The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-12
PLANS FOR PUSHING METERS.
Continued from Eighth Page.)

seek to decrease the cost. The water de-
partment should not be regarded as
source of revenue. The water works were
built by the people Of Savannah, and they
have paid for it several times over. The
water department has turned in an annual
revenue TO the city for a number of years
past of $4,000 to $4,000. Why should we
continue to tax ourselves 10 pay for what
has already been paid for. There is no
doubt that the water rates are in numer-
Gus instances out of proportion TO the
amount of water consumed 1t would be
only just TO reduce these rates The move
to adopt water meters looks 70 me to be
merely an attempt to avoid the response
blhty for an adjustment of the rates"
MIR. L. +. johnson does not approve of
the introduction and use of the meters.
The things are a farce, they are worse
than worthless" he remarked, in his char
acteristically bluff fashion. The instru-
ment that was placed in my residence three
years ago, when they were first brought 10
Savannah, brought my bill for water con-
sumed up to 81 the first month; the next
month 1t dropped to $3.50. During the first
month 1 was myself almost the sole oc-
cupant of the house, as all the members
of my family were out of the city. Dur.
ing the second month my family returned
and the consumption of water was Ger
tainly twice as great as it was the month
before. This Incident illustrates the fact
that the meters are thoroughly unreliable.
and are about as likely to err on one side
as on the other"
ut doesn't follow, even If we assume
that the meters will measure the consump-
ton of water with absolute accuracy, an
assumption too violent to be INDUCED in
for long, that the system will work abso-
Lutte justice. The amount of water that
will waste through a hole of given size in
a pipe depends upon the extent of the pres
sure. If the leak is located in a pipe sit
uated a short distance from the water
works, where the pressure is comparative
ly strong the waste will be very much
greater than if the leak were in a pipe two
miles from the works. where the pressure is
comparatively weak. This seems to me
self-evident and destructive of the valid
ity of the contention of those who claim
that the meter will work perfect justice. /"
81 think so for this reason The obliga-
ton of the householder to pay for the
leakage of water from the pipes must be
based on the fact that he has been negli-
gent in suffering the leaks to remain with
out attention. Now the negligence of one
householder with a leaking pipe is not
greater than that of another, yet the one
who lives closer to the water works, and
hence has the water forced through the
leak with the greatest pressure, will ind
himself compelled TO pay for possibly
twice as much as his more fortunate
friend who lives in one of the large areas
of less pressure The matter reduces it.
self to a question of pressure and not of
negligence, and the determination of who
is to bear the loss from leakage and of
how much each man ought to bear is
mechanical impossibility.
and there is another reason that causes
me to oppose the introduction of meters.
This is the fact that the free use of water
should be encouraged as a direct benefit
to the beauty and health of the city. The
watering of the streets and of the grass
plats is not waste of water, but has di-
rect results tending to the public good.
That the practice viii be interfered with
by the introduction of meters there can
be no reasonable doubt as there are few
who are sufficiently philanthropic to con-
tnue it, when they know it will be ac-
companied by a pecuniary loss. The only
way to waste water in this latitude is to
dig a hole in the ground and pour 1t into
it, When used in any other manner 1t
Is not a waste, but ID is directly bene-
fetal"
"The city should devise some method
by which water could be supplied TO the
people in any reasonable quantity. 1t
should be charged for at a rate that will
suffice to keep the works in order, pay
for wear and tear and provide for oc-
casional betterments. The vast profit now
made by the city In supplying the people
with water, exceeding $4,000 annually,
should be turned back into the pockets
of the people. Over million and a quar-
ter of dollars have been expended on the
water works, the artesian wells and other
improvements connected with the water
supply of the city. 1t is time that some
thing should be done for the people who
have paid this money, and it is scarcely
time for Council to begin devising schemes
10 make them pay more. They pay more
than enough for water as 1t is, my own
water tax, with seven hydrants in the
house. being about $50 year"
At THE MUSIC CONSERVATORY.