The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-10-12
USE OF WATER METERS.
o The Salt Lake Herald:

To The Salt Lake Herald:
After reading carefully the purported
interview of Water Superintendent
Hines. published in the Salt Lake Tri-
bune Sunday morning, Oct. 5. / would
like to beg space in your columns TO
submit a few words in reply. II was
about his same old story over again,
the wonders of the meter system. And
after furnishing about 300 of the larg-
est water consumers in the business
district of the city with meters, with
out the desired result tan increased
water pressure and supply, wants now
to solve the problem by carrying his
angel bird to the little log cabin on
the hill.
Now, am free TO say that / have
doubted the sincerity of Ar. Hines on
the meter question for some time, and
will give some of my reasons why. At
the time of the State street fire, Nov.
13, 1901, when the water supply seemed
very inadequate, Mr.. Hines came out
with a long published statement, lay
ing all the blame TO the waste of water
by the citizens. and gaze as the only
remedy the adoption of a meter sys-
tenn. Now, I noticed the absurdity OF
the statement at the time. and intended
to reply TO IL, but did not. For three
or four days prior TO the time OF the
fire We had been having heavy rains.
and at the time of the fire there was
not sprinkling wagon out, unless on
the paved streets, nor had there been
for several days, and no lawns were
being sprinkled. II our city was short
of water at a time like this. the fault
must be in the distribution of the wa
ter, and not the waste, as we have
many reservoirs 10 draw from.
called the attention of Mr.. Hines to
the fact at this time, that the water
pressure in the district in which live
was very great. and asked why IL was
not connected with the down town
system by direct pipe lines, so that 1t
could be used In case Of fire. His re-
ply was that gauge pipe connection
was made on First South and Eighth
East streets, connecting our water sys-
TEN with the down town system, but
when the board of public works took
up the old and laid the large mains the
year before it took up this connection
also and did not replace IL; didn't
know what in h@ the board did il
for" and I doubt If he has ever since
tried to find out. nor do I believe he
ever will until he has accomplished his
one great aim of selling the city 10000
meters.
Why don't Mr.. Hines give out an
itemized statement of the number of
meters now in use in the city, the
amount paid for the meters by the con-
sumers, and the amount paid by the
city to box and put them in and keep
them in repair and look after them
since. for the taxpayers to judge
from?
interviewed one OF our business
houses a few days ago that has been
using a meter for about two years.
The proprietor said the city collected
$25 from him, the price of the meter,
and the balance of the expense, box
| ing and putting IL In and making re-
pairs since, has been borne by the city.
At first the water meter was set at
the curb in plank box, and was not
success, as the water and dirt got into
the box and clogged the meter. after
which the box was taken out and a
brick and cement vault built with steel
rim and lid that must have cost at
! least $50; and just recently two men
with horse and wagon spent good
part of two days putting new hinges
on the lid. He did not object to the
meter measurement of the water. but
/ thought the expense Of retaining them
would be quite heavy, as his first me-
ter had already been replaced by new
one.
Now. If anyone doubts this statement
and cares TO investigate further, /
have the permission Of my informant
! to use his name. Now, my good c.ti-
Zens and taxpayers, why should We
/ listen to the advice Of such a man?
/ His continued meter story makes me
tired, and ] shall learn to swear If
/ kept under his teachings much longer.
/ Someone should suggest TO the mayor
a new superintendent for the water de-
| partment He can't do worse. Hines
I has been there long enough, has never
done the city any good, and think
/ the most expensive man We ever had
/ to fill the Office. Is taxing the
[ consumers $4,000 a year more for wa
+ ter than IL costs TO furnish il, which
he has no right to do, and then would
/ spend that amount and more TO buy
meters that would make the cost Of
water for the next five years, including
cost of meter and repairs. double what
/ it now is.
I We need someone in his position that
can advise some means Of supplying
our fire department with a good water
pressure, especially In the rainy sea-
son, when the reservoirs are all full.
JAMES X. SHAW.