The San Francisco call., 1895-10-13
How 1t Has Tended to Thriftily
Develop the Hydrant In
duStry.
AN ODD TEN PER CENT CUT.
Figures That Show That Spring Vail
ley Financiers Have No Cause
for Anxiety.

1t is just question whether the present
water order that went into effect July
lifts any great burden from the rate pay
ing taxpayer. It's a question for the
thoughtful to ponder whether or not it is
better to have 10 per cent cut in rates to
householders while the City or taxpayers
at large have to foot water bills each month
that are more than double what they were
before the new order took effect.
1t is grave question as to the amount of
real economy to be found in paying for
about 5000 hydrants at $5 month instead
| of for 1884 hydrants at 81 so month. The
new order, which was patriotically pre-
sumed by the statesmen Supervisors who
framed it TO embody the virtue of equal
izing more than ever before the burden of
water-rate paying, has also led to sort of
Capitalization in the matter of hydrants.
| There's some question as to whether
| that sort of thing, which sounds formid-
able, is really gl owing benefit to the tax
payer who lives in the outskirts where lots
are cheap. The location of hirty-ive
hydrants, paid for at $5 a month apiece,
| within the limited area represented by
| Taylor street, between Golden Gate avenue
and Post street, may show up the equaH-
zation OF taxation theory all right, but
Hydrants are all right and good thing
to have around, like vaccine virus or a
pocket flask, but the man who lives on
Clement or j street south doesn't feel any
| surprising pleasure in helping pay by gen.
eral taxation for six hydrants to a block
on Fourth street or Sixth street or Taylor
street.
That was 10 per cent cut in water rates
that Supervisors King, Scully, Benjamin,
Hirst, bunker, Morgenstern and Wagner
voted to adopt and did adopt on May 20
last. They did not expect it really would
cut the revenue of the Spring Valley Com
pany by that amount, but they did figure
on about per cent. The doubling of the
rate per month that the City has to pay
for its hydrants was expected to make Up
fully per cent.
Here is what the committee said in its
| report presented prior to the adoption of
the resolution fixing the rates:
The reduction to the income of the company
| will, however, be only about per cent of ex-
| isting rates, as an increase OF from 81 80 to s.
has been allowed for each hydrant per month
which, estimating the number of hydrants on
the first day OF July to be 2340, will make an
increase in the amount to be paid by the City
of $40, 200.
AS an order this was all very fine, but the
way 1t is working seems to be another
thing. As a matter of fact, it is a question
that admits of considerable dispute
whether that hydrant revenue is not
already footing up great deal more than
4 per cent; footing up so as TO nearly, if not
entirely, wipe out all that 6 per cent that
helped to make up the full 10 per cent cut;
footing up not only to that figure, but
SO as to give the impression to any one
examining the records closely tnat before
July of next year the water company's s
total receipts from the City and the City 8
taxpayers will exceed the revenue derived
for many years. And all because of as
| oil ivc Of har toll trad hn,,
10 per cent reduction on which the City S
statesmen have so prided themselves. No
one says the water company should not be
paid for services rendered or commodities
furnished. The thing that gals is to have
masquerading order that pretends to be
cidedly the reverse. That's the awkward
part of it.
a glance at the records that show what
the City has paid for water since the order
took effect and what it paid during the
same months last year is of interest:
July, 1s94-for hydrants, $571o; total Ss,-
July. 1ss5-for hydrants, S11,s35; total,
August, 1ss4-for hydrants. s571o; total,
August, 18s5-for hydrants, s12,s2o; total,
septem ber, 1s94-for hydrants, $571o; total,
September, 1s95-for hydrants, S127so;
total, $14, ,452 A.
Taking September as an average month
the estimated revenue for the company
from the City alone will, it will be seen,
run up to about S190, 000-quite difference
from the S96,846 which the City paid last
year.
As the consumers paid in last year
81, ,551, asa, they will-according to the
order-pay $150,000 less this year. The
company certainly seems to stand an ex-
cellent chance in the extra 100000 coming
from the City to make up on that estimated
6 per cent loss.
More than this, it is of interest to note
the development of the hydrant industry
so to call it. Ever since that hydrant tar
iff OF 81 so month was doubled on July
last, hydrants have been springing up about
the City like toads after an April shower.
Instead of the 2340 hydrants the water
committee naively figured on, there were
on October 1856 hydrants, and more 60
ing in each day. An increase of ZIG hy-
drants between July 1 and October is Y a
month. or about three per each working
day.
As the Spring Valley Company does all
the plum bing for these new hydrants, and
gets $40 apiece for it. besides drawing the
revenue of So month after they are set,
it requires only little arithmetic to figure
out q situation that would not be without
interest to Mr.. Mackay or any of the
|
good many hydrants are also being
reset. which means old ones taken out and
new ones put in. For this the company
only gets $50. For the single hydrants
which the company puts in the City pays
the Risdon Iron Works $23 and $28 for
} double ones
, Fire Chief Sullivan says the new hy-
drants are needed, and he is confident that
if no one interferes the City will have be-
fore July 1, 1895, between 500 and 600 more
hydrants than it had on July /, 1895. Six
hundred new hydrants at $40 apiece means
, 1000 for the water company, besides an
: increased monthly revenue from hydrants
since the adoption of the cut-rate order
. --of $4,000 month, or $36, 900 year.
If this $36, 900 is added to the $24 900 and
| then the extra compensation for the 2340
: hydrants standing when the order went
| into effect-S5S50 a month, or $4,000 a
, year-is added in, making total of $780,
900, it will be seen that the Spring Valley
fnanciers are still wide awake.
No one questions Chief Sullivans sim
cerity in desiring all the hydrants he can
get. He points out that Boston has fifty
4 | H. ~.