Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-07
City Clerk Shows Reasons for
Councils Action in Adopt
ing New Water Rates
CONSUMERS DON'T UNDERSTAND
MIR. Egermayer Thinks That If Patrons
Had Clear Understanding of the
Ordinance There Would Be No Adj
verse critioism-Rates Based on
Those Of Other Cities.

City Clerk J. III. Egermayer has taken
the article published in these columns a
few days ago as a basis for explaining
in more detail the new water rates
adopted recently by the council. He
says the people do not understand the
ordinance fully, and if they did there
would be no adverse criticism to the
committees action. He addresses a
communication to the T.-R., which is as
follows:
Editor Times Republican: Your ar
ticle of the 9Th inst, under the head of
Consumers Indignant" has caused
considerable comment, and as there is
much misunderstanding as well as un-
just criticism of the rates in effect
(Which some claim are eXhorbitan), !
address this communication to you
that those who have been critieising
may know more about the considera-
ton the rate question received and also
the labor involved in preparing the
schedules.
In the first place, the cases cited in
the article are not unfamiliar to me. in
fact. they are extreme cases, and | as
sure you that can name cases ten to
one in the direction of being unfair and
extremely discriminating on the side of
insufficient rates that have been in eff
feet heretofore. 1t Is true that, in adj
dressing this communication, | am de-
Tending the action of the water works
committee and the city council, If they
need any defense. Nor do / come to
this question without some knowledge
of water rates and rents. Hardly had
the council been organized and ready
for work when Mr.. Greene, of the water
works committee, sent out letters ask
ing information regarding every de-
partment of the water works system in
about seventy five cities in four or five
states. Responses to his inquiries from
ffty-six cities were soon at hand, and
as business interests required his at
tention it was necessary to turn the
letters, rates, etc, over to me for tahu-
lation. | was engaged ten weeks, de-
voting all my spare time during the
day, and my evenings at home, before
my report covering sixty pages of type
Il.
Greene, as chairman of the water works
committee.
my report covered in as small space
as possible each separate service, so
that in making a rate, the rates of all
of the cities reporting might be con-
sidered and carefully compared There
We're always two extremes, but / have.
this to say, that in examining my re-
port and the rates now in force, the
always made a rate based
upon the lowest rate reported:
Some think there should be reduc-
ton in the rates. This is probable in
my opinion only when all services can
be reduced proportionately, and they
can not be reduced pronortionately un-
til all are put upon an undiscriminating
basis. To get at what ] mean, / will
cite few cases under the dwelling rate,
as that seems to be the, one about which
there is so much contention. The owner
of a large dwelling house of fifteen
rooms and ten occupants has been pay
ing the same rate as the owner of a
house with four rooms with two occu-
pants. Another owner with ten rooms,
called and classed as a dwelling, with
from five to seven rooms, besides the
owner and his wife, has been paying the
same rate. Two cases today: One lady
came into the office and stated that she
rented to a family of three. The rate
was an outrage, a shame, etc. but
before she left she admitted that the
tenants rented out rooms to three
teachers. Another lady owns a house
with nine rooms, with three in the fam
lily. The rate was unfair, and what
had the number of rooms to do with the
AMOUNT of water used? They had wa
ter in the kitchen only undertook to
cite the case Of the family of three with
the three teachers: the lady laughed
and said, Why, rent my rooms out
also and that ended it.
Can any one who thinks that rate,
according to the number of people in a
house, fits rate that will be worth the
making to such cases? One would have
to stand around early IN the morning
and late in the evening to know the
number of occupants and this would
require a large force Of water detect
ives to make a rate equitable, and be-
sides complaints would increase by the
score to the effect that neighbors had
roomers, boarders, etc. We
have enough complaints as it is. You
can always ascertain the number of
rooms in a house.
1.-THE dwelling rate is but small
portion of inequitable and discriminate
ing rates; the same thing has been true
with respect to stores, offices, factories,
etc., where from five to fifty persons
have been supplied with water for the
same as places with two and three.
Il have gone far enough to show and
I can cite instances two to one where
the above facts prove true in comparl-
son with the large house with two oc-
oupants proposition.
(Which case should govern in making
the rate?
People generally have use for all the
rooms in houses they occupy. This be-
ing true, there Is always an opportunity
for the use of water, and this rlghtiy
governs in making fiat water rates:
1.-The instance where the meter rate
APPS so as to induce a waste of water
s not very singular, nor does this oc-
.ur except in a case where consumer
Uses 100000 or more gallons. In a
liding, or graduated meter rate, this
will always occur, but it is only In case
# q large consumer that this nap
lens. This same consumer, under the
I'D rate, made as high as $S.Tb because
# the lap in the rates to large con-
umers. The committee understood this
nd reduced the scale in such proper
tone 60 that hit syery 1ittia is gained +