Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-26
THE WATER LEAKAGE
RETRENCHMENr COMMITTEE con-
srDERs THE METER ORDINANCE.
STARTLING FACTS AND FIGURES
Interest on the bonded Debt and
Annual Appropriation Exceed the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Appointed
to Formulate n Report.
Annual A


City Hall at o'clock last night, win the
following members present: Messrs. VI
way S. Allen (chairman). Ebel, Harrelson'
King Rountree, and Zimmerman.
After the routine preliminaries, the com
mittee took I'D the ordinance referred by
the Common Council to amend section Il
OF chapter q OF the City Ordinances. re-
lating to water-meters. The foilo"ihs
communication from the superintendent
OF the Water-Works was read:
beg 10 submit the following answers
% the questions submitted to me by tne
Committee on Retrenchment and REFORM
AT n meeting held January 10. 1877:
Question. What was the revenue from
sale of water under the ordinance ra'e'
1S90-Receipts from water Vf' -0c q,
meters in use) ...................>l Z''''' II
fs9f-Receipts from water uoo
meters I'm use) ..............''.... i'f'-'' VI
1s92--Receipts from water Go
meters in use) ..............''.... Hill -
1s93-Receipts from water C50o 40 go N
meters in use) ......... ...-....: lfo'oi' ~
lSsau o,ses ~ Sse1 IRON, wa. 1855 IS
lSyoM o,eTs p use from "a..' 1sS57e 81
| 1S96-Receipts from water V'0o- 900 eco "a
meters in use) .................:. ioo'o'' -
| lse7-Receipts from water tz'4o' %, TOO n.
meters in use) ..............: -. 40 ,,,,<
Answer. From the above table assu ~
| that the greatest revenue Vnal loi ., 90
year 1899 is the answer, ana say Si"'
$3.50. -,,,>,,,r,e,
WOULD REDUCE THE REVENUES
Question. What would be the revehu'
nv the meter system each tap having
meter without minimum rate! ,,a y.
| Answer / estimate that there Wouiu ,,, ~
n loss OF 80 per cent. from the IeHS"pp ~
for the year 1883, and thinK Il "ou'"
| about 81 500 per annum. ,,,,,
| Question. What would be the reVeh i,s,
| feach tan having a meter with the MIN III
| mum rate, as given In the oruln .iIr.Id y.
Answer. l estimate that II wouiu -
$122,0l2. II, - ,hs revenu
under the present condition. ,os
Answer. Basing my estimate on Ia, ess
wear. with the present number OF hie''''
/ answer $l2I. OO. -. -. ,,,ota, ne
nf9 Gallons. estimating the value OF IN
water-works at 100000, and the ihtei 20. -
on same at s per cent, ana lncduu.ns III
cost of maintenance, repairs, &C, N
Answer. 1t cost $40 cents Pc od n
oallons If the quantity Of water used ~ -
she CITY i'm all departments was oeau s ,ss
III III ons, Go estimated TO be 46-lO cents pc
1000 gallons. ,
FAvORs THE MINIMUM RATE.
rho renort of the Superintendent wa
discussed at some length, and Mr.. BONN
ad,,ocated the minimum rate, ana quo'e
~ ma ximum and minimum rates III hois
q. other cities. Further than this'
vent into an explanation OF the Nario.
features of his report citing the author
IT, ora means by which he had reach'
his conclusions. ...o., 80 .,
~ po,ntree moved the adoption OF u
, c,,narirtendent's report, and suggest
nat a. should be referred 10 the Ooun.
,,.Ith the ordinance, as giving all the nsi
g nossible on the question. ,,...u,.
= Tbis brought about lengthy ulscusa y.
e 90 90 the cost OF production or the "ate
and Il was shown that the meter sys.ei
) xybiIe tending to lessen the ainVun'
:, wafer consumed, would mater i.''
crease the cost OF production, MI. ~
4, iils go. - goo 600 and. on the one han
: =. nos argued that this sum shouid
..,,ou into consideration in hgurine 1
|. erost NJ the water-works. while on !.
J. ~ hand. Il was urged that the ac.u
y go vas that the city was appropiiao
II t,o 600 a wear for the water-works d.
,,,,,s, St6o 600 interest on bonds issued
o 80. ~ cost of building the "ori
- while the revenue only am .,o 600
l. s,ao noo Thus entailing a loss OF s2O'Voo
: 80 80 the city. Under these crcul
= stances Il was contended that II was
&c sentiaI that the rate for water shou
D, be raised. .os.od that
: renort of the superintendent shouia
- cont 10 the Council. with iule.
IS recommendation that tne ii'i In,
:. charge provided in the oroiii"noe sN'
70 be adopted.
lie MIST BE MADE TO PAY.
ID Ar Ebel said he hoped that a rep
D. ,.o,,,d he formulated that would pres
g r. facts as they had been found
- exist .If the Water Department 10
"a on a paving basis he SAID, iet us
n q there" The departments "ele
"a mirably conducted, he said' put IL u
W M not upon a paying basis, pa
% VIZ &c Inevitable. or else the bur-
,,o,,l9 fan on the holders of real EST
"a the taxpayers, who would be "a
to death" 5000 70
III .-oas,no the water-rate. Water wa:
~ Necessity. he said. and 1t would put IL
re of the reach of the poor people ar
p 60 consideration the water supplied
ne the CITY departments without cos',
IN xyater-works showed pronI Vi
800 which was a very fair Margin
8 thought . a
80 tious profit. .,ao
5. Mr. Rountree said the Superintende
n ranort showed what II cost the CITY
a. nroduce the water, but what the
a. r,ittea had to consider was the re'
=" that the city was getting.
Mr. Polling stated that the average
ootnts last wear amounted TO I-lV C
=. thousand gallons. Had the city rece
20 .o a cents n thousand gallons the w
ed would have realized $3s5oOo. 1t was ag
20. mat this showed great leakage
iisst TO PREPARE A REPORT.
iey Mr. 11arrelson moved that sub-c
re- .,,ttea of three should be appointe'
led ,oaet the Superintendent or the Wa
an an ,,orl[s and formulate report sno'
ce tho amount Of water produced toge
,.-,,h the amount of revenue derived,
the amount that ought to be 1eahzsu
NJ Rountree withdrew his motor
10y to~,yard the report OF the Superinten
80 tba Council. and Afs. Harrelson's
Iird ,,,tion was put and carried unanino
'ro- THE chair appointed Messrs. HARE
porr,ree. ana Ebel as members OF
is subcommittee.
NJ Az Ehel stated that he had calcul
,t,a loss 10 the city, II the present
narca rates remained In force, a.
ecu ~r cent interest was calculated on
non roet az the works. to be 2s,Ssoto.
III on motion OF Mr.. zimmerman. IL
.so,aad IN nostpone the considerable