The Portland daily press., 1891-02-03
MOSTLY DEVOTED TO WATER RATES.
The Regular Monthly Meeting Of the
City Government.
Ar Lasr a Commercial Street Hose
Company Is Formed.
The Usual Number OF Petitions and
orders Disposed OF.

The regular monthly meeting Of the Cit,
Government was held last evening.
In Board Of Mayor and Aldermen.
The full board was present. the Mayor pre-
siding.
THE M'GLINcHY BREWERY.
| A communication was received from the
! Inspector of Buildings stating that the own.
| ers Of the McGlinchy brewery on Fore street
had made alterations rendering II safe.
PURCHASING SUPPLIES.
An ordinance was read twice and passed 10
| supplies only by written orders Of commit
| tees or persons authorized by them.
CONVENTION OF INSPECTORS.
A communication was received from the
secretary, notifying the city Of convention
/ Of inspectors Of buildings, etc, at New
| York, aud inviting the city to send dele
| gates. 1t was intimated that our inspector
| OF buildings would be willing to go II the
| city would pay his expenses. The communi.
| cation was ordered on file, but the board un-
| generously made no provision for the fnan-
cial end Of Mr.. Hanson's trip.
SEWERS.
An order was passed establishing assess
ments Of AUDITORS to tha Congress street,
Chadwick street, Monument square, Tying
SLTttt duu dfduL stItcb sc0clos
TO BORROW EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
An order was passed authorizing the city
treasurer to borrow $4,000 on time, not ex-
ceeding two years. and the rate Of interest
not higher than five per cent.
NEW HOSE COMPANY.
A number of young men have formed a
hose company to be located on Commercial
street, and desired TO be recognized as mem
Sers Of the fire department without pay.
Their request was referred.
PETITIONS.
or residents for an incande scent light at
the corner Of Larch and Cumberland streets.
Referred.
OF residents for light ON Emerson street.
Referred.
or Consolidated Electric Light Company
for permission to erect a pole In front OF $50
50 Congress street. Tabled until company
shall appear and explain the request.
of +. j.. Smith TO erect pole and sign
over sidewalk at 60 Middle street. Referred.
MINOR BUSINESS.
Orders were passed authorizing tae city
treasurer to pay interest on lost coupon,
amounting to $50, the holder to give bond
for the protection Of the city.
Authorizing the sale to E. p. Chase Of a
MORTGAGE held by the city against F. A.
Clark for face and interest.
The Portland Stove Foundry was given
permission to erect wooden building on
Somerset street.
Report Of street department for December
was received and filed.
THE WATER QUESTION.
A communication was received from the
Water Company Offering q new table OF
rates, which referred to the water commits
siOners, and special committee OF the city
council In addressing the boards Mr.. Wes-
colt for the Water Company, said the water
commissioners were In favor Of the passage
of the order referring to the rates to be
charged to large manufacturers-the order
will be found In Its proper place In this re-
pOrt-Dut the commissioners and company
could not agree on other rates at present
The commissioners wanted horizontal rate
Of reduction. The company had formerly
made the valuation Of houses the rate Of
charges. but by the new Arrangement 1t
would be by fixtures used. IL the new ar
rangement should fail to be satisfactory af.
ter trial, then the city and water company
could make another adjustment In the two
boards the communication was referred To
the water commissioners and joint special
| committee composed Aldermen Thompson,
McClutchy and Lewis C0uncllmen JosselyD,
Chapman. Bracket and Jordan. The order
had added to 1t In the lower board that part
of section six Of the water company's char
ter, which enacts In case OF disagreement ne
tween the city and company the rates shall
be fixed by three commissioners appointed
by the court, aud as le-enactei passed both
boards.
REPORT OF WATER COMMISSIONERS.
To the Honorable tbs CITY Couracil
Gil January 8, 1891. the undersigned commits
sioners Commissioner Kent being absent, have
had repeated conferences with , the Water Com
and respectfully report as follows:
First-The Company submitted proposition TO
adopt the following basis OF meter ratio for manu-
facturers and other similar large consumers, viz
Fifteen u5) cents per cubic foot or twenty (2O)
cents per 1000 gallons OF water
the commissioners deem the rate aforesaid TO be
reasonable and the company has been so in-
formed.
Second The company also submitted sched-
ule Of rates for domestic consumers under which
| IL claims that the existing rates would be ma
terialy reduced. AS mstter OF TACT the pro
posed schedule does modify the present tariff In
two or more particulars, but several aud very i'm
Portasn@t @ elements nave been added Whereby tne
| mine whether or not the new rates proposed
/ would on the whole, operate as substantial re-
uIe the board cannot, and IN its opinion the city
/ should not Respectfully submitted,
HENsav HENaY H; / ssgnGEss' sSlsn Committee.
February 2, 1859.
| This report was followed by the following
| communication Of the Water Company;
| To the Honorable Mdyor and City Council
| of the City of Portland;
The subject OF water rates to be charged
| by the Portland Water Company, both with
II
| consumers, and with referee ce to water fur
/ nished for merely domestic or private pur'
poses, has been the subject Of recent cons Id
Grafton both by the Water Company and By
the Board Of Water Commissioners appoint
| ed by the city, with view to reach, III posi-
BILE, some agreement between the Commiss
toner's and the Water Company which would
cover the whole ground In question anC
which could thereupon be submitted Il
the City Council for Its consideration.
Il ha raaulf m far has hQaU that the C0m
missiOners and Water Company have beer
| able to agree, and have agreed upon the wat
er rates to be charged to manufacturers and
other large consumers, and the report OF The
| Water Commissioners Will undoubtedly
bring to the attention of the City Council
the terms Of this agreement relating general
| ly to large consumers OF water.
Il The Water Commissioners and the COM
| pauy have been able TO reach an agreement
wholly satisfactory TO both as to rates TO be
i charged in all instances TO private or domes-
| tic consumers, but with q view TO reach the
| basis of such an agreement ultimately the
Water Company has prepared and submitted
| to the Commissioners new schedule Oi
rates based on the kind and number Of fix
tures used by the consumer In each instance
| and graduated according to the number an(
kind of fixtures used, instead OF by valuation
Of the property as has been heretofore done
In the new schedule all increase Of rate:
heretofore charged by reason Of the largel
valuation Of tue real estate is wholly strick
en- off. That is TO say, is no instance .unde
the new schedule does higher valuation o.
property have the effect to increase the
water rate.
An examination OF this new schedule will
satisfy the City Council that the Water Com
paay itself thereby proposes very genera
and a very considerable reduction of th
water rates, and this Is done by the Wate
Company with view to meet Of its own &c
cord any reasonable requirements on the par
Of the city and to cover the whole ground. |
practicable, by mutual agreement withOu
the necessity OF a hearing In court. For In
stance, the Water Company Is supplying owe
1880 families with water. and tue change o
rate from ten dollars In the old schedule &
eight dollars In the new would be In a singl
instance reduction Of S2l,000 The omis
sion of the charge Of So per thsssand on al
valuation Of house property above $1,000,
| Of itself a very large reduction: The raIes Il
stores are changed from ten dollars to eigh
dollars, and In offices from ten dollars 4
SEVEN dollars, making another large and yer,
general reduction. Heretofore no stable rat
mas been less than eight dollars year, Will.
| the proposed change makes the rate five dol
| lars for one carriage horse and fonr dollar
only for one truck horse. In the new rates
| also twenty-nine dollars Is fixed as the nmi
| of charge in any instance for private mouse
| exclusive of hand-hose and stable.
| IL will be noticed that the changes pro
posed by the Water Company In the new
| sohadula of rata9. q CODY OIL Wnic0 Is mere