The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-08-31
HEARD BY A FOUNDER
Should Cairo Waer Co. Put in Service
Pipes ?-What Ordinance
Says.

To the Bulletin: Some months ago
it was the whiskey question that was
Hagitating the Cairo public; now it is
water, and the latter is liable to keep
on deck until finally disposed of, as
was the whiskey matter.
In my rounds as a lounger or round
er, pick up bits ri talk on a great va
| riety of subjects, some OF which |
think will amuse the people if not
interest them otherwise I write out
for the Bulletin AS a rule when yon
pass structures on these remarks, I
lp not think it my place to reply; but
YOU put up some very ingenious argu-
ments in answer to points in my Wa
ter Co. contribution that have drawn
out responses | am tempted to quote
from. Says one:
True, the franchise ordinance does
not say what consumers snail put in
supply pipes necessary 20 supply them
neither does it say that anybody shall
become water consumer 1t is OPP
tional with the public to take water or
not. Persons may be satisfied with
their old cisterns or water carts, O"
moose them in preference to taking
water from the water works on the
terms laid down in the Water Com
pany's franchise ordinance. On the
other hand, this ordinance gives the
company no option; it must lay mains
and do otherwise as the ordinance de-
clares it shall. The presumption must
be, that everything required of the
company is designated in the ordi
nance.
Another says Where the franchise
ordinance provides that water shall
be supplied to certain institutions free,
the construction very easily if not nat.
urally could be. that the company
should do all the plumbing necessary,
IN order to make tae water supply
free to places designated, hence the
necessity for the proviso, that the ser,
9ice pipes shall be put in at the ex.
ipense of the beneficiaries, the same
as the company and the public under
stood II should be for all consumers.
Why does not the city put in service
feipes from the lot lines to the sew
ers? To ask this is Just as reasonable
as to ask the Water Co. to put in ser.
vice pipes from lot lines to the street
mains.
He was mistaken who said to the
writer OF the above that the Water
ICompany's franchise ordinance does
mot say that anybody shall become d
water consumer and that therefore at
is optional with the public to take wa.
ter or not" Section 3 OF the orli
nance requires that "at least five re
lsponsible consumers for every five
hundred feet of pipe extension shall
contract to take water for at least two
years, and the city shall rent at least
one additional hydrant". etc. And Sd
fas as any specific provision in the or
i dlhance is concerned, one might as
easily assume that the city should
pay for the service pipes between the
water mains and the fire hydrants as
to assume that these FIVE Tor any 9th
ler) property owners must pay for the
service pipes between the water
mains and their premises. Had the
Water Company placed the same con
struction on the ordinance with refer
ence to the former as it does will
3 reference to the latter, the city coun
cii would have been com elled to pas
a special ordinance on this subject a
SO, or submit to the same hardship t
4 (which other paying consumers Of WI