The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-02-09
CORRESPONDENCE.
We do not hold ourselves responsible for the
statements made. opinions expressed by our
The water Question.


Mr.. EDIroR,-I wish you would give me
space in your paper, so that the public may
have an opportunity of considering my |
paanaO.
It relates 10 the water supply Of Honolulu. |
During my eight years residence in America |
Il invested, to q small extent, in shares Of al
Municipal Water Company, and in that way |
learnt something about the business. The
remedy is not in seeking further sources Of
supply but in establishing an economical
use Of the present supply. That will be
obtained by establishing the meter system,
provide every water-consumer with meter,
e paying for the same, his monthly water
bill will be the reading of the meter.
know by actual observation that when water
His used for irrigation that it is handled
thoughtlessly, and squandered; the most
sanity individual in town will complacently
go to his bed, leaving the water running on
the lawn all night. Put a meter on him,
and he will not retire until he has stopped
that water.
Ny experience leads me to think that
small opposition will be made to the innova-
ton it will commend itself to all the good
people. 1t is the only way to check wasteful
squandering of water, which it effectually
docs.
will give you an instance of the working
5sof the meter, merchant in the town in
which lived himself a stakeholder in the
water company, thought it unnecessary to
put a meter on his premises, as he used &c so
little water " in his house and garden and
as he was a very frugal sort of man, the
company came very near making an excep-
ton in his case (he was paying SIS per
month) but we put meter there and the
reading of it at the end of the month made
his water bill $50. Well, he protested, and
he stormed, and declared that the thing was
IA fraud, and didn't count correctly; but,
all the same, his bill for succeeding months
was only something like s2.35 per month.
Jxst think of it, and what such reduction
on consumption means and, mark you, that
man did not let his his pet trees suffer for
want of water. He brought his business
sense to bear on the subject, stopped waste,
and did not saturate a cubic mile of ground
in irrigating one tree.
In tie ease of this one citizen, his water
bill was reduced, which fact suited him, and
ssfit proved that he had been using five or six
= times more water than necessary. I believe
have said enough, and hope that you may
I give the matter some thought To my mind
s the remedy for shortness of water in Homo
I lululu is easily found. No costly engineer
ing necessary-sim the establishment OF
the meter system, charging the consumer
with cost of meter. Even the grumblers
will thank you for it by-and-by, and when
the fire fiend has to be fought you will have
water enough in the mains to do it.
believe that there would be no desire on
the part of the Government to charge more
for the water than would suffice for the
maintenance of the water-works system. Il
would take little time to find out the proper
rate per 1000 gallons to charge consumers
the rates of American cities would be vain
able data to begin with.
Does not the idea commend itself? In
stead of further expenditure for new water
works rendering the present system ample
and without cost, Niagara will hardly
suffice community so accustomed to waste
water as the good people of Honolulu.
Asking pardon for the infiction on you o
this long-winded epistle, and believing tina
you will, at any rate, consider me as acting
disinterestedly, l remain,
ADVISER.