The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1909-03-18

water company to put an eight-ipch
main along a certain street for hre
protection. The water company
wanted to put the pipe On another
street, the reason stated, being that
to put the pipe where the council pro-
posed would necessitate a bend In the
pipe which be seemed to think would
bs a most serious matter. Was not
familiar enough with the conditions
to know his real reason. There Is a
very strong sentiment there for nun
icipal ownership, and they have spent
considerable money making surveys
to determine the cost OF new sytsem
and have just made arrangements to
buy the private company's plant
We made sewer plans for South
Bend sometime agn and in letter
from the chairman of the sewer COM
mittee, a few days ago to us, We quote
the following extract; 81 am now
agitating the necessity Of the city
(South Bend voting water bonds and
own their own system of waterworks
as we have been out Of water every
summer for FIVE years, and it is get
ting worse every yeaI. What would it
cost the city per day for man to
run water levels and give Us general
information as to the systemr
The putting in OF sewer system
increases the consumption OF water,
and slice the present water company
will not give them enough water to
use, without sewers, suppose they will
have to put the sewers off until they
can make arrangements to get enough
water to operate them
Mount Vernon, Wash is in exactly
the same fix; they had us make sewer
plan. aud estimate their cost about a
year ago, but the chairman of the
sewer committee says, they must
make some kind of arrangements for
more water te:ore they can have
sewers.
The water company few weeks ago
were making all kinds OF promises if
the city would extend their franchise
fifty OF sixty years, tut the council
did not seem very enthusiastic along
these lines. Think they would be
glad to give a second franchise, bnt
where system IL already installed it
makes it very hard tor second cam
pany to get in. This does net apply
to municipal owned system, for they
bave means of protecting tLemselve'
tt at another company would not have.
Puyallup, Wash, had trouble with
their water company toI years. The
city tried to buy the plant but the
water conn any, only laughed at
them; would not even consider 1t.
We were employed to make sewer
plans for them and later to superiu-
tend theiI construction. While We
were engaged in this work, the city
bought some springs about four miles
from tie city, tor 1000. Some
criticised this expenditure. claiming
the money might have just as we'll
been thrown away. The mayor stated
that since the city had purhased the
springs, the water company had re
duced water rates enough to pay in
terest on several times five thousand
dollars, so that he considered the city
had made good Investment even II
they did not put in Il system. We
we're hen employed hr the city to
make Il plan and estimate tho cost OF
bringiug in water from the springs.
We were then told to submit ligures
to the council for making plan and
estimate of the cost Of a distribution
system; us each successive step was
taken the water company seemed more
interested and finally criticised their
uperintendent for allowing things to
get into such shape lie told them
that he had repeatedly asked them to
allow him to give them Il better and
more &c 1nomical service but had been
rs many times "tuIned down" They
told him to comply with every wish
Of the people, and he told them 1t
was too late; that the citizens had
fully made up their minds to have a
waterworks owned by the city. hen
the water COMPANY opened their books
to a committee of the council and
showed them every item Cf recG ipts
and expenditures with view to sci
ling their plant to the city which WAS
done. The city Installed The gravity
system and made many extensions
and as | remember it reduced the
rate about GO per cent and have found
the plant to be very good invest
ment. They expect to pay off the cost
VI NuC Bldht III bCNOH youl5f
from net earnings. We have written
more fully of Puyallup, because we
ale moIe familiar with the circum
stances there and think it is fairly
typical of all the towns that have been
forced to aquire their water works in
"setf defense.
When private company owns the
water works it IL not so easy for us to
get the exact rates. lt Is often alleged
that the rates are not uniform, the
water company exercising discretion
in the matter. At Vancouver, Wash,
where they are now trying to get mu.
nicipal ownership it is said that il q
water user inours the di9pleasure If
the water company his rate goes up
and they will cite you to specific
Instances. We note cri icism of an
editorial in the News" In whlch
the News is made to say that it will
cost the city SIT 600 90 per year too
operate water system with only s.,
10000 revenue. Suppose it would be
fair to assume that the present cou.
pany Is not operating at loss III
that be true then it is hard for me to
und rstand why it should cost the
city more thao three times rs much
to oI crate the liant as the present
company. 1t does not 81 EN- to us il
would be necessary or desirable to 'ry