Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-02-24
SEWER STATISTICS.
Addisisnal Facts, 0ysrIoeksd BY Chairman si
csmmitiss but which Shsw fer ThsmssIves. ;"

In Thursday mornings JOURNAL the
cb sirman of the committee on sewers had .
communication relating to sewers. The
purport Of this communication was to show
that 1--WE" (the Democratic administration
have done more sewer work (taking into
account the catch basins and branches)
At q comparative less cost during the pres
ent muni, ipal year than in the preceding"
At the time the communication was
printed the JOURNAL called attention to sew
eral phases of the subject and is now in
possession of additional facts which We
think will be of interest and are certainly
necessary for an intelligent consideration Of
the subject under consideration.
From the figures given by the chairman
of the sewer committee many readers would
doubtless infer that, if it is true that the
Democrats have done more sewer work at
comparatively less cost than the Republi-
cans, the fact must be due either to the
superior intelligence and business abilities
of the Democratic administration or to their
superior integrity, or to both. 1t would
lead the reader to think the Democratic ad-
miniltration the more economical Of the
two. But here seems to be case where il
10 worse to omit than to commit. There is
nothing given in the figures furnished by
the chairman which explains to the reader
that the price of sewer pipe has been stead
lily decreasing. Indeed, he says that the
price at which the Pipe was bought cannot
be renewed another year. In connection
with the communication the Journal stated
that it was informed that the pipe could be
purchased at the same price. We Rave
since been informed that as matter of fact
an opportunity was afforded the Democratic
city government to purchase ten carloads
more at the same price. But because they
had already overdrawn their appropriations
they refused to accept the opportunity.
Indeed, they can now purchase ten carloads
more al The same price j they're got the
money with which to pay for it.
Evidently the market price of the pipe
ON year to year should be included
in the statistics compiled by the chairman
to show that the present administration has
done more at a comparatively less cost than
previous administrations. Yet he neglects
to furnish any figures showing what the
changes in the market prices have been.
As a m alter of fact, the market price of
pipe in 1893 was l6 2-3 per cent. lower
than in 1898. and it was 40 per cent. lo,rer
than in 1891. If an impartial comparison is
desired, surely these figures should not be
omitted. They very materially affect the
statement that more work was done at
comparative less cost"
But this is not all. If the present DEM
ocratic administration has accomplished
more with the same amount of money than
did the Republicans in previous administra-
tions, 50 much to their credit. But if, on
the contrary, they have done no more, and
really less. with the same amount of money,
which is true, then they must bear the
blame. Then il the JOURNALS conclusion
correct, viz. that they hare not rigoronsly
pushed tie work on our sewers; that they
have not done as much as did previous ad-
miaistrdtionS, notwithstanding the present
city government had fewer necessary i'm
provements in other lines to pay for.
The city paid for sewer pipe in 1898
$l769.59 snd the price can be duplicated
In 1872 the city paid for sewer pipe
$2727.12. In 1891 the city paid for the
same article $2952.53. In 1892 the city
bought and laid about $50 fee: of the 20
inch pipe. In 1898 the largest pipe bought
was ~ inch. Now there is big difference
betwee the list prices of the different sizes
The 20 inch pipe is listed at 81. 25 per foot,
while the l2 inch pipe is listed at but s5
cents per foot. But the greater part Of the
pipe bought under the Democratic admins
tration ,ras 10 inch pipe. the list price OF
which is only 65 cents per foot.
Assuming that the city has on hand PIG
feet Of unused pipe which the chairman
says they have, the net cost OF same would
be less today than $4,000. The expense
of laying the pipe is very much greater per
foot han the cost of the pipe per foot. For
the two years previous to the present ad-
ministration the city had laid every foot OF
pipe which had been bought and If the
present administration has on hand 2700
feet 90 much the worse 10 their showing for
had they laid it they wonii have exceeded
their appropriation much more than they
already have. The vigor with which the
present city government met the need
for sewerage should be exhibited in the
sewers aid rather III IN in those planned.
In 1891 the city paid for what trap we're
put in s422.25 and in 1892 an amount
nearly equal. These traps have worked
very satisfactorily and will unless they
have been neglected the past year. This
method of trap ng sewers was first sug-
gested to former city overnment because
it had been approved in large cities and
va. snorovo1 Nv Civil Engineer McClin-