The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-26
WATER WAS TURNED OFF
Delinquent Ratepayers Make q
Big Kick.
FOR HYDRANT RENTALS
Think an Injustice Has Been Done In
No Permitting Them All the Time
They Want In Which to
Max Payments.

assumed the ownership of the water
works and had appointed a board of
water commissioners, consisting Of
three reputable and prominent citizens,
1t gave them virtually the control Of
the plant. reserving to itself certain
necessary powers. On the organization
of the board IL was found necessary TO
adopt some stringent rules regarding
the payment OF .hydrant rentals and
the board very wisely decreed that all
rentals should be payable in advance
on the first day of each month. Shoul
the water rental OF any particular piece
OF property remain unpaid on the 9th
OF the month, a penalty OF 40 per cent.
is imposed and If the rental is still up
paid by the 18th of the month the
water is turned OF and an additional
penalty of s2.50 is imposed. More than
this the water will not be turned on
again until all Of the rental and the
penalty is paid up. These rules We're
widely published and the board did
everything i'm its power to have the
matter thoroughly understood by the
public. In spite of their efforts there
were many who were careless enough
70 let the 9Th and then the 18th
of the month pass without walking up
TO the captains Office and settling. On
the 10th of December the water
was shut off and somewhat of a howl
arose.
Ii was unfortunate for those who suf-
fered, but IL was their own fault. Nat
urally they find fault with the board,
for that is human nature, and some OF
the complaints are funny. OF course
the analogy between the payment of
taxes and the payment of water rates
is overlooked. When the first Monday
In December arrives the axpay set
ties with the county treasurer IL he
cam, and IL he cannot he does not muir
muir but does his best to pay off the
tax and the penalty at his first OPP
portunity. and he never expects to have
the penalty RENTED. II is the same
way with the payment of licenses, but
the prompt payment on water rates is
a new thing n naturally there ough
to be some escape from it. so those who
have to pay think. 1t is proposed to
extend the time of shutting the water
of from the 18th to the 20th. The
board might as well delay IL until the
Both of the month or some time
the following year or any other old
time. The rates have TO be paid and
they might as well be paid on the LIST
of the month as at any later date.
They are one of the inevitable things
like taxes. licenses Except perhaps that
On the opera house, and death. The
only excuse given for extending the
Odte Wnen the water IL smut on TO tne
10th is that most of the ~paydays come
on or after the middle of the month.
Tha excuse implies that the rental
payer prefers to pay 10 per cent. in
terest for a delay Of II days. which is
hardly probable. There was an old
school master back in New England
who, after many years OF teaching, dis
covered that following a vacation the
minds Of his pupils were apt to wander
from their studies and in consequence
the work accomplished OF the first
Monday Of the term was incOnsiderable
and very unsatisfactory. After cOnsid-
era bic thought he hit upon the happy
idea of opening school upon a Tuesday
instead of Monday. He tried thescheme,
but found that the results were the
same as before. He then experimental
with each day in the week in success
sion. but always with the same unsatis-
factory results. When he got back to
Monday he stayed with that day and
did his best. Possibly similar exper-
iments with the shutting of day in
Great Falls would give the same an
swer, and the analogy. at least, is very
close. In the meantime the water
board with Andrew Rinker as chairman
will continue to give it's attention TO
the practical management of the only
system of water works in the state
which Is owned by the The
question which is now puzzling the
DOdFu anu III TACT the entire CITY SoN-
eminent is the distribution of the cost
of maintenance. Under present con-
ditions the actual users of water are
the sole contributors to the support II
the plant. When the city bought the
works IL relieved the general taxpayer
of contributing his share of something
over SIS, 900 of axes. The statutes de-
clare that a tax for water supply pur-
poses must be levied and the problem
is TO discover. for instance. just how
much the owner of an unimproved lot
should pay. There is also the question
of making extensions TO the present
plant. Unde the law IL may be done
by issuing bonds. Two other methods
present themselves-by special assess
ment on abutting lots. N by direct
taxation. To distribute such burdens
I'm an equal manner will require no
small amount OF labor and thought, and
in the meantime the board ought not 20
be disturbed by foolish suggestions up
on such trivial matter as the payment
of water rates.