The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1900-02-25
rhe wArERwoRks QUESTION.
f1r. johnson Gives His Views on the
Pending Proposition.

utSputcs DuI Tic QucsttOIis uOW "
provide this necessity, is trouble
some proposition to solve
1t is we'll known fact that pri-
Yate ownership is menace to the
public welfare. No town of any
Importance has tried it with any
satisfaction, either from the stand
point of public good OF financial
benefit. On the other hand. where
such a condition has existed, it
has been abandoned as soon as
practicable. Gainesville our near
est neighbor, has tried it to her
sorrow. Why then should We not
benefit by this experienced
| am informed that the company
that submitted the last proposition,
the one now under consideration
by the council, demands that this
city pay $4,000 per annum for
sixty hydrants, for forty years,
and it only agrees to lay seven
/ miles of mains; and that for every
! additional four hundred and fifty
| feet of main laid in the city under
the direction of the city council, it
shall be secured to the extent of
$50 per annum; in other words,
about $3.50 per annum on each
mile of mains laid in addition to
the first seven miles. If the resi-
dents along such extention fail to
subscribe for enough water to pay
this $3.50 rer miles the city must
take additional hydrants sufficient
to make up this amount. This
would mean that the city would
have to take at least one hydrant
fer every $50 feet of extentlon, an
additional outlay to the city of at
least 5000 for each mile of exten-
sion. Have the people ever thought
. of this stupendous proposition!
Seven miles of mains will cover
/, only one fourth of the thickly set
tied portion Of the city. Without
mains, how are the residents upon
! the other three -fourths of the
streets to get water? If one
fourth costs $4,000 per annum,
what will the other three fourths
at the additional outlay of 5000 cost
per mile? This the city will have
e to agree to pay, or three e-fonrths
n of the people who pay tax will de
rive no benefit from the water
works.
: Upon the hypothesis that the
construction contemplated by thi!
company will cost $50, 900 (it vii
not cost more than half tina
amounf) III forty years the city
}: will pay for sixty hydrants, cover
ing only seven miles of the streets
/ the sum of $120, 900, and own moth
/: ing besides the consumers are pay
(. ing all this time for the water used
and those residents on the street:
without mains will be thirsting t
: know where ali 1.-The taxes they ar,
paying are going.
| suggest that we wait until thu
townsite board finishes its work
and congress allows cities to Issue
bonds, (both will happen in {
very short time) and then issue
bonds to the amount of 500, 900
bearing five per cent interest fol
forty years, payable at the option
of the city after twenty years, anC
pass an ordinance creating a sink
ing fund of So, 900 per annum tC
pay the interest, and after ten
years create another sinking funC
: to be held for payment of the
+ bonds. This will give the revenue
4 derived from the waterworks fol
| ten years to the city, to be useG
; for school or other purposes. There
6 will certainly be some profit, ol
else this company would not take
the contract. We can then put
+. mains where the people need them
pay what this company wants fol
hydrants as interest, let the prof.
after ten years pay the debt in the
following thirty years, and at tht
end be the owners of whatever VIZ
! have paid for.
Talk about not being able tC
r float bonds until title is had tC
a lots is all foolishness. Bondhold
ers expect their interest. and tht