The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-24
MUST GET WATER ELSEWHERE
THE PLANT SYSTEM TEARS Up THE
PIPE on ITS WHARF.

in Sfght--COmmissione Dixon
saV~ THAT Tltere Il No Fortune For
the Tugs in the Water Business
and That the Rate l. Not Cypress
-. 20 VesseIS--Water small Item
"a Vessels. which Take on an Az
craze of only About 1000 Gallons
Each-The Present Contract Best
For the city and For the Vessels
He Thinks.
The Plant system has torn up the pipe
reading across its wharves from the "a
vannah Guano C0mpauy's well, ana as a
result 9fr. r. s Salas Is nov seeking
some other service from which 10 obtain
water TO furnish vessels in competition
with the Propeller Towooat company
which has the city contract
wr saIas furnished three vessels VITA
water while this supply was open 10 him.
but ne was notified by the Plant system
chat he can no longer use the pipe across
its wharf A good part Of the pipe has
been torn up.
When Chairman Dixon Of the water
commission found that the Plant system
had allowed a pipe to be run across its
pany's wen. he wrote the Plant system
oficials 10 the effect that this pipe was
being used to supply water to vessels
that the city had made contract with
the Propeller TOwbOat Company 10 per
form this work and that the water was
being furnished in competition with the
citv contractors He closed by inquiring
what position the Plant system intended
10 take in the matter.
The purport OF Mr. DiXon's letter was
70 inquire II the Plant system meant 10
take a hand in a fight against the city.
Auuarently il was a pure blum, but the
mum worked. The Plant people had no
interest in the matter one way or another
and il seems that Superintendent Dun
ham did not know that the pipe had been
placed across the wharf. At nrst the
company's attorneys advised MT Salas
attorneys 10 20 ahead and take water
from the wharf but they seemed to have
1econsfdered the matter. Perhaps super
gntendent Durham did not care to antag-
onize the city IN a matter in which ne mad
no interest. Anyway, the pipe has been
torn VI.
of supply in sight, and that he will be
furnishing water 10 vessels again within
fortv-eight hours. The fight continues TO
be of interest.
Mr.. Dixon was seen yesterday by
Morning News reporter, and In general
discussion Of the subject he said that the
public generally had mistaken impress
sion Of the question
1.-The public has been led to believe he
said. that we are charging vessels an
exorbitant rate for water and that the
price charged is a tax on commerce. IL
is nothing of the kind. Water is one OF
the smallest items OF expense to vessels.
The average vessel does not take more
than 900 gallons Of water. That is only
81 30 The schooners take from 200 to 800
svalIons and the IUalks little
more The tramp steamers take
she largest quantities, but they
seldom take over 1000 gallons. The larg-
est amount of water ever taken by yes
sci out OF this port was by the steamer
Horsa, when she carried the negro emil
grants to Liberia Her supply was I,5O
gallons. This was because OF the large
number OF passengers she had on board
A tramp steamer taking 1000 gallons pays
the company furnishing the water $40. The
company pays the city $500 for the water
leaving the company $3.50 for its work
The gross profit Of the company for fur
nishing a vessel with water Will hardly
average IS. For this the tug must go 70
the wharf lay alongside there until it gets
its water, steam some distance to the ves-
sci and deliver its water The operation
will consume from two TO three hours.
This is no great pay for the service per-
formed. The idea that has been spread
abroad that there is a great profit in
supplying water TO vessels is unfounded.
made an examination Of the books OF
the Propeller Towboat Company recently
and found that its gross receipts for FUR
nishing water to vessels last year were
only $500. The expenses of the business
had to come out of that. The report that
the company cleared $4,000 on this branch
of it's business alone last year is with
out foundation"
"A little illustration" said Mr.. Dixon,
will show that there is no unfairness to
vessels in this system. Suppose the yes
sci were free to take water from the
wharves as they please and the tug boats
We're to go out of the business. A vessel
might be lying at wharf where there
was no water and have TO have a supply
The towboat company would charge $40
for the tow to another wharf and $40 for
the tow back. That Is so Now the tug
brings the water to the vessel and the
cost is from IS to s15 BY the present con-
tract the vessels get water for $3.50 per
1000 gallons less than before, and the city
gets a larger revenue than before. AT
Brunswick the charge for supplying YES
sells with water is $50 per Loo gallons
What reason can you give for charging
the tugs S3.10 per 600 gallons, while the
city consumer is charged only Is cents?'
Mr. Dixon was asked. IF all the tugs We're
allowed to take water at the same rates
as the ordinary consumers would not COM
petition cause them to furnish it to vessels
at much lower rates than those fixed by
the commission.
'sThe truth of the matter is this" he
said I'VE found a custom in vogue and
followed it, 1t seemed to be generally ac-
cepted that the sale of water to vessels
was one Of the legitimate revenues of the
department. We thought We were doing a
good thing when we increased the city 5
revenue from this source and at the same
time decreased the price Of water to YES
sells, and ! believe so yet. Mr.. Salas made
a bid for the contract and had he secured
it we would never have heard
anything from him about this monopoly
of the water business on the river COmpe-
tition might cause the tugboats to fur
nish water at low rates for a time, but
sooner or later they would combine and
agree on a rate probably higher than the
present rate. All things considered, 1 think
the best interests of the city and of the
vessels are served by the present con-
tract"
CROPPED HORSES TAILS