San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-06-23
THE MAYORS MESSAGE.
He Favors the Enforcement of
The Contract Made by the.
Water Works Co.


were first taken up. The budget
provides for $50 arc lights. There
are now lS5 arc lights in use, and
the change or gas lamps already
ordered will make 235 arc lights.
Then there are fifteen lights pro-
vided for, to be erected during the
year. For each of the $50 arc
lights the city is to pay $l72.SO an
nually. The gross amount for
lights, electric and gas, amounts to
81, 100. The mayor states that in
his opinion this is an astonishing
amount. The original contract for
electric lights provided for l25 arc
lights. He compared the cost of
the city with that of Denver, In
dianapolis, Dayton and other cities,
finding San Antonio pays the larg-
est amount per light of all.
The estimate for water supply is
$33,432, and when added to the
amount expended yearly for lights,
amounts to $S0,532.
Regarding the water question
Mayor Paschal said:
The solution of the water ques-
ton is beyond the control of any
administration that the people
may elect to properly administer
their affairs, by reason of the fact
that they are not delegated with
sufficient financial power to correct
it; the correction for this evil has,
however, been placed before them
and they have the power to per-
petuate it, or free themselves from
the manacles that are now bind
ing us hand and foot. If rejected,
the wisdom or lack of wisdom for
so doing must rest with them and
not with their servants. At this
point it becomes interesting to re-
vert to the original contract of the
city with the water works company
and the amendment made thereto.
In 1877, the Water Works COM
pany was granted a franchise and
entered into contract with the
city to supply'the city with water
for all purposes, said contract to
subsist for twenty-five years, CIV
ing the city the right to buy at an
appraised value at the expiration
of the twenty-five years. To OBJ
tain the franchise the company
agreed:
First, that the company shall be
capable of throwing six streams
from any hydrant.
Second, To establish telegraph
line for fire alarm and other pur-
poses from the said works to the
police headquarters, and to the
various engine houses throughout
the city, free Of cost.
Third, 1t was provided in the
contract that should the water
works company Eat any time fail
to perform obligations entered into
by them in the agreement they
shall forfeit the rights and fran
chises herein granted.
Fourth, ''The said city further
obligates itself not to grant to any
other persons during the continu-
ance of this contract the right to
furnish water for fire hydrants or
other public purposes"
In 1881 an amended contract was
entered into, by the city, with said
company, from which the follow
ing is quoted:
a. Additional fire hydrants
shall, when demanded by the city
council, be hereafter established,
and such additional fire hydrants,
when demanded, shall not be more
than three hundred and fifty feet
apart, and the annual rent of each
shall not exceed the sum of 500"
90. The Water Works company
shall and will erect, from time to
time, as may be ordered by the
city council, a convenient and suf-
ficient number of one and one-half
inch stand-pipes, for the purpose of
taking water from them for
sprinkling purposes, to be erected
along the line of the company's
main pipes, and where fire n.y.
drants are now established, and
along the lines of it's mains, which
may hereafter be established, and
along which the city may rent ad-
ditional fire hydrants, and the
water to be used from such stand
pipes, shall be free of charge"
The contract, the mayor claims,
has not been fulfilled, and sub
mitted first: That the provision in
the contract says, "that the works
shall be capable of throwing six
streams from any hydrant. This
cannot be done. In 1878 it was
promised that the city would not
be put to the cost of and expensive
fire department, but that the pres