The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1908-12-22

needed public improvements. Thus th'
necessity for future bond issues vii
be eliminated, and large sums of money
that would be shipped annually to for
eign bondholders, in payment of in
terest. may be expended in public i'm
provements that benefit the citizens a
home.
The transition, in two years, from +:
government threatened with receiver
ship, to one on a cash basis with /;
half million to spend annually in pub
lie improvements is certainly record
worthy Of consideration.
No single act of Houston's commits
sion merits more of hearty approva
from grateful citizenship than the
purchase and operation of the plant o1
the Houston Water Company. Attend
ed, as it was, with SO many practical
problems, and legal difficulties, its con
summation could scarcely have been ac.
complished by less vigorous chief
ministration. In fact, the same propo-
sition to purchase and operate a mu-
nicipal plant was Overwhelmingly y
defeated by the people at the polls go
late as August 10, 1903. On May II,
1906, after less than one year of COM
mission government, the same PROPOSE
tion carried by vote of more than
three to one, showing Enthusiastically an
absolute reversal of public sentiment,
months of commission government had
demonstrated its ability to administer
a public utility on business principles.
comparison of the first five
months of operation of the waterworks
of the city, with the last five months
under the control of a private corpora
tion, shows conclusively that the con-
fidence of the people in their present
form of government has not been mis-
placed. During said period the plant
has been operated by the city at a de-
creased cost in salaries alone of $2,-
307.8s, Notwithstanding the fact that
the salaries of all operatives have been
materially increased. During the same
time the city shows a gain in earn
ings, including hydrant rentals for
merly paid by the city, of $1O,575.35,
without increasing the charge for SER
vice to the consumer. With a de-
creased consumption in the amount of
fuel, the average monthly pressure has
been increased from 53.5 pounds in
September, 1906, to So pounds in Feb
ruary, 1907, showing a remarkable gain
in the matter of waste of water. This
gain is due in part to the installation
of meters in those cases where con-
sumers were disposed to be reckless in
the use of water; in part to the elm
ination, by the city, of an extensive
free list" and in part to the detec-
tiOn of several hundred secret connec-
tions, which are now doing business
regularly with the department. Tt is
doubtless true, also, that portion of
the gain is directly due to the fact
that the citizen now feels himself "a
part owner of the plant, which re-
moves the disposition ''to get even"
by extravagant use of water.
Incomparably more important is the
fact that for the first time in the his
tory of the plant, the citizens have en-
joyed an abundance of pure, sparkling
water, pronounced by Alexan.
der Potter, of New York, "the best in
the world. - The bayou product has
been "cut OUT and provisions made !
for a large reservoir that will afford an
abundant supply of pure water for
every emergency. Then, too, the ten |
tacles of an interminable lawsuit that |
prevented extensions of mains and |
other needed improvements have been |
cut loose, and the city is in a position |
to make possible ga fountain of sweet |
in every humble home in |
Houston; thus turning a veritable mi |
rage into a verdant oasis, in which gen |
eratiOns, yet unborn, will breathe the |
fragrance of gratitude to Houston s |
first Commission government.
A somewhat extended statement of |
this matter is INDUCED for the reason
that here we have an opportunity to I
compare. directly, municipal operation
of the plant with that of private cor
poratiOn, wherein the former has out |
classed the latter at every point, and |
yet the city has scarcely had time to ,
put her plans into effective operation.
All other public utilities are owned |
and operated by private concerns, yet, |
in almost every instance, they have put |
themselves into hearty cooperation with |
the present administration, and are re- !
spending as rapidly as possible to a pop !
ular demand for a better and more ex- /.
tended service. This is particularly |
true of the street railway system, |
which has, within nine months, ex- |
pended 100000 in improving its road |
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