Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-03-02

Would Operate TO Prevent Noedsd Extern
sions of the Water system IN tho Near
Foture--ContrHst OF the Old spo the New.
E. Tatnall Warner, president If the
Charles Warner Co., has written to
President Charles H. Salmon of the
State Senate the following letter in
reference to pertinent public subject
Wilmington, Dell, Feb. %, 1899. =
Hon. O. H. Salmon, President OF thu
Senate, Dover, Delaware Dear Sir: /
have before me Senate bill No. AZ.
being entitled can act fixing the rates
OF prices at which the Board of Water
Commissioners of tho City OF Whining
ton shall hereafter supply water to
persons using same in the City Of Will
mington."
To one at all familiar with the con-.
dition OF the water works in this city
at the time the Board of Water Com
missioners took charge (about L. years
ago. it is difficult to conceive who the
suggestor, or advocate, Of the proposed
bill can be. Then the pumping stations
were complete wrecks, a constant drain
upon the city for money TO keep them
moving In their wornout and anti
quated condition. The rates of water
rent were about the same as those
charged today, bnt were wholly in
adequate to defray the expenses of tho
Water Department Water rents were
in arrears to such u degree that certain
members of City Council considered
themselves insulted when informed
hey must pay their water rent or have
heir supply shut off. Pipes through
out the city were too small for the
service required of them, many OF
them being filled with rust and mud,
go that the water could scarcely pass
through them, even to a limited de-
gree, and in some cases. / have heen
informed, wooden pipe placed by the
founders of the system were still in use.
The finances of the department were
such that the commissioners were
obliged to ask leading coal firm to
without payment, until the revenue of
commission in funds to meet it's
OBLIGATIONS. Certainly no ono can
desire that condition of affairs to be
resumed--I believe it will be should
the proposed bill become a law--nor
can i think for one moment that the
advocate Of this bill has the slightest
conception of the demand that will be
made upon the commissioners tor
facilities to supply water to the
western portion Of the city, with it's
high elevation and rapidly increasing
population.
He certainly does not realize that
the residents of that portion of the city
are entitled to the same privileges and
protection as residents in the older
portion. W
He cannot foresee that this demand
will oblige the commissioners in the
near future to erect water tower in
Rockford Park, near Mt. Salem, the
highest elevation in the city, and that
this improvement will cost, approxi-
mately, $4,000, with the necessary
pumps, pipes, &c. 4..
He cannot foresee that in the near
future a settling pond capable of hold
ing 200, 900, 900 gallons of water (say,
two weeks supply must be provided
for, and large addition to our hitter
plant must be made if Wilmjngtonians
are to enjoy the pure water and good
health they enjoy today.
File cannot for one moment under
stand that the surplus which disturbs
his sleep is this result of the honest
management and good Judgment that
Commission from its inception, and
that for this the citizens of Whining
ton owe to Mr.. Porter and his com
mission debt of gratitude and conf
dence which cannot he questioned,
much less liquidated. ,+s1
1t is estimated that the cost Of
operating the Water Department. in
Guiding interest on bonds, but not
providing for extension, accidents OF
unusual repairs, is SOL, 900 per annum.
The rate proposed in the bill might
yield $ll2,o0o, leaving possibly, a
margin of S11,000 per annum, which
simply means that inside Of four years
the city would be knocking at your
doors, asking for a loan to meet the
requirements of the Water Department.
But, again, there is no surplus from
operating the Water Department. The
money yielded by that department over
its expenses is turned into the genera
exchegner of the city, to be used in
the payment Of interest on water bondt
and the principal of all city bonds. Ii
ii not plain that if the city should be
deprived of that source of revenue, il
would be obliged TO secure the money
from another source, which, neces
sarily, would be direct taxation, anc
which would, in all probability, cos
the property holder o great deal more
than the water rents now paid by him
Now, read the first section of the
net, lines three to five, and note thai
"the Water Commissioners shall suppl,
any person, &C., at the following
charges.
Does any sane man suppose that Mr.
W. T. Porter, Mr.. Alfred Belts, Mr.
Washington Hastings, or any othel
responsible man would undertake tina
contract for $500 per annum, with al
its accompanying liabilities, for, mott
you, it makes u personal matter, as tn,
law reads, 1.-THE commissioners shal
do thing that is almost impossible
They fail, and then the contract re
yerts to tho ruinaus management o
politicians, similar to that of 15 year
ago, with all the consequent needles
expenditures. Ii must be borne II
mind that the charges for water in tn
city of Wilmington are not excessive
They are absolutely less than charge
made for the use of water in any cit.
of the United States of tho same siz
as Wilmington, and less than any oft,
in the United States with the ex
coption of those that are supplied b.
gravity. Certainly, therefore, enjoying
as We do tho privileges of good waite
Mt q reasonable cost, the people o
Wilmington should be gratified il
their desire, and that is the Waite
Department shall in no way be inter
fered with, that the commissioner
shall have the fullest discretion to d
that which they believe the hes
tntaroeta 90 tho nit a ,,,I