Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-06-24
CITY SHOULD OWN SEWER
PLANT.

Another good thing for Browns
vile which may To- the result of the
visit az DR.. l.incccum, the assistant
state hellth officer. who's energetic
and intelligent work Id behalf Nj sa
nitation i'll Brownsville has already Ell
fected a wonderful Improvement III
sanitary conditions here's the pur-
chase Of the sewerage system IN the
city.
1T is q fact long recognized that the
cost Of the sewer service i'll Browns
Vile is high, compared with that IN
most other cities. There doubtless is
good reason for a charge somewhat
higher than in other cities. Whoa W"
consider the fact that the construc-
ton OF a sewerage system Mere was an
impossibility and would have been an.
lmpoSslbility at any time up to the
present, except for the fact that a Ger
tain numberfof our citizens subscribed
the money and inaugurated this highly
necessary public utility-not for the
sake OF the investment. but for the
sake Of the city's health and progress.
Ii vas urged IN support of this move
ment az the time that Il sewerage system
was absolutely necessary. III the town
was TO grow. "A big hotel project. hung
up as a tempting possibility then. was
believed 70 depend very largely upon
the installation Of a sewer service. Ii
was difficult % finance the project.
But, rs the city was bonded. 10 the III
uul limit NJ fl. tim. urMl tl. III -.
ourse was 10 raise the capital private
~, our citizens undertook the work.
Many borrowed the amount subscribed.
For several years after its construc-
ton. the amount invested paid no re-
turns. II represented So much apparent
ly dead capital. additions and %altera-
tons were necessary. These were ex-
pensive. and for a tims the invest
ment, from a financial standpoint. was
one of doubtful value. But the builders
felt that they were fully repaid hy the
advantage which accrued a. Browns
Vile 10y the mere fact vi possessing
such q highly necessary. and really in-
dispensablc. public utility. The expert
mental stage passed. the system be-
gan ~ pay returns on the Investment.
first four per cent per annum. then
jumping TO eight per cent. The present
year it has paid two dividends one vi
four per cent last January, and one of
five per cent This month Thus The
sewerage system has become III last
a fairly remumcratiyc institution. III
the rates were reduced 10 the very low
rates charged in some cities. the clc-
ment of profit, of course. would va
nish. The only solution Of the qucs-
tion-to give the patrons as low a rate
as those paid in the cities cited by DR..
Lincecum-would be- for the city ia be-
come the owner of the plant.
This brings mp one nOrc the ques
ton of whether the city now has the
bonding capacity requisite for the is
suance OF bonds for the purchase II
the system. II j. a fact that, at the
time Of granting the franchise to the
present sewerage company. II vas
done with the understanding, OF
agreement. that the city would take
ovcr the system as soon a. il was
financially able u do -. paying ihrrv
for the amount which the investment
should coSt the company plus eight
per cent as interest on the amount of
capital invested. Thus. the city Is, in
a sense, obligated TO purchase the
plant. as soon rs this can be done. and
by the same token the. sewerage com
pany also is obligated 10 sell its hold
ings Il the city whenever the latter is
ready to effect the purchase.
The question then resolves itself
apparently into one of the taxable
values and relative bonding capacity
of the city. If our taxable values shall
be sufficient 10 warrant the addition
of a bonded indebtedness large enough
to pay for the sewer plant the pre-
sent year, there appears no good rea-
son why the transaction should not b.
effected without loss OF time.
Meanwhile. as a measure Of relief
to the people who find it announcement
TO pay the heavy initial expens, OF
making connections with the sewer