The Caucasian., 1913-10-26
WATERWORKs REPORT.
The Approximate Value Of New
PIant-The Cost of the Old-A
Reminiscent Outline Of It's Con-
StrylctiOn.
(To The Caucasian

| 10 1He CduCdSldI
Acceding to your wish for re-
view Of the estimated value of the
waterworks plant, submit that the
value as placed on same by COM
mittee of experts, and the en-
barrassing position in which it ap-
pears to place US on the commit
sioners' initiative, without any pub
lie demand and privately obtaining
an estimate, contrary to the meth
ods provided in the contract, fol-
lowed by accepting proposition
from the company to proceed in the
manner resulting in the presenta-
ton of the figures may be
Duly Considered.
summarized at $1,354,273 that are
boiled down by the same report, to
$500. .5O6.15, as the cost of reproduc-
ton, and the present value to
S694, ,t56.43 then adding interest and
s46,85555 during ~ years of con-
struction and per cent administra-
ton engineering and legal services,
S52,96i.73 would make a total for
/ new works of $793, ,073.H. The larger
! figures of value that our commits
sioners seem to accept as serious,
are Of course susceptible to the re-
ductions outlined under the heads
of the
Cost of Reproduction
and present value, etc. If the city
should vote for anew plant, there is
no reason 70 consider any other fig
ures than the experts statemenbof
the cost Of reproduction, which can
be made the basis for any dlcker to
take them over as they stand, less
a reasonable reduction for wear and
tear damage to the mains from elec-
trolysis before the current dis
charged on the street car rails was
cared for by insulation that re-
turned it to its source. There are
several features of
The Old Plant
that makes a new plant more deslr-
able than this old one. This was
tested and accepted in August twen-
ty-six years ago. 1t was equipped
with nine miles of mains and eight
miles of sewer line The company
ISSUED S250,000 in bonds to cover and
profit. They had toodiscount the
bonds, however. to obtain the sum-
mary necessary to complete their
contract, which it was correctly in
formed gave them only net sum of
Si85,0O0. Some years afterwards the
bondholders who had acquired the
works sent a representative here
and offered j
The Works for 100000.
The head of our city government at
that time could not see his way
clear to recommend their purchase
by the city; SO they went to private
individuals, and from them to the
present owners. OF course the loss
to the promoters and bondholders
can be legitimately claimed as
profit by their successors who re-
habilitated the works and put them
on a paying basis. However, when
ever there was any demand for an
extension of the mains they gener-
ally laid pipes of the smallest ca :
pacity which they thought would
meet the
Necessary Service.
This fact in conjunction with their
needed additional extensions les.
sened their capacity for service un-
less greater power pressure was
added, which of course added to the
strain on each division of the mains,
dangerous to those in defective con-
Gition. The character of the water
which for some years carried salt
that choked our fire hydrants re-
quiring blowing out before attach
ing the hose, as we'll as the sulphate
of lime carried in suspension, a
that attacks metal and
PerfOrateS Boiler FlueS
while it is not considered potable
for domestic use. The necessity for
coupling a sewer system with the
water contract caused trouble in
securing the latter, and at that time
claimed to be the only one of the
kind in the United States. Their
need was imperative owing to the
offensive exhalations from surface
closets affecting the atmosphere. A
new plant would of course have to
provide for our continuous growth.
which it was impossible to have Sc
.,1rod of tho pariod opd rpaarar no