El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-01-27
p Paso 3 Vel
Supplied With All
Public Utilities

"He municipal measure Of any city
is its public utilities. Given g
poorly lighted. poorly paved city
and inefficiently operated water, gas
and electric service companies, and
there is sure to be a town asleep be-
hind these utilities. There is none Of
the Rip Van Wrinkle about Fl Paso's
public service companies. whether pub
lie OF private. The water works plant
and system OF mains are owned by the
city Of FL Paso and operated as a mu-
nicipaI cooperative company.
The street railway system is modern
" equipped and offers rapid transit
from all populated points at a small
fare to any other part Of the city. The
company Of the El Paso Electric Rail
way company, furnishes power for cook
ing, lighting and power transmission.
The Gas company has a system OF
mains running to all parts of the city
through which gas IS pumped at rates
which have been reduced a number OF
times during the past three years vol
UNFAIRLY by the gas company. The Tri-
State Telephone plant has local and long
distance connections with the city, val
ley and southwest There is also an
Independent Telephone company.
Water.
The Waterworks plant was purchased
from the old International Water COM
pany last year at a cost of 1927, 900. A
total Of $3.50, 900 has been expended IN
the improvement OF the pumping plant,
the laying OF 10 miles of additional
mains and the installation Of auxiliary
pumps at the downtown plant. The city
is now being provided with pure mesa
water from the wells on the high mesa
where il is pumped out OF the substrata
OF sand and gravel and is sent down
Al aar7E
IN the WaterWOrks plant which has
been made by the city has a more far
reaching effect than the mere supply
ing of a great city with pure and pala-
table drinking water. The IRE lnsur-
ance rate in Ell PasO has been high in
the past and has been a burden upon
the property owners, who were forced to
carry heavy insurance upon large
stocks OF goods The installation of the
additional pumps and the laying of ad-
ditional mains have been the cause OF
a reduction of the fire insurance key
rate to a point where ii Will be lower
than any other city OF the state as soon
as the additional pumps which are now
being manufactured are completed and
installed. A keyrate of 20 cents will
then be enjoyed by Fl PasO and the
corresponding reduction In insurance
premiums VIII mean much to FL Paso
both in the business and residence dis
tricts.
The electric railway has been occu-
pied with the erection Of a steel and
brick power plant on South Santa FTt-
street 20 provide additional housing
facilities for the new machinery which
has been made necessary by the rapid
growth of the city and the correspond
ing demand for power, lighting and
TRANSFORMATION. A new 10000 4 w
turbo generator. including the necessa-
~ auxiliary apparatus. has been IN
stalled recently and a new remote con-
trolled switch board is now in course
of construction This will increase the
generating capacity of the plant great
ly and will furnish power for all possf-
bic uses, including the pumping of wa
ter in the lower valley until the com
pletiOn OF the Elephant Butte dam