The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-11-04
SOME FACTS ABOUT THE WATER
=. RATES.

Under existing conditions, there is but
one way OF escape for the water consum-
ers OF Astoria from the oppressive rates
they are now paying. and that is the
election next December Of mayor and
council who will consent TO have the
city pay its fair equivalent for the SER
vice 1t is receiving, like any other con-
sumer. The water system of Astoria was
built. and is intended. under the wise
method provided for its management. TO
be maintained and operated as lndepend-
ent OF the municipality as If it were the
property OF private corporation. 1t
constitutes the best and only really mod
ern feature OF Astoria's whole scheme OF
government. 1t is calculated to give the
people the benefit OF a strictly business
administration. entirely removed from
the danger Of political influence or ma
nipulation, and is designed to leave in
the pockets Of consumers the profits
which might accrue through equally eco
nomical operation, under the plan Of pri-
vate ownership adopted in other cities.
1t is very doubtful II any corresponding
community elsewhere in the country has
the advantage OF so fine a system. or one
more prudently and economically man
aged.
But 1t is fact that the rates charged
for water are too high-when compared
with those charged in other cities. That
this is not due to any fault of the COM
mission, nor to the excessive initial cost
sf the system, viii be apparent to any
citizen who will give the subject fair
Investigation and consideration. The
difficulty is, first in the capacity Of the
works. as compared with the present con-
suming population; and second, in the re-
fusal of the city authorities 20 contrib
ate anything in return for the water
supplied by the commission for public
purposes. The present works were con-
structed on a scale sufficient for a town
many times the size of Astoria, and ow-
ing to peculiar conditions. not necessary
to here enumerate. their maintenance is
expensive. So far as the cost of consiruc-
ton is concerned. while the works are
larger than necessary, they were justi.
fed by the future prospects OF the city,
and, according to experts who followed
the history Of their construction, they
cost less than any works Of the same
grade and magnitude ever constructed in
the west.
The commission now receives an in
come OF about s24,OoO per year. The annual
interest charge on the bonds outs,and-
ing is $4,000; which leaves but 5000, or
$500 per month, available for the expense
of conducting the commission, and for
the thousand and one items Of repairs
and incidentals which are absolutely es-
senual to the maintenance Of the works,
and the Insurance Of a regular and axe
quate service to the people. It can thus
be seen that any reduction in the present
rates. without some compensatng in I
crease in the income, is impracticable
and utterly impossible. 1t should be re-
membered that the property-owners ard
taxpayers Of the city have not and will
not be called upon for one cent of con-
Tibution to the cost of the plant or to
the cost OF its operation; the whole bur
den of providing for the redemption OF
the bonds. and paying for the operation
and maintenance Of the works, falling
upon the consumers of water. a major
ity of whom live in rented premises.
The result is that those who own prop
erty In the city are enabled to get an
Increased rent in consequence Of the con-
struction OF the works, and stand to re-
alize an enhancement in the value Of
their property through the advantage Of
the present magnificent system, and the
ultimate extinguishment Of the debt
against 1t by the contributions levied and
collected from the casual renter. or other
consumer Of water When It IS consld-
ered that the primary benefits and ulti-
mate advantages Of the possession Of
such fine and expensive system will
be realized exclusively by those who are
50 fortunate as to own property, IT does