Evening journal., 1899-02-09
rHIE WArrR suRPIUs.

the Water Department as II is at pres
ent, and as It will be when the reduc-
tion Of rates has gone into effect. Now
we wish to call to the attention Of con-
sumers Of water the various sums Of
money which they have paid to the
Water Department IN excess Of the
sums required FOR the maintenance OF
the system and which sums have been
turned over to City Council to be used
for general purposes. They are as fol-
lows in round figures: 1896, S21, 600;
1887, $4,000; 1883. $4,000; 1889, s12,-
600; 1890, $4,000; 1891, $4,000; 1892.
$4,000; 1893, s21,OO0; 1894, $4,000;
1895. $4,000; 1896. $4,000; 1897, s7O,-
900; 1898, sS6,OOO with $4,000 lying
cut in an open lot, making the real
surplus for 1898, s9SO0O The total
surplus declared by the Water De-
partment and maldlverted 20 general
uses since and including 1856 has been
S55O,00O. In 1899 there win be another
surplus Of say 100000. Add this to the
$550,000 and we have a total OF $780,
600 which water consumers have paid
over and above the expense Of main
tanning the department unstintedly IN
all OF its branches.
There are those who are so mar
row as to declare that the water con-
sumers should pay off the water bonds
Of the city. We are not OF those WHO
think that the entire burden OF such
redemption should fail upon such CON-
sumers, for let us meet them on their
own ground and see what we can
show by the figures Of the Water De-
partment, the city treasurer and the
Sinking Fund Commissioner The
twelve water leans OF the city aggra-
gate s677O0O. Several OF these loans
would have been wholly unnecessary
had the water surplus been applied to
the liquidation OF the water bonds in-
stead of being maldiverted TO the gem
eral fund to keep down the tax rate
Of non-coneumens Of water under the
general levy. II was smart piece Of
Ananclerlng to be declaring a big SUR
plus each year and handing II over 20
City Council for general uses II the
water consumers were 10 be held for
the water loans. II was bueinecs acu-
men to be declaring a surplus one day
and Issuing bonds for water purposes
the next Now, assuming that the
contention Of certain friends Of the
Board OF Water Commissioners is cor
rect, we wish to call the attention II
water consumers to the fact that by
the end Of the current fiscal year they
will have paid in s640.OO0. or with n
$37, 900 Of all the water loans. So far
50 good; but what CT the water loan 4
After the water consumers have pa d
s640O00 on s677.OOO. the bond stale
ment Of the city shows that there are
$554000 worth of water bonds still out
and unpaid. II the argument Of these
friends Of the Water Department that
the water consumers are responsible
for the redemption Of the water bonds
theR a surplus Of $4,000 in 1900 VII
wipe out every dollar OF the bonded
Indebtedness. and leave the genera
fund ewing the water fund over $500,
600 on account OF those bonds whicl
water consumers will not pay twicl
over The worst argument that tn,
friends Of the present system cal
make is that the water cor,umers ar
responsible fer the redemption OF thos
water bonds. They have already re
deemed all but $4,000 OF them. be
sides keeping up the water system
Had their money been applied to sues
redemption we should have our waite
plant within $4,000 OF free from deb
instead Of with a bonded indebtedness
Of more than half a million dollar
hanging over 1t. For the Board @
Water Commissioners 10 escape wit
any sort OF grace they must adm
that the bonds were issued ON th
credit Ct the Mayor ana Council {
Wilmington, and that the term waite
bond carries with it merely a distir
guishment from other bonds and !
no sense a liability upon water cor
sumers. We may have Tie cry Of II
terest raised. Why should the wal,
consumers be held accountable for 81
terest on bonds, nearly az OF whic
should have been redeemed long az
and the issuance of many OF viii,
would have been wholly unneceseai
had the liability existed and the wat
surplus applied TO the discharge OF Il
liability II would be almost impo
sible to estimate the interest ,iabili
Of the water commissioners on a boz
debt built UP and maintained by SUI
extraordinary process.
MOI mol The Board OF Water Cor
missioners is merely tanning win
They were presumed to be the co
eervators OF the interests Of the wat
consumers. In reality they have be
49, 49, o-,..-..-..