South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-04-29
CITY ASKS MERCY
OF UTILITY BOARD
IN MAKING RATES

CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.
while the income last year was $IO3.-
711.S4. with an operation cost OF
S60.636.42 charged against it. The city
has been spending from $4,000 70
$4,000 year for extension of mains,
but before the board OF public works
now is approximately 50 petitions ask
ing for mains in almost as many new
streets, that will cost $50. 200 TO lay.
and most OF which should be laid.
The implied question, in the answer
is. where is this money 10 come from.
If the administration is not permitted
to soak the consumers in the future.
as they have been soaked in the past.
TO cover the expenditure
DOdges Property Tax.
This respondent should not be re-
Quired to make appropriations from
it's general fund TO said department
of wateTwOrks for the purpose Of pay
ing for additions to its plants and ex-
tensions OF it's mains. as asked and
demanded by said petitioners, says
the administration answer. In an
other place il points out that the bal
ance Of expense in completing the
construction of the plant. and in
stalling necessary machinery therein, q"
will run about $4,000, and the COM
mission is implored not 20 require the
city TO raise this by taxation, or by
implication. by the sale of bonds, TO
be paid later by taxation.
The whole program appears TO be
one of getting rid, if possible, of the
people being required to become own
ers OF this S1,250,000 OF property,
through having the necessary amount
assessed against their property, as
would be the case if they were stock
holders and the water plant were
owned by a private corporation. The
administration is plainly not satisfied
TO have water rates so adjusted, that
the income from consumers viii be
only sufficient to pay cost Of operation,
TO provide for depreciation and re-
pairs. legitimate interest. and rea-
sonable profit on inveStment-aS re-
quired by the public utilities act-but
il wants the consumers to also make
the investment, as they always have
done, viz: by paying rates that Will
build the plant, then rebuild it when
necessary. and make all extensions
and additions. though these latter are
a legitimate investment function.
Pleads Waiting Game.
The administration answer comes
back heavy at the petitioners on the
point of no schedule of rates having
been filed with the commission, show
ing that a schedule Of rates was filed
on DeCem Der =, last, unOeT the GOelL
administration, and again on Jan. 29,
by the present administration. This
latter schedule of rates takes in
charges against churches, and against
the school city, for water used in
school houses, but the city itself, so
far as concerns the water supply for
public buildings, for parks, and for
the flushing and sprinlOling of streets.
and the maintenance Of contingent
high pressure for fighting fire, remains
exempt.
The answer whiningly asserts that
it will be impossible TO establish an
equitable rate that the city should pay,
until operations under the new plant
has gone on for a considerable time
which is as much as saying to the
commission, please hold off until
next year, so we won't have TO tax
property for a while yet, to pay the
citys water tax"
Then il goes on in similar implied
vein. please don't undertake a valu-
alton of the property just nOw-wait
until 1918 if possible-and we will try