Daily Arizona silver belt., 1908-06-13
OFFICIAL PAPER GZLA COUNTY
OFFICIAL PAPER CITY OF GLOBE
A COMPANION UTILITY


an early date the people will be given
an opportunity to vote on bond issue
of from 100000 to $4,000 for the con-
struction of such system, and the Sill
yer Belt, at this time, cannot conceive
of any opposition sufficiently formid-
able to defeat this long needed improve
ment. 1t is an expenditure that will
meet with the approval of every tax
payer who values public health and hui
man life above the few paltry dollars
that might be assessed as his portion Of
the expense. If the matter is properly
put before the people it is safe to wager
that there will not be any considerable
number of opposing votes.
The bond issue, necessary for con-
struction purposes, will spread over a
goodly number of years and will be
scarcely felt by the taxpayers. In fact
the new resident Of the next twenty
years, who will share in its benefits, will
share as well in the expense Of the
plant. This is as it should be, and a
condition to be expected in every mod
ern city.
The chief revenue to be derived from
a sewerage system, and it is very i'm
portant and valuable, is good health and
a low mortality list. But there is a
companion utility that will promptly
pay for itself and provide sinking
fund for the sewerage system as well,
and that is municipality owned water
plant. There isn't city in the United
States today, operating its own water
works system, that is not more than
satisfied with results and finds it a
wonderful source of revenue, while wat
er rentals in every case have been re-
duced to the private consumer and en-
tirely wiped out as far as the city
itself is concerned. When North Da-
kota voted out the saloon a number of
years ago the city of Fargo, then pos
sessing population Of about 10000
found itself shy something like $3.50
per year in revenues which had been
coming to the city in the shape of
liquor licenses. The board Of aldermen
was in something Of dilemma. The
city government must be maintained,
tie property owners could not well
stand for the necessary tax raise, bat
there seemd to be no other source of
replenishing the towns till. A little
investigation disclosed the fact that the
privately owned waterworks plant was
paying big dividends on its capital
stock, which was pretty heavily wa
tered, and some long-headed business
man figured it out that if the city corld
acquire the plant the financial trouble
world soon disappear. The plant was
purchased at fair price. Water rents
were reduced, maturing bonds have been
taken up, the interest on the principal
has been paid, and for eight years Fargo
has had net revenue form her water
plant of more than $4,000 annually
For something over seven years Tucson
our sister city, has been operating her
own water plant. A statement recently
made shows that the plant during the
past seven years has Melted the city
$17,03605 per year, and the net pro.
ceeds this year will amount to more
than S20,0o0. A record equally as good
comes from Phoenix-from every city
in tie land where the water plant is
operated by the municipal government
These figures-in fact the whole pro
position-becomes interesting in hand
ling ard by thought. A water system
creates the necessity for sewerage
system. A sewerage system is practical
ly useless in the absence of a water
system. They are companion utilities
almost irseparable. They are necessi
ties, and they are utilities that should
be owned by the people. Then why
Motif the water plant will care fol-
itself and spread it's wings out over a
bond issue for sewerage system-em.
brace both of these utilities and vote on
a bond issue that will cover the expense
Of acquiring the water plant and build
ing the sewerage system? In the end
the cost to the people will be absolute
ly nothing, and source of perpetual
revenue will be afforded the city.
In advocating this larger sized bond
issue the Silver Belt does not care to
create an aperture through which any
weakened alderman who may have q
slight growth of alfalfa on his back
may enter and block the progress of the
proposed sewerage system. The PROPOSE.
ton is presented for the consideration