The San Francisco call., 1898-01-26

these remaining six will be along the line followed by the others. So the history Of the present shows us that we are not experimenting or theorizing in our ad- vocacy of a municipal water plant
 It is the duty of this committee to in- vestigate, as far as it may be able to do so, any sources of mountain water that It may be practical to use for this purpose in the city of Los Angeles. There are numerous streams which rise in the ad- jacent mountains which find their way either into the ocean beyond or sink in the sands of the valleys. In order to de- termine what would be practical the chief and foremost question is, How far from the city of Los Angeles will 1t be prac- tical to go to find water supply?' The distance Is only matter of cost if the altitude and other circumstances are fa- Vorable. Consequently it becomes ques- tion of important interest at the outset to determine how much money the city of Los Angeles can afford to invest in water system.
 In this connection it would be inter esting and perhaps very useful to see what other large cities have invested in such plants. We have compiled a table concerning all those cities of the United States having population of over 100000, giving the cost of the water plant, the cost per capita, the gross income for 1S96i the cost of expense and maintenance for said year, the net profit to the city lex cluding any interest on bonded debt, the rate of interest which the plant is pay ing on the investment less the interest on bonds, the present bonded debt of the city TOT water purposes, the rate or inter- est which the last bond issue bears, and also the family rate as near as may be there prevailing for a seven-room house. with kitchen faucet only. This table is annexed to this report as appendix A, and is submitted for your information. The tables of population are based on the census of 1890, except the population of Los Angeles, which is based on the most recent census This calculation may not be fair in all cases, but it is the best that we could arrive at, and when we take e m hn hn try hoe not grown largely since 1890, and that the data concerning the water systems are not altogether or the most recent date, 1t may be more fair statement than would appear at first glance. At any rate. how ever, 1t Is all that we could do and we submit it accordingly.
 By this table it will be seen that the average per capita cost of all the water systems of the United States in cities of over 100000 population where the plants are owned by the municipalities is $33 When we add to our calculation the cost of the plants as given in the cities of Omaha, Denver, Indianapolis and New Orleans, which are operated by private companies, and again calculate the grand total of per capita cost of water works in the United States in cities of over 100 900 population, we have a per capita cost of $35 56. There is very great diversity in the per capita cost of the various sys- temS. The lowest cost of any system in the United States belonging to a munici- paHty is that of the city of Pittsburg, where the per capita cost Is only $l4 s. while in Boston we find the highest at $57 v. It may be contended, and perhaps correctly, that the larger the city the less the per capita cost should be, and if the city of Los Angeles should build works to accommodate city of the future size the proporuonate cost would be less. This may be true, and would certainly seem reasonable, but the experience of all the cities in the United States which we have considered does not prove the truth of this assertion. The city of Ale gheny, which Is the smallest in popula- ton of any of the municipal ownership cities in our list. has expended per capita in the construction of its water system $2l A, while the city of New York has ex- pended $50 per capita. Nor is this a soli- tary instance, but careful study of the table we submit to you has failed to show us in any manner that the size of the city has any effect in actual experience upon the per capita cost of the water works cumstances and construction than other wise.
 The city of New York has constructed an immense and adequate water supply It is taken from gravity sources and is probably the grandest municipal water system in the world. The cost is $50 per second in population. quite on the con trary pumps its water from Lake Michi- gan and has constructed cheap system, the cost being only s21 s1 per capita. sWhile the city of Chicago in the con struction of its system has encountered a less debt that the city of New York never lItleSS the IDdRnllCenI system of the city of New York is not without its advantages. The cost of operation of the New York plant is only 42 cents per cap lta per annum, while that of Chicago is Sl 30 per capita per annum. Thus, while the city of New York has expended much larger sum in the construction of It's plant, its citizens not only enjoy su- perior system, but the annual tax for op- eration, which goes on forever, is thus In favor of the city that has based its system upon the sure foundation al- though the cost was large the
 If the city of Los Angeles desires to construct a system for a city of 103 900 people, Its present population, upon the basis Of the average per capita cost of all the municipal systems of the United states that are located in large cities. the city will eXpend the sum of $3. .399 GOO If 1t desires to expend an amount equal to the average per capita of all the cities of the United States given in the accom- population, it will expend 8, ,662 900. If it expends the per capita cost of New York twill eXpend s, ,150, ,000 or if it equals that of the city of Boston the amount will be 595O, 900.
 All these calculations are based upon the present population of the city of Los Angeles If, however, we are to build a system for the future and are to con- struct such a system as is recommended by MT. Dockweiler in his report of last March. based upon city of 247.0O people cities having municipal plants, the ex- penditure would amount to sS16O 900: WIlI6 II the system 10 be constructed was upon the basis of 247 900 people and the expenditures per capita were to be equal to those of New York or Boston the sums would be so large that we fear the people of Los Angeles would be frightened.
 The present net income of the Los An geles City Water Company pays per cent interest, according to their state ments, on the sum of S7S25. .000. The build ing of a water system is no small task and we earnestly urge you to consider well the cost of the water plants as com piled and furnished in the tables we pre- sent, for by the careful consideration of the table you will be able to understand the large amounts that have been ex- pended by other cities in the construction of water works and will be prepared for the expenditure on your own part of an adequate sum. The city of Los Angeles has a. credit at the present time of about N,5OO, 900. However, if the school bonds and fire department bonds are voted, this credit would be extinguished to perhaps a trifie less than $7,OOO,OOO. CN. B.-These bonds did not carry.)
 It is not to be said that we shall ex- pend as much other cities or as much as the average, or in any manner that our expenditure is to be gauged by that of other cities. Our expenditures should be gauged according to the circumstances and according to the cost of what an ade- quate system would be- but we believe that fha Dl1bli0a Of ha t.h of4