New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-11-23
projected inquiry should properly cover. and a
Plan for providing the necessary means.
Mr. DE BERARD's REPORT

Protected inquiry should properly cover and a
pan for providing the necessary means
Mr.. DE BERARD's REPORT
The report upon which the resolutions were
based is the following
Nsw-Yosk November q, 1900
To the Board OF Directors Of The Merchants
Association OF New-York
Gentlemen: present herewith summary OF
the partial results Of an inquiry made by me
iEte the revenues Of the Water Department in
cicentally to 8 collateral INQUIRY into the
hsnapo water contract and tbs question of the
eityls water supply. which I was directed TO
undertake by Mr. King
This work was begun in October. 1899 and
continued without interrnisson until August
iast nave MADE minute analysis OF al the
public reports touching the Water Department
slice 1870 and have verified and tested the data
contained therein by great mass Of indie
pendent collateral evidence. I am therefore fully
prepared TO substaa initiate any statement what
ever that have hitherto made or shall here
AFTER make upon this subject
now present merely the outlines OF three
specific branches Of the subject. II you SO oe-
sideratien a number Of detailed exhioits. To-
gether with the conclusions which draw ltasFs-
from For the present I will abstain lroin
the statement OF any conclusions
append diagrams which exhibit the fao1s
ard show their relations 70 each other ne
schedules and details following supply oara
which will enable you 10 reach sound con-
eluslon as to the significance Of the facfs ser
forth.
IA DlSLAkE AMI Or s7-4tsr''-'
Until the year 1894 the Chief Engineer Of the
Water Department, excepting IN Two years, re-
ported certain details TO the quantity OF
water consumed by meters. The value. q the
elusive, on the basis q the EePorts made by
the Chief Engineer WAS 81 -246,l62. During me
same period the Water Registrar accounted Tor
bat s1.13S, 80. which sum includes not only ne
amount actually collected by him, but the
amount due the city and returned by MIN as
sTreays- There Is. therefore. discrepancy Dc
tween The amount apparently due the city IN
that period and the aTnoG-2t actuaAy accounted
In each year from 1873 10 1891. inclusive and
q the year 1884 the annual report OF the CHIEF
Engineer Of rbe Water Department includes a
classified schedule q meters 4 operation. and
the daily consumption Of water in each class by
those meters which were actually read ana r..
meters read ana whose consumption was in
cluded in the total was II every case less than
the number actually n operation me re-
ported consumption was, therefore, IN each case
less than the actual consumption These Cata
from the Chief Engineers reports are stared by
Table !, and from them has been computed Ihe
approximate quantity an6 value q water deliV.
cred through meters 10 consumers aTrual-!, ana
subject 10 q fixed charge At Z uniform rare, the
quantity being that actually recorded by the
meters and reported by the inspectors.
II is Obvious that the revenue from meter
charges should agree approximately with the
value Of the water actually Delivered through
and recorded by the meters. The revenue from
not il any year from 1878 70 1871 nearly s4aat
the value OF the water shown by me Chlef
Engineers report 70 have been consumed
Table No. ? shows for each year the computed
value ot the water on the basis = the Chief
Engineers report. and the amount o. meter
revenue which the city actually received lin
Guiding arrears az We'll as co.ectIous], as re-
ported by the Water Registrar The annual
reports Of the Chief Engineer and the Water
Registrar we're published as appendices 70 the
sLnuaI reports OF the Board Of Public Works
w 10 and including 1897. For the years 1898
ana 1899 they are appended 70 the annual re-
ports Of the Department Of Water Supply.
The complete series is readily accessible il the
ofHce Of The Chief Engineer.
DIAGRAM i
DISCREPANCY IN METER REVENUES s+1O7 b.