Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-09-12
LEWISTOWN'S
WATER WORKS.
Some Valuable Data in Relation to the
System Collected by City Clerk
De kalb.
REVENUE RECEIVED FROM 1T
Policy Of Extending the Mains-Ben-
efits Received outside Of the Ac.
tuaI Revenues.

NAIs ClSIh II. II. LIE hdlD mas JUST
completed the following statement in
regard to the city water works sys.
tenn, and will present it to the city
council. The statement contains many
facts of interest, and the data collect.
ed by Mr.. De Kalb will prove of val.
ue now and hereafter:
Mr.. De kaIb's Report.
''Lewistown's experiment in munic.
ipal ownership of public utilities may
yet be profitable one. It is extreme.
ly possible and, from the most graf.
flying showing made by the new sys.
tenn adopted May 1st, last, highly
probable that within ten years Lew.
istown will have made a substantial
step towards final payment of the
bonded Indebtedness incurred in the
installation of our present water sys-
tenn. Whether or not it will prove
to have been a profitable one, can
best be Judged from the other end Of
that period. If the wooden pipes used
in the construction of the water mains
are as durable as they should be, the
city will find at the end of that period,
a system yet in the first stage Of its
usefulness. If the pipes are in a
state of decay, as some think they
will be; or, if they are habitually
springing leaks, as some portions of
the system are already doing, then the
experiment will have proven dismal
failure. Whether or not the system
will stand the ever increasing de.
mands made upon it, and it's condi.
tion ten years hence, are matters of
speculation, and present questions ov-
er which competent engineers will de-
bate, so l shall pass the point without
expressing an opinion of any weight
There are many who fear the system
will be greatly impaired and decided
ly inefficient at the end of that per
iod. Let us trust otherwise, however
"The taxpayers of the city of Lew
istown should become highly inter
ested in the conduct of the water sys:
tenn. Years hence a great many will
have occasion to reproach themselves
for the apathy with which they have
viewed the manner in which it has
been conducted in the past. That the
methods employed in the past have
been grossly inefficient is patent to
anyone who knows of conditions as
they existed prior to the first day OF
May, 1905.
Growth Of the System.
February 1st, 1908, our present
alderman, H. c. Brown, had city wa.
ter installed at his premises, and it
is safe to assume that date as the
correct date water was first used from
the city mains. Since February 1st
1908, to May 1st, 1905, there has been
collected and turned into the city
treasury water rents, the sum of $5,'
095.O8.
1T is safe to say that hitherto the
expense of conducting the water sys
tenn has almost equalled the income
Out of the $5,O95.OS must come ap.
proximately 100000 for taps and curb
cocks furnished by the city to consum.
ers, which consumers are required Ia
pay for, leaving about $4,5O0.OO as the
total income from the sale of water
since the installation of the system
to May 1st, 1905.
Bonded indebted
'The bonded Indebtedness of the
city for the water system, and for
that which must necessarily go with
1.-THE sewerage system-is 100000
This is represented by two bond is
sues, one of $4,000, due in 1922, the
other of $4,000, due in 1928. The
interest on the two bond issues
amounts to the gross sum of $4,000
annually. It will be seen that there
must be great increase from the
system in earnings, or the city will
have to refund bonds when the pres
ent ones mature.
ION the 1st day of May, 1905,
undertook the almost herculean task
of reforming the methods used in
conducting the water system, and plac
ing it upon paying basis. 1t will
be very interesting to the citizens o1
this city to know what has been done
in the past, and what is being done
at the present time. Some idea of the
importance of rejuvenating the entire
system can be gained by comparing
the following figures:
"The average monthly income
May 1st, 1905. was $188.7O. The av
erage monthly income from May Is
to the present time is $374.28. Thi:
last amount, under present manage
| ment, will not decrease; on the con
trary, there is every reason to believe
there will be handsome increase o
revenues right along. The total in
come from May 1st, 1905. is 1881
40.
Some Changes Made.
"As most of the taxpayers know, tn
present system used in the collec
tiOn of water rents is much differen
than before. Under the present re
gime the consumer must pay his bill
in advance-the penalty for failin
so to do being the deprival of the us
of water. There is no extra cost iron
hiring some person to visit each cor
sumer and personally collect tn
rents. That system entailed a neet
less expense and burden upon the ":
ter works fund, and under that sy;
tenn many escaped paying their due
altogether. The city. no doubt. los
a great deal of money because of tbs
system of collecting.
"The entire system was careful
checked over by the city engineer :
ho hooip piu0 ~ tho Ncro0 NJ.