The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1904-12-21
WATER AND LIGHT co.
GRANTED DESIRED FRANCHISE
After a Few Amendments the Council
Passed the Ordinances by IMAM
imous Vote Last Night.

Passed the Ordinances by IMAM
imous Vote Last Night.
The ordinances granting a new fran
chise to the Northwest Water & Light
company were finally disposed of at the
meeting of the council Monday evening,
the council voting unanimously in favor
of both. The ordinances came up on
their third reading, and under a suspen-
sion of the rules were placed upon their
third reading and final passage. The
following report from the committee
appointed to look thoroughly into the
matter and to investigate the cost of
water and light service in other cities
was read before the final vote was TIA
ken:
North Yakima. Wash, Nov 2S. 1904.
To the Honorable Mayor and Members
of the City Council:
Gentlemen-We, the undersigned, your
! special committee appointed to confer
with the officers of the Northwest Light
& Water company with view to secur
ing an adjustment of the differences be-
tween the city and the company, beg
leave to report as follows:
! We have spent considerable time and
labor in gathering and compiling sta
tistics as to water and light rates pre-
vailing in other cities of the northwest
for purposes of comparison with the
rates charged here and to furnish an
intelligent basis upon which to work
in securing reasonable concessions from
the company for our city and its inhab-
itants.
| We have had several meetings with
the officers of the water and light COM
pany, and they nave treated us in
courteous manner and have met us in
spirit of fairness which has tended to
bring about an understanding as to
rates and the settlement of other ques-
tons. As result of our negotiations
with the company, an ordinance has
been prepared and was submitted at the
last meeting of this council, which, in
the main, embodies our ideas as to Just
rates and reasonable terms upon which
franchise should be granted to the
company.
While. owing to the great diversity
of conditions in the different cities from
which we have sought information, our
| Investigations were not entirely salts
factory as indicating Just what method
should be adopted and what rates should
be charged under the conditions pre-
vailing here. we are satisfied that the
meter system for both water and light.
as proposed in said ordinance, at the
rates therein specified, will prove to be
the most satisfactory and result in a
saving to every careful consumer and
that this is really the only equitable
method of charging. OF course. it will
require at least twelve months to dem
onstrate this. but of its truth we have
no doubt after careful consideration.
The hydrant rate of 1913 per month.
as specified in the ordinance. will result
in Il saving of 5000 per year to the city
for its fire protection with the number
of hydrants now installed. 1t is not
likely that there will be need for
many more hydrants for several years
to come; and, in the Judgment of your
committee. it is more economical for the
city to pay for its fire protection in this
way than to pay the old fiat rate per
annum of $4,000, with provision for in
crease as the population of the city in
crcaSes, as was provided in the last
franchise granted this company; for, UNI
doubtedly. with the present extensive
distribution of hydrants over the city.
the increase in number will not keep
pace with the increase in population
We would also call attention to the fact
in this connection, that the average ny
drant rate of the cities of the north
west is $40.
In view of the unfavorable advertis-
ing which this city has received during
the past few years on account of the
alleged impure water supply. We beg
to call attention to the provision made
in said ordinance for supplying the city
with water from a source several miles
! higher up the Naches river and the con-
! veyance of the same through pipes di-
rectly to the city, thus doing away with
the open ditch and open reservoir and
insuring an absolutely pure water sup
! ply. If no other result had been ac-
complished by this council through these
negotiations than this guarantee of
purer water supply and the increase
! fire protection by the greater pressure
resulting from the higher source. we
would feel that our labors have been
amply rewarded
While our work has covered several
months, it was impossible to accom-
plish the results sooner because of ne
cessary delay in securing data and the
only occasional presence of the officers
of the company in our city.
Believing that the water and light
company should receive a reasonable
franchise at the hands of the city, and
in view of the fact the ordinance intro
duced at the last meeting of this coun-
ell embodies in its main features our
ideas as to conditions and rates, we
would respectfully recommend that it
be passed, with such amendments as the
council may see fit to adopt
Respectfully submitted
d. NJ RAND,
/. /. TH0RP,
! VIM. B. DUDLEY,