The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1909-09-04
MUNICIPAL d WNE'R SHIP.

On last Saturday forenoon a
pretty hot fire bad its origin III
the Eureka Hotel in this city. In
a very few minutes the blaze as
sumed very threatening proper,
tons The ircmcn soon had a
line of hose run from every al ia
cent hydrant, and sun, more wa
ter would have been Of advantage.
AS it was the neZzles had to be
shifted from place to place III an
swer to urgent demands, while
they could have been kept at the
first point to good advantage.
One line of hose was run from the
hydrant in front of this building,
making a very long lead, which
considerably reduced The efficiency
Of that stream.
The people of thls city might
gather a profitable lesson from
this experience. 1t is thiS-a few
more MIGRANTS, advantageously
placed, might prove the saving of
thousands of property loss. They
would shorten the spans of hose
necessary III fighting fires. The
shorter run of hose could be more
easily handled and would be less
liable to develop confusing trou-
bles i'll critical moments.
The cost would be the price of
the hydrant and the labor of set
ting. This is cheaper than con
tinually buying long runs of hose.
The maintenance of the MIGRANTS
Is incOnsiderable.
Under municipal ownership
there Is no cost for operation ex.
cept IN the hour of peril. Then
no one ever stops to count the
cost-it becomes a necessity. If
these extra hydrants remained
closed for a period of twelve
months or more there would not
be one cents cost on account of
their presence for emergency
needs.
How different this would be
were the plant under private con
troll. All extra hydrants, under
such a condition, would cost the
taxpayers the sum of $50 each per
year, whether they are used or
not. Such condition would be a
tax. Being taxed, there would be
every disposition on the part of
the city administrations to keep
the number Of MIGRANTS down to
the lowest number possible, con-
sistent with absolute necessities.
The people may not appreciate
it, but the waterwOrks managers
have been almost unreasonably
liberal with the users of water
during the past years. Besides
very low water rate, the consumer
has not been stinted in the am.
cunt used. He has paid "fat
rate" using all he had a DISPOSE.
ton to use, and this has led in
many instances to waste. In pri-
vate control there would be no
such liberality. The rate then
would be based upon the number
in the family, the number of
rooms IN the house, the number of
uses, the number of animals the
user kept and excessive use would
bring prompt restrictions.
In periods of drought, year af-
ter year, the city administrations
of the past have opened the n.y.
drants at stated hours every day
and gave freely to all who would
come for it free water. Much suf
fering has thus been avoided and
thousands of gallons of free water
have been distributed. 1t is verv
doubtful that this custom would
be cOuntenanced or continued uu-
der private control.
1t is quite true, that the water
served has not been of an inviting
character; but it was tho best oh.
tainable with the means at hand.
Two s inch wells were drilled at
the time of the erection of the
waterworks; but they failed in
their water supply. Two other
wells were sunk ~ the summec of
1904, about three years later. In
time they. too failed. With a
plant on modern lines, not absorb.
ing It's entire revenue to meet its