Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1918-10-24

sssa. W1sMSs eiieE water system has had
probably as spectacular and strenuous
Z history as any city III th4 United
States. TO begin with they had d priy,
ate corpqratien al q time but that
cotperat0n 4 gone. Il failed 70 pro.
vide an adeanate water supply FOR the
PEOPLE and was run solely and simply
Tor profit, Same Of the drawer spirits
Of Sioux Falls decided that the people
should own their own water system that
would be run Tor their benefit. a bond
issue was submitted to the people ant
was fought or unsupported BY every
newspaper In Sioux Falls, and every
property owner who was securing thu
benefits Of special rates. The electio,
authorizing the issuance Of bonds wa
carried by the votes OF the small house
holder and the laboring men. After the
bonds were authorized there was still.
other trouble. The validity OF the
bonds was carried to the Supreme
Court, where they were upheld, The
bonds were advertised for sale, but. ii
was pretty generally advertised all over
the country that the bonds were ulega
and no bond buyer would bid on them
The bonds were finally purchased by the
people OF the city Of Sioux Falls, ex
cept some that were sold in Chicago
The start for the system was made ir
1908 and the first revenue received from
the plant "a In 1907. fhe total In
voice value Of the plant on Januar,
LIST, 1918 from which has been deducted
q depreciation OF more than 100000
as well as more than $ls,QQ0.Qo fol
maintenance Is sos. s57.07. II is a
matter Of common report that the own
srs Of the old privately owned plan
would be willing to pay over a million
dollars for the Sioux Falls plant. How.
ever, the people Of Sioux Falls have ne
intention of selling their plant. The
profits OF the plant last year after talk
ing out interest and depreciation was
s31,331.00 which went into extensions
The total net profits OF the plant, les
depreciation. has been s153,09s.20 and
depreciation and maintenance has beer
placed at l 8,234.66. Practically the
depreciation and maintenance Is prof
for It has been placed back in the plan
In money.
While this plant shows q direct pro
fit there is also an indirect profit to the
in reduced rates. The city
Of Watertown pays Eight Dollars foi
thirty-two thousand gallons of water
the people Of Sioux Falls nay. Seven
and 1900 t$7.15l Dollars for thirtyttwc
thousand gallons Of water less a dis,
count Of ten per cent if paid on or be.
fore the 10th of the month. The mini
mum charge is $3.50 per quarter while
with sus 1t Is $500. In discussing the
Sioux Falls water situation # SHOULD
be borne in mind at all times that q
great many Of the mains are laid in so
lid rocks which have 70 be blasted
and makes 1t a very expensive proposi
ton to lay mains:
Public Utilities Committee. City CouH:
Gil, City Of Watertown, s. p.
s Sioux Falls, S. 70.
October 10, 1913.
Al. Sherin, City Attorney
WATERFOWL. South Dakota,
Dear sir;-
Yours OF the 9Th Inst. to our Super
intsnds1lts of Water received By him; he
has requested me to answer Same. !
an sending you . few annual report
o. to our waterworks BY pareel-po st,
contents OF which may give you some
information as to what has been q
coyaplished BY the City ard Waterworkks.
I4betisye the plant could easily be dis.
posed Of for a million dollars 4 the
city would want 70 sell IT which It does
not.
IN resardto hydrant rentals, which, Is
no doubt 8 legitimate: charge, an -.
form you that our Waterworks Depart,
ment 10 furnishing water to several
charitable Institutions, also Library,
Colisem, Auditorium, Fire Station
III fact, all city Buildings, Swimming
Pool, drinking fountains Of al kinds,
flushing OF sewers street sprinklinng
flushing hydrants, etc. In LEY oS pay
nnents for same the City herctsotore
levied an interest tax for the outstand
IN Waterourks Bonds. We have nov
arrived 1t q situation when the Watexts
works department al pay the inferred
out Of the revenue 20 that we have not
levied e WatArworks Bond interest taa
Xs,.s .,An~ ro~o y51lona AZ the fncreaS3A N