Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1913-06-20
MOTTMAN DECLARES
WATER COSTS CITY
$50 A MONTH MORE
Company Puts $1OO in One Pocket.
Takes $3.50 Out of Other,
Mayor Says.
POINT EASILY EXPLAINED.
Official Added $50 a Month for
Good Measure, but Ordinance
Keeps Charge Stationary.

| oNN AAOuo VI 2, OuG OIuludIlCe
Keeps Charge Stationary.
Declaring that the last city admins
tration had been tracked and tripped"
by the per cent. gross earnings pro-
vision in the franchise granted the
Olympia water works last fall, Mayor
George A. hoffman presented a state
ment to the city council Wednesday
night as another gun in his campaign
for municipal system in which he
asserted "the Water company is put
ting 500 month into our left pocket
and is reaching down into our right
pocket and taking back $3.50 per
month"
The mayors statement, by which 1t
would seem the city is paying $50 a
month more for it's water, is easily ex-
planned. The mayor himself simply
added that charge to the city's water
bill, when as matter of fact the city's
bill will remain stationary under the
provisions of the ordinance, unless it
puts in more hydrants. In that case
the increase will be slightly less un-
der the new company than under the
old, for where the city is paying the
new company 81 month each for the
first 20 hydrants and So month for
each of the others, 1t paid the old com.
pany $50 year for each of the first
20 hydrants and $36 year for each
OF the others.
In a statement published below the
mayor says that under the old con.
tract the city's bill averaged $275. a
month. He quotes the bill for May
under the new company as being
$37465. There is an apparent in
crease of nearly 500 a month, but in
the same paragraph he says the new
company is paying the city $IOO a
month as its per cent. gross earnings
tax. Consequently, the city's water ia
costing 1t $275 month, as before.
The statement in full follows:
Olympia, WASH, June 10, 1918.
To the Honorable City Council of the
City of Olympia. Washington.
| Gentlemen: Upon looking over the
bills of the city, l find in the case OF
the Olympia Water Works for May.
1913, bill against the city for $374.65.
This Is itemized as follows:
SO hydrants, month May, 1918. .s284. 90
~ flush tanks, May, 1913. ..... $500
| HnChinU
City nan and city barn, days. 600
~SsssA'''' .$O14.0O
Our bills up to this time for water,
furnished the city for all purposes
nave been about 500 per month less
than the above figures and upon inves-
tlgatlon as to the cause and right of
the Water company to charge the city
this increase l find that the franchise
granted them last November by the
former mayor and city council will
enable the Water company to compel
the city to pay them as follows:
For flushing sewer per year. IS 69S
Street sprinkling per year. 200
fIushlng streets per year. 500. 800
Hydrants per year. r............. 3,4OS
lotaI. ...-.. ...... .$4,924
This does not include the natural in
crease OF flush tanks for sewer and wa.
ter Migrants, etc., and 1t is, therefore.
sale 10 say that our water bill for the
next IL months will be over $4,000 or
$4z5 per month instead of $275 as il
USED TO be on the average under the old
lrahchlse. In other words, the Water
company Is collecting from the CITY
Sl50 per month increase and is paying
Dack to the city for the privilege of
furnishing water to the people of Olym.
pla FOR the next fifty 500 years on the
average 500 per month. a loss to the
city or $500 per year by this one-sided
franchise given to Wilbur B, Foshay
and his associates.
This means that the people of Olym.
pla VIII have to pay in the next so
years to the Water company 81 500, 900.
out the city will pay net (after deduct
ing the per cent the city gets from
the water company $780, 900, cost of
water for 80 years, $1,700,00O.
The last city administration and
council have been trapped and trickeG
Dy the per cent. revenue promised
them into giving away the city utilities
ior 90 years and paying $4,000 to the
water company in the bargain for TAX
ing 1t. The Water company is putting
500 month into our left pocket and
Is reaching down into our right pocket
and taking back $3.50 per month.
l submit these facts for your honor.
able body's consideration but YOU ara
tied down for so years good and bard
CONTINUED on page So