New Iberia enterprise. (New Iberia, La.) 1885-1902, 1899-08-05
PRIVATE OWNERSHIP
IN LAKE CHARLES.
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP
IN ALEXANDRIA.
An Interesting Study for New Iberia Just
at This Time.

Ono year ago, with the object Of en-
couraging municipal ownership of water
works and lights in Lake Charles, the
American of that city published the fol
lowing interesting data. 1t will prove an
instructing study to New lberians at this
particular moment, when municipal ae-
qurcmont of those necessities is on tho
tapis:
Two OF the great factors in the progress
of town or city arc an adeduate supply
of good water and well lighted streets.
just now tho municipal ownership of
water and light plants is being discussed
rs il never was before.
That thorc is n growing sentiment in
favor of it cannot be denied and so far
thero appears to bo but little aIgument
against il, for Of the many municipalities
which have constructed their plants direct,
OF acquired them by purchase from com
panies OF firms who built them under q
fr6nchiso granted by the respective MUM
cipalitics, all appear well pleased with
the experiment.
Tho experience OF most cities has been
that in the flush Of desire to take on
metropolitan airs before their time, or to
"boom," they granted franchises to com
panics to construct water and light plants
on terms very liberal to the grantees and
which they, the grantees, had u right to
demand as in many cases the success Of
their venture of capital in constructing
such works depended largely on tho
growth of the town or city
In most il not in all cases, however, the
companies secured themselves against loss
by taking from the municipality contract
tolsupply it with water for fire protection
at sufficient sum to pay operating oxpen-
ses and interest on large bonded debt
The making of these contracts on the
people is like voting bonds to get rail
road into town. They do not realize how
big 1t is until the day of payment comes
Then they kick and ms n result the com
pany having the franchise comes in for all
kinds Of abuse, some Of which Is merited
and some Is not.
Be that as it may, towns and cities
generally as above stated are "loOking
about them to benefit themselves, to
secure greater benefits Mt lower rate Of
taxation.
Municipal officers owe it to their cOnsti-
tuents to not only secure for the city 8
uso water and lights on the best possible
terms but to throw about tho contracts
such safeguards as will insure to the indi-
vidual citizen rates rs low rs those In any
other town or city.
A private company with n well con-
structed and modern plant furnishes Lake
Charles with water and lights under u
contract and franchise awarded by a
council representing the City of Lake
Charles when it was supposed to contain
all the territory which was decided by the
supreme court to have been illegally an
nexed.
From this decision many claim that no
contract exists between the Town Of Lake
Charles and the company furnishing the
water and lights. Any way, o largo
amount of the property is outside OF the
present limits of the Town Of Lake
Charles according to the charter Of 1867
as il was not informed as to what were the
limits.
Whether the town is paying its bills to
the company furnishing it with water or
not the private consumers are paying at
the rates established by the ordinance
granting the franchise and the figures
nance
To induce tho company to construct
water works the city agreed "to rent for
and during the period Of twenty five years
from said grantees
for the uses and purposes hereinafter
stated, forty fire hydrants
at an annual rental price of twenty six
hundred dollars ($26OO) payable quarter
ly." The city was by the contract, al
lowed to have additional fire hydrants at
the rate Of $50 each per annum.
This much for what the city agreed to
pay tho company direct. As part Of the
contract the city fathers reserved the right
to limit the price at which the company
would furnish water to tho citizens and
from the following schedule II will be seen
that the limit is good big one as COM
pared with some other cities. The sched-
ule Is given in full and the prices are for
one month. II is as follows:
Bakery, one faucet. ........,.... 81 90
Banks, one faucet .. .......... 90
Barber shop, first chair. r...... 49,. %
Barber shop, each additional chair 80
Baths, hotel, per tub. .......... ~. | 90
Baths, private 9 persons in family. 35
Baths, private over persons in
family ............... 5O
Baths, public, per tub .... 49,. SO
Blacksmith shop, each fire. e........ 40
Boarding house, por room ....... %
Building purposes, brick per 1000
la10 ~
Building purposes, plaster per yard. 10
Building purposes, stone or concrete
work. cubic yard lC