The San Francisco call., 1897-02-16

Mateo County, who were the first to COM
plain when the water from Crystal Springs
betrayed a slight vegetable taste.
In reply to Dr. Rottanzi, the witness
stated that a pipe was laid in 1S7S-79 from
Pilarcitos, which would carry. if the water
could be obtained, from IL, 900 900 to H.
900, 600 gallons. That line had been partly
replaced bv a 22-inch pipe, which could
carry {. 600 900 gallons day. When Pllarci-
tos was full they allowed the surface water
to overflow through two tunnels, and en-
deavored to catch the overflow in San An
dreas River.
DR.. Rottanzi quoted from former re-
port presented by Charles Webb Howard
in which the available water supply ap-
peared to be greater than stated by the
witness. The lat er presumed that the
company sought to make good showing,
or desired to borrow money-he did not
pretend to say.
DR.. Rottanzi-So the company deceived
US?
The witness answered that the matter
had nothing to do with him.
Supervisor Sheehan asked the witness to
explain the reason for the great difference
in water rates here and in Eastern cities
MIR. Schussler replied that most Eastern
cities owned their own water works.
Moreover, they had either rivers or lakes
in close proximity, and rain fell there all
through the summer and snow fell in the
winter. There was no such thing as dry
season. Consequently the item of having
to look ahead and store two or three
years water supply in reservoirs was en-
tirely obviated. All these cities pumped
their water from river or a lake near by,
and these pumping appliances could be
constructed within the town limits. If
they found that the annual charges for
water we're going to be too high to the
consumers, should they collect all the
revenue necessary for running expenses,
they then went to work and allowed the
taxable property of the city to bear pro-
portion of the expense.
New York had more difficulty in this
respect than any other city in the East,
owing to its rapid growth, which had COM
pelled it to build two aqueducts to convey
water to the city, and in consequence of
the insufficient supply in the river it had
also to build reservoirs and was contem-
plating the construction of an enormous
store dam. New York collected so many
millions annually for water works, the
cost of which was $7S, 600. 600. The inter
est thereon had to be paid by some one
Bonds had been issued at 3 per cent guar
anteed from the city and county tax,
which was fully 2 per cent, and other
bonds again were issued at 6 per cent,
these having to pay city and county tax.
The following figures had been
supplied him by the engineer OF
the works: Total cost of works,
$7S, 900, 600; present running expenses
1884, 900 annually; receipts, $780, coo;
interest on bonds. 81, $40. 0G0. He was
not aware of the interest on the total cost
OF the works. If the city had issued bonds
guaranteed from the city and county tax,
thereby losing 2 per cent. he did not know
whether or not it would be fair to charge
this to the cost Of the water, because what
they did n ot get out of those bonds had to
be made up out of taxable property.
Cincinnati paid 100000 for new works,
but that amount. together with the inter-
est, did not appear in the water account,
whereas here everything had to be done