Omaha daily bee., 1897-06-14

South Ontal1a News
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

According to q resolution passed by tie
city council at its last session, May 81, the
fire and water committee will be expected to
report at the meeting tonight on the resolu-
tions offered by Barrett in relation to an
ordinance regulating the charges made by
the Omaha Water company. Councilman Bar
rett asserts that there was at this time no
contract existing between the city of South
Omaha and the water company, and he
thought it would be a good time to regulate
the charges before the next levy was made,
which will be some time in July.
The contract which formerly existed be-
tween the city and the water company YVES
abrogated some time ago, and the only docu-
ment pertaining to the matter is the franchise
which was granted by the city council Oc-
tober H. 1887. At that time a franchise for
seventeen years was granted the company,
the charges to be the same then paid by
Omaha. The portion of the franchise relating
to charges is as follows: In consideration
of the right to have the use OF water on
equal terms that may now exist in the city
of Omaha as furnished by this company for
fire and domestic purposes"
But to go back to the contract. When the
Union Stock Yards were established here
water was procured from the wells sunk near
the railroad tracks. This supply was soon
found to be inadequate, and the officers of the
stock yards company proceeded to pipe water
from Spring lake in Syndicate park. For This
purpose tne lhkp was tNltGBeu ana Il large
amount OF pipe was ordered. The big stand
pipe, which is located on the hill west of the
horse and mule barn, was put up for the
purpose of storing water Before the pipes
had been laid to Syndicate park a contract
was entered into between the stock yards
people and the American Water Warks com
pany, the latter taking all the material
ordered off the stock yards company's hands.
In making this contract with the stock yards
contract was also made to supply the city
of South Omaha with water, the contract
with the city being made part of the contract
with the yards. and being made through the
stock yards company This contract amply
protected the rights of the city, and among
other things provided for a hydrant pressure
of eighty pounds at the surface.
Along about the first of this year the stock
yards company abrogated the existing con-
tract with the water company, and entered
into new one. leaving out the city of South
Omaha entirely, the idea being that the
city was big enough and old enough to take
care of itself which was not the case when
the first contract was made through tie
stock yards company. In abrogating this con-
tract the city was not even notified either by
the water works officials or the stock yards
people, consequently nothing was known of
the matter until some time afterward
Councilman Barrett thinks that as long
as there is an opportunity to enter into
new contract some changes might just as
| well be made in the rates now charged.
| some mouths dBO Ctlldlu OllCldlS pIOCul GU
| data in relation to the charges for water
| here and in other cities of this size. A COM
| parison is made on the following basis: For
| eight rooms, bath, closet, horse and lawn,
| a charge of $22.25 per year is made by the
| Omaha Water company; AmesOury, Mass,
| has a population of 10000 and for the serv-
| ice mentioned above charge of $50 a year
| is made; Fargo, n. D., is another city of
about the same population, where the charge
| is more than it is here being S34 year;
| in Corning, N. Y, gravity system is in
| and yet it costs $36 a year there for the
same service which is given here for $222 25;
| the people of NnCennes Ind, pay just
| double what is charged here or $4i.50
| year; Frankfort, Ky, pays $2S.95 for the
! same services; Ludington, Mich, pays $2575;
| and Atchison, Kan, $50. The cities men
| toned are about the same size as South
Omaha.
1t would naturally be supposed that the
| larger the city the less would be charged
| for water. Such is not the case is shown
| below Boston, Mass, with population OF
| 55S 400, pays $25 a year, the system being
| combination of pump and gravity; Kansas
| City pays $3.50; st. Louis, $32.5O; Fort
! Worth, Tex, $39; San Antonio, $36; New Or
| leans, $46.50; Council Bluffs, $24.25; Utica,
! n. Y, $3.50; Topeka, Kan. $305O.
All of the water used in South Omaha has
| to be pumped three times, and the water
company has never charged for water used
| at the school houses, fire engine houses, or
for flushing the streets.