Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1896-05-16
WATER WORKS
And Electric Lights-Profit by Others
Experience.

LEBANON, KY, May list, '96.
Mr.. p. T. Ferris:
Yours of the 21st, referring to pro-
posed water works and electric light
undertaking in Macon, has just been re-
ceived. l was satisfied from an investi-
cation of the experience of other cities
and towns that it was all important that
the city should own the water works
plant, and the people themselves could
then get the water at what they would
regard as reasonable price, without
being placed at the tender mercies of a
corporation having a monopoly and look
ing only to getting "all that the traffic
would bear. materially assisted in
bringing about this sentiment among our
citizens, and all now feel gratifed that
this course was adopted. The city owns
all the stock in the water company,
which is separate corporation under
the management of board Of directors
selected by the city council and work
ing without salary. We pay the super
intendent and engineer, and such labor
as is necessary. The city receives free
all necessary water for fire and other
public purposes, having water plug at
evory intersection of streets. We have
the reservoir system, the reservoir be-
ing on knob, or high hill, about three
miles from the city, and about 200 feet
elevation. 1t holds about 1, 800, 900 gal
Ions, while the pumping station is two
miles beyond, at the Rolling Fork of the
Salt river. The pressure is sufficient
for us TO dispense with all fire engines,
and our protection is therefore SO perfect
that we have greatly reduced insurance
rates below other cities of the same class
not having similar system of water
works.
The only question has been to SO d.
vide the burden between those who re-
ceive only the general benefit, and those
who receive the special benefit of using
the water for private purposes as to &C
complish justice to all. Our tax for
paying interest and creating sinking fund
to provide for the principal Of the bonds
is 45c to 500 assessed value of property
The income from private users of water
more than pays the expenses of the plant,
though we have fixed the rates lower
than in most of the larger cities. The
private consumption gradually increas-
creases, that is, more people have
plumbing in their houses and use the
water. 1t has not been known that any
one who began the use of the water
has ceased taking it. The conven
fences and advantages from it are such
that when once experienced they become
necessary. We hope, within short
time, to decrease the rate of tax, and
use the profits of the system toward pro
viding the sinking fund for payment of
the bonds. 1t is not our idea, however,
SO long as any of the bonds are outstand-
ing, to forego the tax altogether, for the
reason that it would not be just to inn
pose the entire burden on the private
users, while all other citizens receive
tho public benefit of fire protection, de-
creased insurance rates, etc. We ex-
pect, when the bonds are all provided
for, to lower still more the rates to pro-
vide consumers SO as to induce more of
them to take the water, and our object
IN, oh
pay its own expenses, but not to create
a fund for general purposes.
This is the idea of our citizens, though
the city of Henderson, KY. receives u
considerable net value from its water
works which is applied to general city
thus decreasing the rates of
general municipal taxation. We be-
lieve that, when the cost is paid, those
who use water should be taxed in pro-
portion to the benefits received, but not |
to decrease the burden Of maintaining
streets and other expenses on citizens
who prefer not to share the private adj !
vantages of the water works We think |
that giving them, gratis, the public b IN
eft would be sufficient, and as the PEG
pie own it, and have secured it for use,
and not as money making investment,
the price to the consumer, for. water
used, should be as near cost of furnish
ing it us practicable. We had to buy
pipes of extra strength because Of the
great pressure; weaker pipes would have
been cheaper, and at this time even the
same piping can be purchased for con-
siderable less than ours cost.
Touching the electric light matter, a
complete outfit can be put up for much
less money now, than 4 or 8 years a. 0. |
Electric apparatus has been much
Lebanon does not own the