Evening journal., 1899-02-08
I'M rHE -NAME OF EQUITY.

prerogatives without regard for the
equitable principles Of taxation It has
substituted greed tor equity and
thrown 10 the winds the monetary in
terests Of the very men and women
who, by their needs, called the depart
ment into being, and, Dy their patron
age, made it's continued existence pos
sible. Extortlon, extravaganza and
maldiversion have been the running
principles Of the department, and II is
astonishing that the water consumers
did not discover long since with what
systematic ingenuity their interests
and their money were bebng used to
serve the purposes of politicians and
non-consumers OF water. But the
awakening has come; the beautiful
dream OF the financial acumen OF the
Board Of Water Commissioners is
over; the halo Of business sagacity has
been torn from the gliuering surplus
which the Water Department has, with
unfailing regularity. been turning over
to City Council, and new the water
consumers behold 1t in It's true light
They realize that by process Of ex-
tortion more than malt a million Ct
dollars has been taken from their
pockets and applied TO general uses
OF which large sum II money the
non-consumer should have paid his
fair proportlonate share under the
general levy. They know now that the
Board of Water Commissioners has
beeen attending TO the Uusiness OF,
and conserving the interests Of nearly
everyone but the consumers OF water,
whose real interests II was In duty
bound to protect. 1t has dawned upon
them that they have been paying fully
twice as much for water as they
should have done; and now they are
determined that there shall be an end
TO IT. They would have preferred that
their representatives in the Water De
partment recognize the condition and
remedy It. but the three men are
blinded TO everything but big sur
plus. and it is necessary to appeal to
the General Assembly for redress. and
such an appeal will not be in vain.
we think that if Senator Py.es
water bill has any demerit Il is that
It only makes reduction OF 40 per
cent: In the existing schedule Of water
rates. 1t would. in our opinion, better
serve the interests Of the people to
make the reduction so per cent Such
a reduction would afford the depart
ment ample revenue and leave an
emergency fund sufficiently large tC
meet every extraordinary demand. I.
the department receives from the con
sumers all the money necessary to run
It in an efficient manner. why shoult
it ask for more?
last year the real expenses OF tn,
Water Department were see 900. Th'
Water Commissioners denieu them
selves nothing, nor were they asked
TO deny themselves anything. The,
spent money as they saw IT. with
neither criticism nor restraint L
check them in their expenditures
They purchased out OF the funds co.
lected for the maintenance OF the de-
partment in 1898 water pipe, costing
$4,000. for use in 1888 and 1900, thl
bulk OF It for use in 1900. They de
clared surplus Of $4,000 out Of
revenue OF 100000. It will be seel
that the real surplus was s9S.OO0. a
against expenditures or s62,O0O. de
ducting from expenditures the S12, 90
worth OF pipe, properly chargeable Z
1899 and 1900 collections, Imagine
departmental administration whic
fixes rates bringing a return Of $3.50
000 when the expenses OF the year ar
but S62 ,000l Let water consumers con
sider those two items alone and the
tell to them the story CT extortionat
demands OF which they have been tn
Victims, and non-consumers Of waite
the benehciaries.
A 40 per cent. cut, such as is pr
posed by the Pyle water bill, wi
leave the Water Department a revenl
OF $4,000 a year with which b me-
natural expense Of $62, 900. 1t wi
not only meet all JUST demands, bl
leave a surplus OF $4,000. assumir
that persons who are the benetciari
Of the reduction will not continue
pay ia many instances what they a
already paying, and, by so doing. r
ceive additional water convenience
and comforts. which they at prese
deny themselves because OF the e
orbitant rates. We do not believe tn
the revenue Of the department wou
fan 0 fmore than 80 1-3 per cent u
der so per cent. cut, b
cause OF consumers taking advanta
Of convenfences at present denied; bl
for the sake OF argument, we pref
to take the very worst side Of l
condition 10 the end that IL be utter
unanswerahle by the Water Comm
sioners or their agents. AS we ha