Birmingham age-herald., 1895-05-28

lege of working their double method of selling water-charging a fixed price when but little is used and charging by meter measurement when much water is used
 Contrary to their contract and with out authority of law, as decided by the supreme court of Alabama in the case or Dr. Joseph R. Smith against the water works company, they have already been working this double method on business houses. and this case of Dr. Smith grew out of this very question.
 The proposition is simply offering to pay, or give to the city about s37 300 worth of water for privilege which they have not had, and yet have arbi- trarily enforced rule, and have illegally collected thousands of dollars from the people. The plan proves so profitable to them that they want 1t fixed in the con- tract, lest some time in the future some council might pass an ordinance prohib- iting any similar corporation from selling their water, gus or whatever it may be, and collecting money from the people contrary to the rights and privileges as granted by the city. It Is shame that we have no such protection now.
 The injustice of such rule is too plain to require argument when once under stood, but very few have had occasion to look into the subject, so it istherefore. necessary to explain what is meant by a
 
 of water to be used. It Is this. the con- sumer is allowed to use per quarter for a three-room dwelling house 12.0O0 gal Ions, for which he Is to pay g (closets, bath tubs, etc., charged for extra). We will now begin with the first of the year. The meter is set to tell the tale. and upon reading the meter it Is found for the first quarter only 5000 gallons have been used. You pay the bill, not a cent is al- lowed you for being economical, and not a gallon of water is passed to your credit for the next quarter. The second quar- ter Is a repetition of the first. The third quarter turns out the same way. and by this time, October 1, you have used in- stead of 36,000 gallons of water only 5000 gallons, just one-fourth of what you were entitled to use. Then comes the fourth quarter, and there happens to be snakes in the pipes, grit In the valves or busted pipe, and before tho con- sumner knows 1t he has used 39,000 gal Ions during the last quarter. This 39,00Q gallons added tosthe 5000 used during thc first three quarters amounts to just 4S,000 gallons allowed for the year, and yet under the minimum rate and maxi mum quantity rule the consumer Is made to pay in addition to S2 for the laso quarter. also for 27,o00 gallons at 80 cents per 1000. amounting to s8.1O. This added to the sS charged az a minimum rate would make the cost of this mans waterl for the year $16.10 instead of$s, and yethe has only used during the year the quan- tity allowed, 4S000 gallons
 Our gas company or electric light company would not dare undertake to sell under such a rule, because people could and would use other lights rather than submit to such injustice. But this water company has monopoly in the sale of something that everybody is com pelled to have. and now while the city is in trouble financially they seize the opportunity to present this proposition and hope to get a better hold on the peo-