The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-03-18
OPPOSES Sell
LING WATER
works
ATTORNEY THOMSON SAYS CITY
WILL MAKE SERIOUS MISTAKE
BY LETTING CORPORATION
HAVE PLANT.
Editor Daily World:

Editor Daily World:
I was surprised at the revelation
of the intention of our city dads to
put our city water works into the
hands of private corporation. In
this day while, all over the whole
country we are struggling for exist
ence under the throttling grasp of
private corporations, such a step is
not the part of wisdom. Even the
conservatives admit that all natural
monopolies should be publicly owned.
1t is true our water supply has not
been all that was desired, by the city
officials and others, but that's not the
fault of municipal ownership. Nei-
ther has our lighting facilities been
satisfactory, and that is privately
owned. The fault is not municipal
ownership and it is not necessarily
incompetence on the part of public
officials. No one would charge that
these men would fall down and give
up in the management of their pri-
vate business. The difficulty Is with
our system of government. These
men haven't the time to devote to
the study and investigation of the
problems involved, when they have
their own private business to see af-
ter. A man must be exceedingly pa
triotic these days to neglect his own
business in the interest of the public
good when there is nothing in the
latter but a little thankless glory.
A good salary will be great incent-
i've to him, and that Is why, as I
pointed out In this paper some time
ago, that the commission form OF city
government has proven SO highly sue
cessful. Men who are interested in
civic Improvement should not remain
ignorant of the reforms that are
growing up all over the country and
be guilty of taking backward steps
right here in the midst of progress.
Wenatchee can't afford to do it.
In the last century EOS water
plants have changed from private to
public ownership in the United States
and only 20 have changed from pub
lie to private. In 1905 there were,
including the larger cities. nearly 60
per cent municipality owned water
works in the United States. OF the
10 largest cities in the United States.
all but one Crust ridden and graft
throttled San Francisco) now own
their water works; and Of the 3S
cities in the United States with a pop
ulation of 10000 in 1900, all but
eight owned them.
Some of the reasons given for the
change to public ownership are ID
Private ownership was found to be
profitable to individuals rather than
wholesome to the public. CD Pro-
moters took advantage of a 1ull in
public ownership and secured all the
franchises they could from the city
dads, merely for the asking and then
sold them to the city at high figures.
(3) AS people got their eyes open
they learned that the supply OF wa
ter is too important thing to be left
to individuals when the raging thirst
for profit is always lurking in the
background.
Carefully collected statistics (from
the Manual of American Waterworks)
show that the average rate to con-
sumner charged by private owners of
works in 430 cities was 43 per cent
higher than that charged by munich
pally owned plants in 318 cities. Even
as far back as 1897 Mayor Strong of
New York City, in recommending
municipal ownership Of water works
said: "For the first time In the his
tory OF the city the revenue collected
last year from water rentals was more
than enough to reimburse the city
for the entire outlay of the depart
ment Of public works. which is taken
from taxation. To express 1t in an
other way, our water rents paid for
road pavements, street lighting, care
and repairs to the entire water sys-
tenn, care and repairs to public build
inss, salaries, wages, and all other
administrative expenses"
Municipal ownership OF water
works will lessen the danger of po-
litical corruption among city Of
Gals by the elimination of another
seIf-seeking, bribe-giving private
corporation.
We should profit by the experience
OF others and. even ourselves. See