New Britain herald., 1930-02-08
< BIRD s. EYE VIEW or WATER DEPARTMENT

According to the books of the city water department the expenses are exceeding the income. In the case oi 9 private owned and operated enter prise, such situation could not be permitted except by going into bank ruptcy. or unless the deficit were paid by some prosperous affiliated company which owned and operated the "lemon" industry in the hope that there would be an i'm proycment later.
 The city, however. if it so desires, can continue operating the water department with an annual deficit if the city is satisfied 10 make up the difference with an appropriation rom general taxes. That is what oc- CUTS in the case of the federal post office department when there are deficits--as is customary.
 Or the city can bring about an even keel in the finances Of the water department loy permitting the water board to raise it's rates. The city, it is known, dislikes 10 raise the water rates "at this timc''-or any other time. X private water com pany would not be so solicitous. It would have secured the permission of the Public Utilities Commission to raise the rates 10 provide at least an eight per cent return upon the in- vcstmcnt long ago-or possibly an eight per cent return upon its re- production value. Fancy, in such cir. cumstances. what the public would be paying for water
 The local water department also gains through having an astonish. iugly loW-cost manager He is nol supposed to put in all his time or the job, but utiii2es considerable time each day in looking after tha cjtys affairs. For this he receives s23 weekly,
 It is apparent from this instance, as well as others that might be men Uoned that public ownership does not run into high salaries. The pub lic when it owns and manages q civic enterprise, can be charged with 3 parsimonious attitude. The chair men ot the city's boards and con- missions. usually called upon to per form mana gerial work Of high re- eponsblity, receive the salaries ot apprentices in private plants. AS q matter of fact. their chie1 income usually comes from their private business or employment, while that which they receive from the city is in the nature ot pin money. Yet it is an astonishing fact that the averase 0 board charn1cn arc by no means niu-money executives rom the standpoint of efficiency. II must be that they love their work and their rcSponsibrntr. and arc willing 10 work for in" aiJy for small pat morcIy because they enjoy bcjns 0; =or>tc,.
 Eruwuju@ 10 the financial prob ams oC the water department il i4 .elf-njdont that within the near mtuc inc water We drink and use Hill cost us more-uot necessarily much more but at least q little more. The inad4Quacy of the present rates has been t subject Of discussion for years. When W. l.. Hatch was chairman Of the water board he suggested q service charge as one way out og rho djflculty; but the plan n4s never adopted, and neither .lvo rGn ratcs bccn advanced. Now ruc city is confronted with either raising the rates or ronscnuns to an .pproprllt.ou from the tax fund to #ly the doIcit. If the latter is done then the increase Tlll come from tnt porGcts or virtually the same tax payers " ho would pay an increase il. rates. although probably not in the same proportion.
 The city's water department IS fac ca olth the necessity of making { large additions to it's plant, costing
 more than several millions Of dol lars. Although these additions will 5o, maurla11e at once, fnanria rm p@rodnces js beng suggested,
 w0, ~l,sr a.p4r,ment Of 8 city l m Va reut category from oN o'w.. rttr iz no d,re,ency u .@.I aaHly at pr>sont; m,t 5n> 0.. ....l usroiJs rhc present 10 1D tt' *on tNd" lu relation 10 its "a'o' supply is shomstshtod. When th' need for larger supply arrNcs i. may bc soo EIr 10 acQur- it unIe5; i thcrv has gcon dus preparation made years previously. The water department o1 New Britain has