Los Angeles herald., 1905-05-05
DECLARE PRICES
ARE EXCESSIVE
ADVERSE TO WATER PLANT IS
COMMITTEES REPORT
SAY PEOPLE SHOULD BENEFIT
Aver That the City Has No Right to
Exact Charge That Is Not Even
Made by Private Cor
poration
SAY PEOPLE SHOULD BENEFIT

That municipal corporations as well
as private corporations need regula-
tions dealing in public utilities is indi-
Gated by the findings of the water
supply committee of the council in in
vestigating the charges made in petit
ton recently filed with the council,
signed by practically every contractor
and builder in the city. asking protec-
tion from certain rules and regulations
of the water commissioners.
The report is as follows:
Committees Report
ITO the Honorable Council, City of
Los Angeles:
"Your water supply committee, to
whom was referred petition No. sol,
from Charles Marsden ct al, calling at
tention to the rule of the board of
water commissioners requiring that
certain sums of money shall be paid
into the water department before build
ing contractors or property owners are
permitted to become users of city
water, and urging that this rule be
abolished, would respectfully report as
follows:
1--WE find that the conditions COM
planned of are true. Under the rule of
the board of water commissioners there
must be paid for tapping a water main
and putting in a small pipe from the
main to the inside of the curb line the
following amounts:
One-half inch service ...............$ 3
Three-fourths inch service .......... IL
One inch service ..................... IA
One and one-half inch service. %
TWo-inch service ................... 30
This covers the service from the
main in the street to the inside of the
curb, and all charges for extensions
beyond that point are paid by the con-
sumner and are in addition to the fig
ures above stated.
Say Rate Is Unjust
"These rates have been demanded by
the water commissioners since the early
part of the year 1902, when the city ac-
quired the water plant from the City
Water company, and the records show
that during this time a sum of money
amounting to $4,000 has been paid
into the water department by property
owners for water service connections.
1--WE are unable to discover any good
reason why the water department
should collect any fee whatever for
water service connections, and are of
opinion that the board of water COM
missioners are exacting a most unrea-
sonable and unjust tax. Fully 65 per
cent OF this burden is carried by the
small property owners of this city.
"Why should the property owners of
Los Angeles be required to pay a tax
that public utility corporations, from
whom the people expect no favors, do
not exact? The people expect under
municipal ownership the very fairest
treatment. and we see no reason why
their expectations in regard to munich
pal ownership of the city water system
should not be fully realized. II the
city, when 1t has the opportunity, Is
unable to show the people that munici-
pal ownership Is all that its advocates
claim for It, then there is little to COM
mend municipal ownership to the citi-
zens of Los Angeles.
Wherefore. your committee would
respectfully recommend that this petit
tion be referred to the board Of water
commissioners. with the recommends
ti7a of the council THAI the said board
o;5eontinue exacting payment for
water service connections"