.
affording.
Let Us consider at this point the position
taken by the water company in regard to the
service which IL has contracted to furnish
your city. In the first place 1t claims that
since the city council has undertaken to reg
ulate the water rates charged for supply. and
at the same time and in the same ordinance
provided for the punishment of any one vast
ing water, that the city has tacitly assumed
the responsibility for a proper supply OF wa
ter to the patrons OF the water company. A
proposition of this kind is MS absurd as IL is
illogical. The water company can no more
shoulder the responsibility for a poor service
upon your city government because it has
assumed TO regulate the charges therefor.
than the railways of this state will be excused
from complying with The obligations they enter
into in the future with the shippers along it's
lines. because the state of Nebraska has seen
fit to r, gulate local freight rates by the pas
sage of the maximum rate bill that has re
Gently become a law in Nebraska.
There is scarcely a city in this country that
has not regulated the rates charged for water
by the private company supplying the same.
1t is usual for these rates to be established
and determined upor before the works are
built; but a city undoubtedly has the same
right afterwards to do SO. in the absence OF
any contract curtailing this right. and more
over, it IS the duty of the city government to
prevent in this manner extortiOn. which is
liable to occur IN the absence of initial regu-
ulation.
lake for instance the city of Omaha. The
rates were established before the water com
pany began its operations, the schedule to re-
main in force for a period of years. and al
though the pilfering of water can be punished
as any other theft, yet the water company
has never for a moment claimed that the city
government was responsible for the ecnnom-
ical use of the supply furnished. Indeed if
such Il claim were ever made 1t would un-
doubtedly be considered of the most impu
dent character. and if any portion of the city
of Omaha were regularly without domestic
or fire supply during various hours of the day.
the franchise of the present water company.
which is considered worth hundreds of thou
sands of dollars, would be at once revoked.
What is true of the city of Omaha is true of
every other city in this country that I know
of supplied with water by a private corpora
ton.
FIRE UPPLY
While L have stated that this company is
probably capable of supplying an adequate
amount of water for domestic purposes if
used economically, yet there is another light
IN which to consider this corporation. to-wit:
as a vendor of fire service to the city of Nc.
Cook. The fire service for a city of your size
should not be less than a capacity to throw
five fire streams of $50 gallons each, in add
ton to the regular amount of " later required
for domestic purposes; but we have seen
from actual trial. it ia apparent that the COM
pany cannot furnish more than enough water
for domestic purposes. and the ompan
claims. and your citizens are well aware, that
it cannot and is not accomplishing even this
much. Therefore. the startling and serious
situation in which the city of McCook finds
itself today, is that of an absence of any fire
protection to speak OF whatever. This Is a
most serious matter indeed, and should de-
mand your immediate aud constant attention
until your city is beyond the possibility of an
ihilation by a fire that might easily be Quelled
in it's incipiency if proper service were at
hand. To make plain to you what I have stat
ed, it is necessary only to say.
FIRST. that the maximum supply capable of
being furnished by the water company is less
than $50 gallons per minute for all purposes.
Whereas, at the minimum, it should not be
less than 1900 per minute. Thus. supposing
that in case of fire, all domestic use should be
stopped, which is impossible under any system
of water works, there would be not sufficient
water to furnish two streams of the size l
have suggested.
In the second place. as you are well aware.
the fire service that the water company pre-
tends that it can furnish your city is by direct
pressure. That is. that the valve at the
storage tank will be closed and that the pres
sure in the mains will be due to the pressure
exerted by the pumps.
Now suppose that a fire should have occurr-
ed at noon on Saturday the I'D of April last,
about the time 1 began the second test, a di-
rect fire service could not have been afforded
within three hours; for as I have stated, 1t re-
quired this length of time to fill the mains up
to the valve at the storage tank. and then
when working the pumps at such a speed as
was deemed by the superintendent TO be ruin
GUS to the plant.
The gravity of this state of affairs. indeed
demands your attention. In the largest cities
where all the fire protection that a lavish ex-
penditure of money can afford. fires resulting
in the most terrible consequences occur.
Ii tucu LuiSut uOI Ue tu6 TSSulG Ill d CITY
like McCook, COMPROMISED largely of frame
buildings when totally destitute of any ordi-
nary service. 1t would not take long to re-
duce the entire town to ashes during such
wind storms as have occurred the past week.
But as you city has already had a sad expert
ence of this character within the last year. it
is probably. unnecessary for me TO dilate up
on this point.
REMEDIES.
AS to what should be done under the exist
ing circumstances. is one of the questions
which you have asked, and in answer, / would
say,
FIRST, That portion of the ordinance which
makes it an Offense to waste water. should be
repealed. This will leave the water company
without any ground whatever to stand upon
in asserting that the city is responsible for
the economical use of the service afforded.
SECOND, That as the fire service afforded
the city is wholly inadequate and in fact is nc
fire service at all, that no further payments
should be made on account of hydrant rental
until such time as the water works company
shall show its ability to throw five fire streams
of a capacity of $50 gallons each simultane-
ously from each of five hydrants to be chosen
in ifn-nrt na.to n g y ne Ev n n prn "a 20.