The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-02-26
BLISS CITES BINGHAM
TO SOME MORE FIGURES


rate is Just the same.
THE FLAT RATE IN DERoIT IS
$3.50 A YEAR FOR A FAMILY.
What do you think of that, Mr..
Bingham? efR,a
No wonder they use so much water
II is cheap.
Bath tubs closets and sprinkling
are extra in Detroit just as4they are
in many other places. Out of mercy
! had a half a notion to not publish
the extra charges for these. But |
will do so, however, trusting my adj
vice as to the paregoric has been
needed
The first bath tub costs only dol
lar year and additional bath tubs
cost only sixty cents a year. Closets
cost $1.60 a year for the first and
sixty cents for each additional.
Hose for thirty-foot front costs only
sixty cents year and a sixty-foot
front costs only eighty cents a year.
Is that not enough to make patron
of the Pensacola Water Company
grOan? 1t ought to be-.
Is it Profitable?
Before | proceed | desire to advise
Mr.. Bingham to not read any further
for the following facts are liable to
PROSTATE him
Is it profitable for a city~to furnish
water at so low a rate? | surmise the
average Pensacolian has already been
questioning in his mind as to the adj
visibility of furnishing water at so
low a rate and then taxing the people
e, D,,A 4 AN srn4, .,s,I,
and jump at guesses. Let us look at
the books.
The expenses for operating and
maintaining the Detroit water works
for 1904 was s159,397.91 The reve-
nues from water rents alone were
$432, 1882. making a net profit alone
from this source Of $272,99461.
Just think of il. The city of De
troit furnishes an average of 305. 131
gallons of water to each family year
at such wonderful low rates and vet
makes a net profit of over a quarter
of million dollars in that time. Yet
this is the municipal work of 'canks"
and theorists" and extremists"
What Bliss Wants.
A good many people are asking me
d
| That is not what | am asking for.
am asking the city council to grant
| franchise for a new water. works. |
! do not promise to sell wafer as cheap
as the city of Detroit, but I do prom
/ Use to reduce the residence rates three
hundred per cent below the rates of
! the Pensacola Water Company.
l also offer TO furnish the city as
much free water as does the present
| company and to furiSh water for fire
protection at nearly One7haIfthe pres
| ent rates. | do not ask for charter
any more favorable than the one al
ready granted, and not -snNfavorable
| for that matter. nor do | ask for the
business the city has given to the
present company. My request is very
modest, indeed. YET a coterie of quar-
! ter-inch politicians win do'.eveTything
possible to prevent me from getting
the charter | am only asking for the
i-prfrflege of giving the scStN.seas good
fire protection and the people water
! at a reasonable price. What is wrong
| in that?
Needs of the City.
! Pensacola needs a good water
works and reasonable rates much
worse than II needs a mayor. 1t also
needs sewerage and streets worst
| than il needs a mayor. But mayor is
| a good thing if he IS made of the
| right kind of stuff We do not want
| to elect a pair of lungs with number
five hat, nor a square head that can
not recognize the difference between
1 10
nor a man who does not know sew
er from water main. nor man who
| will confiscate the public thorough
| fares. nor a man who is hostile TO all
| Uublic improvements. Men of all
these classes aspire to be mayor but
we do not want them We have plen.
| " of good men and do not need To
use cuttings.
Action Needed.
What the people of Pensacola need
! 10 do is 10 take an interest in this
matter and act. He who would b.
free must himself strike the blow
! There will be little profit in simply
patting me on the back and then
crawling into a hole. The people OF
| Pensacola are themselves to blame
for being at the very tail end of pro
gress. The people have had oPpOrtu
mites much greater than most other
cities and yet they have stood as a
light hid under a bushel There has
| been open hostility to progressive
ness. Good men have been driven out
of town and so little encouragement
has been given others that they have
been led 10 believe that they made q
mistake in spending their money in
Pensacola. | do not like to publish
these facts, but | do in hopes of stir
ring the people to action and getting
a new regime inaugurated. Let the
Il Giants" and the u Giants" take a
back seat and let the progressive ele
| ment have turn at public affairs.