San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-07-23


Miscellaneous Reductions 100000
Total. ......L.......S SOL $4,000
1t will thus be seen that a wide
margin is left whereby the tax
levy for general purposes can be
reduced so as not to increase the
burden of taxation after the levy is
made to pay the interest and
principal for the sinking fund
A handsome revenue can be de-
rived from rent of the lands which
the sewerage will irrigate. In Los
Angeles, California, such lands
rent for $1,000 to $500 per acre, per
year.
In addition to the cleanliness
and healthfulness TO be attained
by a system that will remove solids
and liquids and all putrifaction
from our midst, it will be source
of economy to each householder for
the reason that if any attempt is
made at all to comply with the
city ordinances relative to the
cleaning of privies and cess pools it
will cost each householder not less
than $1,000 per annum to remove
the solids alone, to say nothing of
the costs Of disinfectants or the
liquids that remain to befoul the
air and percOlate, into wells,
springs, rivers, creeks and bitches,
to contaminate their waters and
spread disease among our peeps
Twenty-Five cents a month, or
$500 a year, will be sufficient as a
sewer rate for each, because con-
nected with the system to pay for
all operating expenses and repairs.
This will make an average annual
saving to each householder of $500
over the present barbarous and in
iquitous sy stem, and will reduce
the chances OF mourning all gym
otto diseases to minimum, where
as such chances are at their maxi
mum under presencont ditions.
In addition to the average saving
of $500 that will thus be made by
changing the method of transpor-
tation from wheels to water an an
nual saving under the recent con-
tract with the Waterworks COM
pany will be made of $500 to each
household, for it is provided in the
contract that water to flush one
water closet in each house shall be
furnished by the Waterworks COM
pany free of cost when connected
with the city's system of sewerage.
No additional charge is to be mace
by the company for the public
water to flush the sewers. Sanitary
water for public and private use
connected with the sewers will cost
nothing, and thus one of the prime
factors in operating a system of
sewers is eliminated from the
problem OF cost. | doubt if any
city in the United States enjoys
the same freedom from cost for the
purposes stated. When all the
houses in the present system are
connected it is calculated they will
number 5000, and only such houses
as enjoy the benefits to be desired
will be compelled to pay the sewer
rates, but in order to accomplish
the sanitary result desired each
house within the system should be
compelled to connect Herewith !;
this will afford all necessary means
for operating expenses upon the
basis stated above. l do not be-
lieve in having the people specu
late on themselves by raising reve-
nue. from such system as is
practiced in some cities in Europe
and in this country, all that in my
opinion is needed is to keep the
system up to the highest and best
known degree of sanitary excel
lence and to provide a rate for so
doing and no more. | know that
in times of depression like we have
been and are now undergoing many
of our people through extreme con-
servatism are 10th to enter upon
additional obligations through fear
of increased taxation, and | have
thus sought to allay any such fears
by seeking to demonstrate that il
will not increase their taxes. When
they were asked to vote the addi-
tional tax of oDe-tenth of one per
cent for school purposes, which
they cheefully did, they were told
the rate of taxation would not
thereby be increased and it was
not. When they we're asked to vote
$25O,OOO in notes to pay the San
Antonio National bank 100000 a