The age-herald., 1897-11-19
Are Being Made, Says Mr. Molten
 Contract Violated.
MILNER PLEASED WITH REPORT
Mir. CbaIifoN Gives Some Startling 0bserya- tOns in Regard to Meter Reading-The Schedule of Rates Will Be Ad-
 justed and Lowered.

Everybody was talking about the re- port of the special committee of the board of aldermen as printed in The Age Herald yesterday on the Birmingham water.
 The analysis showed the water to be not as good as 1t should be for drinking purposes and recommended Alteration.
 Age-Herald reporters learn semi-of- ficially that the water company will soon put In filter and will in that way make the water pure and good. Everybody demands this and the water company w.ll do it.
 The report to the board of aldermen declared that watsr rates to private con sumers were too high. The board of al- dermen will act upon this matter at tn. next meeting and it ls probable that Q complete rsadjustment of rates will be fixed, and that the citizens of Birming- ham will soon have much cheaper water. None of the water-works people could talk autilolatativeiy yesterday bur a meeting of the beard Of directors is to be hsld in few days and it is said they VIII decide to arrange a new and com plete schedule based on the rates of other cities of like size and d.nfdltions.
 BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
 T cannot tell what the water company will do about reducing the rate OF put Ling n a-e14tfsT Her said W J. Milner to an Ags-Herald reporter yesterday.
 "'I'he matter will come before the board of directors and thsn be decided
 "A practical precss of Alteration has never been amived at" he continued. Experiments in this direction are now being made in Louisville where the water is taken from the Ohio river after 1t re- ceives all the sewage from Cincinnati. These experiments are being watched with considerable interest It is beheve1 that if any city will spend an enormous sum in securing a successful method df Alteration it will be Louisville. The city ,; needs 1t. In Atlanta, according to my opinion, two much alum Is used
 Tn sevral cities European filters have been tried, but many of them have proved unsuccessful
 E FIlInASElD WITlH THE REPORT.
 'Yes, I was pleased with the report of the committee on investigation to the city council I believe the committee men were in error on some. points, but the report was very satisfactory.
 'There was some mention made of the water being colored by iron ore from the mines at Trussville. No ore has been mined there in several years Besides, experts do not consider that iron Is in- furious to water. There is a system of ifSs1safi fi<1t1 laxre -I,,o Is brought in contact with iron filings. This is called the Anderson system. It is human excreta that is more hurtful to water than anything else.
 ''When the water was gotten for the analysis presented before the board it was just after a heavy rain. Since that dime II have had others made which are more favorable.
 'The complaint made by some of our consumers may be based on local dis turbances dn the mains. Some times something gets wrong in the mains and effects the water"
 EIlBCTROLYSTS POSSIBLE.
 'It may be possible that in some local ities we are troubled with electrolysis, which has given rise to much discussion in Atlanta and other cities.
 'Electrolysis is caused by the heavy underground wires carrying electricity It causes sedd ment to form in the pipes h creasing the size of the mains. It has been declared by experts that this does mot injure the water.''
 THE MINORITY REPORT.
 Alderman Mel Drennen is preparing the minority report on the waterworl1s investigation, to be submitted att the next meeting of the council.
 AS to the tenor of the report, Mir. Dren- men will say nothing. It is understood that it will contain some sensational points and will be averse to the water works.