The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-27
The water Meter Condemned.

Editor Morning News: ApropoS OF the
water meter discussion now going on in
the public press, II has occurred to the
writer to express some views of the ques-
ton that seem to have escaped the atten-
ton of those of our city fathers who
seem to favor the meter system. The
constitution of Georgia provides that ''all
taxation shall be uniform upon the same
class of subjects and ad valorem on all
property subject to be taxed within the
territorial limits of the authority levying
the tax" This furnishes a guide for all
municipal legislation whereby money is
to be raised by taxation for public pur-
poses. Under this constitutional provis-
ion money was raised and expended in
the building and equipment of our extern
sive system of water works, and why
should not the same method be employ
ed to raise the necessary means for main
tanning its efficiency? Why should the
citizen pay tax, for IL
is tax, although mlsnamed
rent" according to the number of gal
Ions used, upon the idea that water is q
commercial commodity? Upon this idea
the scavenger department would have to
charge the citizen at so much per box or
from our yards, and our fire department
so much for each gallon of water used in
eXtinguishing fires. and so on through all
the departments. But, even upon the the
DRY that water Is a commercial product,
to be charged for az so much per gallon
to the consumer, II is undoubtedly worth
more delivered upon the second or upper
stories of buildings than when furnished
in the yard or lower story for the reason
that it costs more to carry 1t to the upper
stories on account of the ex-
pensive machinery and conduits neces-
sary to produce and sustain the pres
sure for that purpose. If all Of our homes
were one-story affairs, or shanties, like
those in which the poorer classes live and
move, ii would not be necessary for u.s.
either for fire purposes or otherwise. to
have and keep up such costly machinery
and works. 1t Is beause the well-to-do
upper classes have such valuable property
at stake and rightly demand the proper
water supply for their luxurious resi-
dences, that we are forced to accommo-
date the demand by a sufficient water
pressure and supply, commensurate with
the needs of that influential body Of our
citizens. Imagine the disgruntlement and
groans which would be created by d.
minished pressure in our grand residences
servants carrying up pals of water, hot
and cold, from the kitchen, every day In
order that ''Massa" and Mis-
sus' and de "childen," includ-
ing the baby, may take their daily
bath in the porcelain lined bath tub In
the sumptuous bath room-yet this would
have to be the case, were the rich and
poor alike placed upon the dead level in
their water supply. Possibly the dirty
and dust-begrined laborer returning home
after his hard days labor, may require
few more gallons of water with which to
cleanse himself, than the always clean
of our city. The water he uses in his
as good quality as that used by his
wealthy and more fortunate brother clti-
zen, but he does not take his bath upon
the ground floor with the same sur
roundings or with the same comfort The
truth is that the ad valorem system Is
the only correct basis for a water tax or
rent-the valuable residence centrally To-
Gated is much more benefited by the de-
livery of water upon the premises than
the small householder could possibly be-a
bath in the De Soto IS worth more than
one In a house on Shinbone alley, although
the water used Is the same, and more may
be used in the Shinbone Alley bath than
In the other. The washer woman may use
more water In eking out her hard exist
ence, than the well kept heads of gov
eminent, but she ought not to be charged
more for its use. as she would be under
the meter system, The tax ought TO be
graduated according to the value Of the
buildings benefited by the water system.
In this way the tax or rent becomes uni
form-the poor man pays as much for IL
as the rich, and the rich no more than the
poor, each paying according TO the value
OF his property according 10 location, as
enhanced by the delivery upon his premi-
ses OF all he can use; without waste OF
course. Waste can be prevented by other
means thansthe Ubiquitous meter system.
No Meter
To Cure n Cold I'm one Day