ASSESSMENTS FOR MAIN PIPES 97 



this part of it is raised in some other way than by means of 

 water rates. After this is ascertained and deducted, the remain- 

 der of the cost of distribution may be taken to be a part of the 

 service charge. 



Under the procedure suggested by the Coffin report, the 

 amount so found instead of being assessed as so much per service 

 was to be assessed as so much per front foot of lot. By this 

 means takers who occupied properties with long frontages would 

 pay a higher water rate. This is fair from the standpoint of 

 the cost of the additional length of pipe necessary because of 

 their properties. The charge was to be made for frontage on a 

 pipe even though no water was taken. In this way the increase 

 in value in unoccupied property held for speculative purposes is 

 made to pay tribute in some measure to the water department 

 for the increased value given to it by the water service. 



So far as has come to the attention of the writer, only one 

 American city has adopted rates in the form recommended by the 

 Coffin Committee. That city is Winnipeg, in Canada. The 

 Winnipeg rates are found on page 56. 



Assessing Abutters for Distribution Pipes 



The underlying idea of the Coffin report has been carried out 

 by a number of cities, but in a different way from that suggested 

 by the Committee. The cities referred to are Philadelphia, 

 Milwaukee, St. Paul, Seattle and Los Angeles. There may be 

 others, but these are the ones that have come to the attention 

 of the writer. In these the cost of extending the water pipes is 

 assessed on the owners of the property which the pipe passes. 

 This method was in use in the cities mentioned long before 

 the Coffin report was written. 



There are variations in the procedure in the different cities 

 with regard to this, and the procedure has not been carried out 

 uniformly throughout the entire histories of all of these works. 

 So far as it has been followed, the cost of the distribution system 

 is assessed on the takers when they are first provided with water. 

 That part of the capital cost of the plant represented by pipes 

 in the streets in front of these properties is paid by the abutters 



