San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-01-15

To the DAILY LIGHT:
SAN ANTONIO, Jan. IA, 1896.
My attention was called to the
following paragraph in the pub
lished proceedings of the town
council of Palestine, Tex, as print
ed in the Houston Post of the 9th
instant:
Ion motion of Alderman Ma
loney, the mayor will appoint a
board of public works to consist OF
three members from the council
and two from the city, who will
look into the advisability of the
city putting in system OF water
works of its own, an electric light
plant and erecting city hall, said
hall to be used as a hall, depart
ments for market stalls and the
postof6ce. Mr.. Maloney figures
that $4,000 will put in the water
works, $4,000 will build the cleo
trio light plant and $4,000 will
build the city hall, and that IL
bonds were issued for these items,
they could be easily fioated, pro-
vided the taxes were increased %
cents. This scheme met with mach
favor and it will undoubtedly be-
come reality"
There is not shadow OF doubt
but what the trend of intelli-
gent public opinion turns
with undisguised favor toward
municipal ownership of the plants
which supply the citizen with
water and light. The valuable
franchise to supply the absolute
and essential necessary of water
should not be delegated to private
individuals nor corporations, but
should be vested solely and alone
in the municipality, in order that
the general whole, instead OF an
exclusive few, should benefit by
whatever profits might accrue. 1
am aware, that in making this
declaration, / subject myself to
the charge OF stealing the
thunder OF my populistic
friends, and otherwise become
the mark for the silly but
Harmless denunciation OF every one
connected, directly or remotely,
with the ownership or operation of
the water plant.
However much candid and dis
interested men may differ upon the
question Of the city owning and
operating light plant (and much
CAM be said, pro and CON- there
can be no reasonable division upon
the propriety, nay, the imperious
necessity, OF municipal ownership
OF the public water supply. Gas
and electric light, while unques.
rionably most convenient and
appreciated service, are not neces.
stiles but rather luxuries, for they
can be readily substituted; but
with water, it is different. Like
the atmosphere we breathe, 1t
should be pure, uncontaminated
and eXhaustless, and furnished to
the citizen at the lowest possible
cost consistent with production.
This can only be accomplished
by, through and under municipal
ownership and operation.
IL there be any question as to the
profits accruing to the city under
municipal management, one can
easily remove all doubts by exam
lining the report upon the opera
ton Of the plants at Fort Worth
and Dallas, which are owned by
the respective cities. In Fort
Worth, with population less than
half that of San Antonio, water is
furnished consumers at rate from
% to 338 por cent less than that
charged consumers in San Antonio,
and yet the plant earned last year,
over and above its fixed changes,
including Of course interest upon
the bonds, nearly $4,000.
The agitation OF municipal own
ership OF the water plant in this
city, some two years ago, is still
fresh in the minds OF the public.
Under mistaken feeling of gener.
osity, ostensible concessions were
accepted from the water company
and the great step toward NUM-
cipal control, so encouragingly in
augurated, was foolishly aban.
doned. That was a most grievous
error, and a most costly one, too
to the consumers. A reduction in
then existing rates was grudging-
ly extended by the water com pany,
and accepted in good faith by the
city and citizens. But has the
water company fairly and gener.
ously carried out it's part Of the
compromise =? Has not its prof