The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-12-02

~ PIPES or In It's present bed tEere = As-
tie danger tnst Il viii get Ire worst %
TIE deal 4 r an Cd saying that Il takes
two 70 make a bargain h1t tats FAR t7e
city has b@eI me two contracting parties,
and has been ard VII be a3un8srtiy able
70 take care 81 IS interests il tbs 1iree-
sion.
II the dishonest extTavagazce that pre-
vailed during the years $50 ard ISL ana
the cr5miEaliy Incompetent extrzT8eanca
that ran rot 10 fssz and fss6. are 20 be
taken as precede1ts. f would he FAR cheap
er 70 les a private corporation construct
ths works. and operate them until tne ETY.
gets ready 20 bay them. and when t1at
tine comes drive tie same hard bargains
THAI have Characterized its actions hereto
fore.
Unfair Estimates Given.
Fright here comes IN tire unfalrness Of
the fgir.E gwen out by Mr.. Cot;ereil Of
the city engineers Office He includes ne
past FIVE years IN his report Of the cost
os operating expenses Of the lake WASH
inEton station. At the beginning OF that
same period the cost Of street grading
varied from e 10 - cents per cubic yard.
and a. the present time the same character
Of work IS done az from T. 10 = cents per
cubic yard As weI might the estimated
cost Of grazing operations AZ the present
day be based upon the averages Of the
past FIVE years. as for the operating eN-
peuses Of the water department We are
dealing with conditions as they exist in
the year 1885. when labor and material are
in the market az half the prices Of 1890.
Depreciation of Gravity system.
NO competent engineer would risk his
reputation by estimating the actual yearly
depreciation in the gravity system al less
than > per cent This or a cost OF $4,000
would b. 81 90, OF just about three times
greater than that on the pumping plant
is original cost. while on q new plant the
difference would 70 much more IN favor
o. the pumping supply 80 far IS economy
is concerned.
THE actual yearly cost OF all pumping
operations at Lake Washington during ths
years 1sa4 ard lses has been shown 10 be
S35is50 in round numbers. including inter
esq and deprec.a tion Of the plant. and the
actual yearly interest and depreciation OF
the Cedar river system Sl0) .001 thus max
ing the latter cost over $4,000 per year
more than to pump the present supply from
Lake Washington.
when the total daily consumption OF
water shall reach 20.O0.Oo0 gallons it will be
economy 10 adopt The gravity system, and
not till then"
An Ex-Mayor's Views.
John Leary-My own views regarding
the surplus fund now made by the water
department is that Il should 20 for the
extension OF the plant or liquidation of
the original bonds. While apparently the
proposed extension would be an additional
debt. Il is such a debt that it would not
subject citizens to inconvenience. The
difference IN cost OF supplying the city by
gravtation and pumping would be fully
a per cent. and that difference would
create a sufficient fund 10 pay the interest
on the proposed extension TO Cedar river.
or very nearly so. 1t undoubtedly would
pay the difference when consumption
amounted to S.o1000 gallons per day. The
present debt Of 81. 10000 or more. expended
on the present plant, should not be
charged against the city. because il is
selt-sustaining and pays a large revenue
over and above interest on the cost of the
plant In fact, the profits now made by
the water department VIII pay the interest
al present over and above the expenses
on &,sW,~H Being one Of the parties in
terested ia the water COMPANY at the time
the Spring Hin Water Company sold its
nights and franchises TO the city | am
IN a position TO know. II then paid Il per
cent. on the amount paid by the city to
the company, namely $4,000. city bonds
never should have been issued for the cost
OF the works. for the reason that the com
pany itself. having had offered to It all
the money necessary for extensions at the
rate OF g per cent. per annum would
nave completed the whole system. includ-
Ing Cedar river water. on the issue of its
own bonds. All the city had 10 do at that
time was to turn the plant over TO a com
mission 10 run the works as they had
been run by the company. In that case il
would have become no part 81 the city in
GehtednesS ] deplore the fact that the
question has been agttated in a manner
that would lead the public and capital
lists 10 believe that this city.is immensely
~ debt when, M fact. a credit of 81. 500. =
Ol should be placed as against the stated
Indebtedness on account of the Sarinr
Hlll Water Company. n being not only
seH-sustaining. hut having TO its credit
very large surplus, which is now wrongly
applied, ia my opinion. in liquidation of