The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-01-05
Village Fathers Meet.
Water Question Main
Subject of Discus
sion.
Meters Doing but Little Good.
A Large Mum Der Not Placed On Main
Line-Attempt viii BE Made to
Lessen the Waste OF water

Line-Attempt wit BE Made to
Lessen the Waste OF water
the meter system which wasput in about
"a year ago was the principal subject OF
discussion at the council meeting last
evening, the aldermen being, brought
face to face with the question by the re-
port OF the secretary of the water board.
1t seems that about year ago the
council thought it would be good plan
to put meters in many OF the business
places about the city where the water
was used great deal and charge the
consumers according to the amount OF
water used. This action was deemed
necessary on account OF the fact that the
village was using every month more
water than the Calumet and Hecla CON-
pany had agreed TO furnish and the ex- |
cess was charged up at high rate to the |
village. 1t was very evident at the time
that there was needless waste OF water
and that to put in meter system would
do away with this trouble and reduce
the amount OF water consumed
In this regard alone has the meter sys-
TEN so far been a success, but in every
other case it has proven decided failure. I
The amount OF water used in the village ,
had been less since the system was inau. .
gurated and is now a little less than the
contract with the company allows. But
as to charging the different consumers ,
according to the amount OF water used .
ss registered by the meters, the system q
is dismal failure and the village had in D
vested something like $4,000 or $4,000 8,
TO no purpose. The above was the pur
port OF the remarks OF the president at
the council meeting.
Mr.. j. Fl. Johnson, a member OF the p
water board, and Capt. Smith had been th
around TO read the meters and found II
them in nice kind OF condition. Out OF in
the fifty. eight meters which had been to
put in but twenty one were in good work CO
ing order. In many instances the meters af
mad been put in on branch pipes and were in
registering the amount Of water used in te
parts of the building and not covering Gu
the whole premises. In this case the sh
property owner could not be charged ac- oil
cording TO the reading OF the meter. as il re
was not by any amount right. 10 most be
of the saloons the meter had not been Re
put on the main pipe, but on the pipe
leading to the bar and great deal more
water was used in other parts of the
house. tel
it was clear that it was someone's la
fault that this thing had been allowed to Du
go on and the aldermen spent some time lie
IN trying tn ind place to rest the sh
blame Finally motion was passed to 'u'
have the firm that put 10 the meters on a at
contract look after the matter and the Ing
clerk was instructed to investigate. The on
claimed that the firm had not at
put the meters in the proper places ac- NC
cording to contract and that they had
also neglected to see that boxes we're
built outside OF the meters in places
where they we're needed, Mr.. Carlton, of
the Carlton Hardware Co., the firm
which had the contract to put in the me-
trs, stated to to the News that the firm -,
had observed the contract in every de- -
tail. They had put IN the meters where -,
they were ordered to and il they were on a.
branch pipes in some iplaces it was be. -
cause 1t was so ordered. In regard to n,
putting on boxes, this matter was stipu- "a,
Gted in the contract, "if 20 ordered and ~
thought necessary and was to have d,
been paid for extra. They were paid for ~
exactly what they dId and the bill on
tie contract was itemzed.
1t was decided to charge for the water an
lcsc by the meters at the rate of as Tt
cents per thousand, that lie, where the Tn
meters were properly put in and worked ao
correctly. The clerk of the water board els
reported that he had collected 1880 Ar
OF the water tax OF $5,504. Beyond this ST
matter and the allowance of the usual
number oil bills there was little business
OF importance transacted at the meetino W,