Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-04-03
OPEN LETTER To
TAXPAYERS AND
WATER USE RS

An open letter to the water users
and taxpayers " Albuquerque
The Bend Advocates are now rep-
resenting 10 the taxpayers that the
city can furnish them water al z y
cents per thousand gallons What d.
YOU think Of that? This representa-
ton IL based upon The statement Of
T. c. Fox that II costs the Santa Fe
~ cents per thousand gallons 10
PUMP water az Albuquerque
False Statement 80. I r. the de-
liberate omission ~ the fact that the
interest and sinking fund on the pro-
posed bond issue alone amounts 20
Is cents per thousand gallons for all
the water paid Tor LAST year
False Statement No Is the de-
liberafe omission that the city AMI
county gets back 2 liz cents for taxes
for every thousand gallons This
leaves only . y cents and shows that
the city cannot sell water at 20
cents.
False Statement NO IL IN assum-
ing that anyone else could get W
cheap coal ~ the Santa Re. which
charges everyone else freight rate
equal 20 onc-half the cost Of steam
coal
False Statement 80 h. in az
suming that the cost OF pumping in
Ia the Santa Fe's little old stand
pipes about GO feet high has any
bearing on The cost of pumping
water into reservoir four times a.
high The Santa Fe's standpipes
would be Of no value for fire fighting
and could not supply any part Of the
highlands t@cmse lower than the
houses in that part ~ town Mcst
people know that il would cost -four
times as much power to pump water
into the reservoir 240 feet above the
Santa Fe's standpipe as It would 20
pump in their standpipes.
Falsehood 30. is The most pitt
full OF all II would have YOU believe
pumping water j. all that is neces-
sary whom anyone knows that the
pumping is but a small part ~ the
cost OF water supply. What pos
sihIc service could there be If the
water was only pumped The main
cost Of water supply IS the distrib-
uting system Of mains and pipes. "
which there II over 30 miles in Albu-
qneruue and which Is the bulk Of the
Investment The cost II pumping Is
merely the fuel ana the pecesear1
firemen and engineers and the do
probation Of the pumping machin-
ers. II the bond issue advocates
have 10 resort To such pititul mis-
representation can YOU depend 90
anything they say2
Falsehood 80. ls the statement
that the bond issue VIII not increase
YOUR taxes. The bonds cannot be le-
gally issued without an ordinance
which provides for "a special property
tax sufficient 10 pay the interest and
create. a sinking fund sufficient ia
pay off the bonds In 30 years, and the
state constitution forhids the repeal
Of such ordinances until the bonds
are fully paid No one who has any
regard for the truth viii deny this
Do YOU think a cause which requires
false representations and deception IS
worthy OF your support
VIII any one of the gentlemen rep
resented az favorinE the bond issue
make u statement over his own mime
that bonds ean be legally issued with
out an ordinance which cannot be
repealed ana which shah provide for
Il special property taN sufficient to
pay interest and provide a sinking
fund sufficient TO pay the bonds, We
challenge them 10 make such state
ment
DO the men whose names stand at
the end Of such statement approve
the misrepresentation or Is that
only another misrepresentation TO
mako it appear that they do without
saying 500
a T. McMlLIEN
President Water supply co.