The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-19

are a seaport town, much OF our growth
and wealth depend upon the prosperity OF
the shipping. and yet they would put this
other tax upon the freedom OF our mari
time commerce instead OF Offering free
water as an inducement 10 come here.
We understand that the water works are
the property of the city o. Savannah. that
the people paid for the plant by taxation.
II this Is so, they should then be entitled
TO the free use Of the water. except. that
a rate should be fixed proportiouate TO
the size and number Of faucets. baths
closets. etc, in each building. sufficient
10 cover the expenses OF operation. main
tenance and contemplated extensions or
improvements.
We question the legality Of an ordi-
nance that would force each property
owner, or party using the city water.
to have a meter We are ready to admit
that in some cases the meter has shown
that the rates formerly imposed arbi-
trarily We're extraordinarily exorbitaut
considering the amount OF water used
But we are satisfied that the enforce
ment OF the meter system would be a
hardship to the greater number and in
sist that there should be no limit. with
in the amount Obtainable TO the use of
water by the people, for home and SAM
tary uses on the most liberal terms con-
sistent with the business-like management
of that department. We would suggest
that meters can, with proprlety. be APP
piled to all public buildings, stores, fac
tories and railroads. where actual waste
of water does often occur
/ 1t IS said, by those In favor OF meters
that these serve to make the uses of
water see to It that their pipes do not
leak. But, as suggested some days ago in
an article on sewerage. the city should
in a measure, have some control or su-
pervision over the plumbing in houses,
and were this done properly there would
be little loss of water through neglected
defects In the plumbing.
As an example of the harm that might
result from the enforcement of the me-
ter system. let us consider that the laun-
dries of this city-and these do a large
business in this climate-must. from
economical reasons, use water as sparing-
~ as possible If IL is to be measured out
to them at so much per gallon; they will
be forced to wash much larger amount
of clothes in a given quantity of water
than they did before and this will not be
In the interests of purity and Of health.
II the clothes Of some one afflicted with
smallpox should find their way into this
washing process the disease could be
spread over the city with amazing rapid
ity.
We also learned that there is no pipe
connection at all between the present
water works and the former plant near
the river above the city. We wish par
ticularly to impress upon the public mind
the necessity, not only of keeping the
river water works in order. but of con-
Meeting them with a large pipe with the
present works. The reason for this is
obvious; it is a fact that the arteslan
wells now used do not furnish as much
water as they did at first; the supply is
gradually diminishing. Who can say that
some day an earthquake will not cause
that supply to fail altogether? AS the
matter now stands an occurrence Of this
sort would, indeed, be a frightful calam-
ity. It would be well for our city fathers
to provide as soon as possible against
such a disastrous emergency
LeHardy.