Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-07

many times more to pump the hfst
million gallons per day than 1T does
| the second million. AS an Illustration:
If the object Of any city is to pump
water for domestic purposes only, ana
1t requires 100000 gallons day to
supply the demand, and 1T would cost
the consumers so cents per 1000 gal
Ions for water, q consumer who would
use in addition the second million gall
Ions could be furnished his water at
| 10 cents per thousand gallons at pro-
| fit.
I'm the first place the cost of the
plant the salaries of engineers, en-
ployes, coal, supplies, etc., are fixed
charges; these being paid in pumping
the first million gallons, the only
charge for the second million gallons,
would be the additional fuel and wear
and tear on the machinery. The rail
roads in this city, under the meter
rates in effect, were advanced in one
case from 31s to 77a cents per 1,OOl
gallons. The other two railroads We're
advanced from to ia cents per 1000
gallons. Why? Because the commit
tee found that it cost As cents to
pump thousand gallons of water es-
timated upon the quantity of water
pumped per year. Some may say, why
do you give the railroads this rate? For
two reasons: First, because, in pump
ing the water for them at that rate,
the cost of production to the city per
thousand gallons is reduced; for they
bear portion of the fixed charges.
Second, a portion of the fixed charges
being paid by them, the expense to thu
domestic consumer is reduced and the
result Is a lower meter rate. In other
words, it was found by the labor COM
missioner's report on an examination
of 1,032 water works plants, that for
the amount Of water consumed by the
railroads, II they pumped their own
water it would cost them from Ia to
Is cents per 1000 gallons. Deductins
the amount consumed by them from the
amount pumped by the city it would
cost the city instead of 4-5 cents per
1000 gallons from 10 to IL cents and
the fiat and meter rates would have TO
go higher.
This being true, with respect to
railroads, it holds good with other large
consumers that where the quantity of
water used increases, the rate should
and does decrease. One-half of the wa
ter pumped by this city is wasted for
which somebody must pay. 1t is for
this reason that fiat rates must always
be high enough to meet this waste,
where Under meter one pays for ex-
actly what he gets.
The committee recommended me-
ter rate that would he an indueement to
all consumers to place meters upon
their services. and thereby save water.
In SO doing they have established the
lowest rate per 1000 gallons of any city
Of our size in the state. as well also
lower than several on the maximum
rate, and higher than none. There is
but one city in the state that approach
es in any sense to graduated scale
like the one in effect in this city, which
gives small consumers the benefit of
reduction after 1000 gallons per month
IS used For instance, meter has been
on William Fishers service for year
and a half Under the fat rate system
he would have paid SIS per year. On
May his meter registered the use of
22,SsS gallons in one yeag, costing him
s12.90. Under the present rates he
would have paid $3.50, with Ascent
discount. From May 6, 1902, to Nov. 6,
year. Under former rates he paid s76s
under present rates s5.4T. This argues
for a meter rate and rightly it should
for anything that tends to place the
matter of the CONSUMPTION of water be-
You'd mere conjecture should be fos-
tered, and when it Is understood that a
meter lasting from twenty to twenty
five years can be paid for by the saw
ing in the price of water in one and
one-half year or such matter I believe
consumers will stop their complaining
and order them placed. This certainly
will aid in a solution of the water ques- /
ton in this city for all time to come.
The question of flat and meter rates
has had the most careful considerat ton, /.
each being interlinked with the other
so that the entire schedule is both a
just and an equitable assessment.
Respectfully
Jos. III. EGERMAYER,