Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1902-04-10
HOTEL MEN
PROTEST
Meeting of the Water Commissioners Held
Monday Afternoon.

The action Of the Water Commission
ers at their last meeting, which fixed
meter rates at / cents per 1000 gallons
for large fans, has resulted in quite
a protest from local hotel men and
others who maintain fans for the com
fort of their patrons.
Fred Jacobs, Johnny Meyer, W. G.
Williams, Elias Maier and c. Fred
Smith, appeared before the commission
ers Monday emphatically declaring
that they could not pay the four cent
rate, which raises the cost of four
fans from s14 to over $50. They We're
unanimous i'll notifying the commits
sioners that unless they reduced the
meter rates TO a much lower figure it
would be needless expenditure for the
borough to install meters on their pre-
misses, as they could not afford to
operate the fans and would throw them
out.
The Water Commissioners in their
attempt to readjust the rates for the
various uses to which water is put find
anything but clear sailing. Every at
tempt to do the borough justice seems
to bring both protest from the water
takers, who consider themselves ag-
grieved by the burden imposed. Over
an hour Monday was spent i'll fruit
less controversy between the visiting
hotel men and the Water Commission
ers. The former begged that the cost
of fans be fixed at lump sum for the
season or that they be charged at the
rate Of 50 per fan for each one install
ed. Previously they paid by the season
So for one fan and at the rate Of g
each for all above that number
The Water Commissioners insisted
that they could not see their way clear
to make any reduction. The new rates
were fixed pursuant to a resolution of
Council on basis which leaves the
borough loser. The cost of pumping
the water amounts to 6 cents per 1000
gallons. On every 1000 gallons which
goes to operate fans the Borough loses
, cents, which amounts to big sum
in the course of a year. To put the
fan rates still lower would be highly
unjust to the water takers III general,
who are taxed up to the full cost Of
operating the water plant. Although
they admitted that the fan rates seem
ed high-higher probably than the
hotel men could afford to pay, yet it
was the sense of the Board of Water
Commissioners that i'll the premises
there is no room for any further ac
tion on their part. To favor the ap-
plicants would be an act of discrim-
ination that they would not be guilty
of.
The hotel men declare their inten-
tion of next appearing before Council,
asking that that body authorize the
Water Commissioners TO reduce the
meter rates.
No rates having as yet been fixed for
the small counter fans, for which 81. 30
per season was previously charged, the
Water Commissioners Monday, decid-
ed to proceed as in the case of the larg
er fans, namely, to test one of the num-
Der to determine the quantity of water
used and to charge at the rate of 4
cents per 1000 gallons
On motion Superintendent Keefer
was instructed TO lay some 200 feet of
2-inch pipe on Nassau street to con-
meet the main with a couple of dwell
ings there whose owners desire to use
borough water.
Mr. German explained that although
the clerk has done his duty well and
made all the collections that could
have been expected, yet the books
show number that are i'll arrears He,
moved that in all cases where
water rent due April lst, Is not paid
within 30 days the water be turned off
and the clerk proceed to collect the
bill by law.