The Columbus journal., 1896-03-18

are "living in hopes" This ordinanc,
requires us to put in meters by May 1st
These meters cost $12OO each (the best
every one would want the best, they arr
cheapest in the end) the plumber charge,
$500 for putting them in (he alone is
allowed to do the work. total cost pnt
ting in one meter $1,000. for 200 meters
$S2OO. This is exclusive OF the cost Oi
repairs, or cost OF water afterwards. This
tax to come upOn US at time when we
can least afford it, and HreeQuariers. or
$24OOO, goes to eastern manufacturers
God bless this eastern manufacturer, the
poor western devil can beg. But, Mr..
Editor, what reason, what justice, what
sense is there in such actions? have
asked this question before, some say it is
politics, that the council would rather
"cinch" all consumers of water three to
five thousand dollars than say that every
man using city water shall pay according
to the size of tap" he has, no matter
whether he waters 16O acres or % feet.
To illustrate: A has 4 Of block, his
"tap is inch, he uses water hours per
day; B has q Of a block, his tap" is 9,
inch (same size as AS he uses water 5
hours per day. A now pays $50 and B
$4!OO; why don't both pay same, or why
not let A run twice as long as B, if they
want to equalize? Others say the cOun-
Gil passed this ordinance because some
'people were stealing" water. I deny
this; but if they will say "some people
use it longer than the present ordinance
permits" then that is right. But, sir, it
would not require Philadelphia lawyer
nor Pinkerton detective to catch those
people, in fact, I honestly believe that
our genial, agreeable, x-office-holder
commissioner, in spite of the weight Of
the Offices he carries could. il only he
,oould. catch C'ketch'o these .'stealers"
(alias rogues) I hear, too, the council
claim they are using too much coal. Has
any taxpayer complained of coal used?
Does the council kn0,r that the coal used
was necessarily used? Will the city save
three to five thousand dollars in it's coal
bill by enforcing this ordinance without
increasing the cost to the water con-
sumner that much? il not, then had not
We better spend the money in coal and
let our local coal dealers have it, than
spend it in meters and let the eastern
manufacturers have it? Now. Mr.. Edi-
tor, two or three hundred people CON-
prise the water consumers of Columbus;
they live here, pay taxes here, have the
interests Of the city at heart. Whatever
water they use for drinking, bathing,
laundry or lawns tends to benefit the
health, the cleanlinesso or the identifying
Of the city. Two or three hundred peO-
pie comprise the Union Pacific railroad
company. They do not live in the city,
have no interest in the city and all the
water they use goes out OF the city, yet
our council put in meter for them, at
our erpense, and charge them Sc per
thousand gallons, while We must put in
two or three hundred meters, still at
our erpeRse, and pay from Soc to Sc per
thousand gallons. 1 am unable to see
where justice comes in there. Does it
make any difference in the cost to the
city whether several thousand gallons Of
water 60 in one engine. several thousand
in another, or several thousand to wash
a car or sprinkle the little grass patch at
the depot, or whether the same amount
should be used on the various lawns and
in the dwellings, Of the city: can't see
how it would. Why should a man, in
moderate circumstances, who only needs
1000 gallons pay SOC for it while the
wealthy man who can afford to use all he
chooses get it for &c? Is there any
reason or justice in that? can't see it.
But suppose you refuse to put in this
meter, what then? Why '.your water
will be shut off," ''Then what becomes
OF the $50 or $50 have paid to put in
my plant, connect with the city mains,
etc?" That's for you to say" is the
reply. Now, I would like to know
whether, after the city has permitted me
to connect with it's mains, at cost OF
$50 to $50, and I have lived up to its
requirements. paid the charges for using
the water, can it now come to me and
say You put in meter, at a cost Of not
less than $1,000, God only knows how
much more, or We will deprive you Of the
use OF city water and thereby render
your waterworks plant valueless and put
You to annoyance and Inconvenience? I
understand, Mr.. Editor, that I can get
this information by going into court, but
that is expensive, for the lawyers, that
We have thought for the past 30 years
were the only persons competent to
make laws for us, have SO made them
that one can easily get into court, in fact
it is hard for US to keep out Of court, but
when you try to get out of court is when
the dear lawyer gets the laugh on you,
and if You do get ont with your character
left You can feel fortunate, no matter
what you were worth in dollars and cents
when y0u went in. l would rather pay
the councils cinch than be cinched and
seethed by the dear lawyer.
Yours inquiringly,
A CITIZEN
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