Waterbury Democrat., 1902-11-19
FOR CHEAP WATER
Manufacturing Concerns Want
All Meters Eilled as One.
IT IS A VEXATl0US QUESTION

Some Of the City Officials Think Big
Consumers Should Pay as Much Per
Gallon as the Little Fellows-The
Big Ones Think They Should Be Al
lowed the Discount for Using Such
Large Quantities
The fight for cheaper water rates
is progressing merrily and III the opin-
ion OF those who keep an eye upon
such matters the battle will end in
victory for the consumers. 1t is
very important question to all the peo-
pie, but there is nothing complicated
about it, and this is why some Of the
members Of the city government oh
ject to the roundabout way OF reaching
the end in view. There can be no
doubt but that the city has the right
10 sell water at cheaper rates, but
many Of those who have to do with
the matter think the present rates rea-
sonable and take the ground that il the
income from this source is reduced the
deficit will have to be made mp in
some other way The question at is
sue is substantially as follows: Shall
all water used through meters by the
same concern or individual be added
together and rendered as one bill or
shall separate bill be made out for
each meter. When the rates were
adopted iii 1885 the idea of more than
one meter in the same building was
not thought Of, and Of course no pro-
vision was made to meet the points
now being raised, but the fact that
the water board always rendered d
separate bill for each meter whether
they were in the save building or
not furnished pretty good proof that
the board intended a bill should be
rendered for each meter.
The water rates are about as rea-
sOnable to large consumers as in any
other city in New England
but the owner of block
who uses less than 500 gallons
daily, measured through a meter,
pays on a basis Of 3 cents for each
100 gallons, while consumers who use
over 10000 gallons daily get it for half
a cent per hundred gallons, so that as
someone said not long ago. the more
city water one gets away with the less
he pays for it. This is why so many
people claim that the city should have
a uniform rate and let all pay on the
same basis. Every rate payer in Wa
| terbury is a member of the corpora
tion and it is a question if some of
| them can be charged more for a bar
irel full of water than others are as
sessed for as much as would make a
| fair sized reservoir. And curiously
enough. it is the ones who are being let
| in on the ground floor that are doing
most of the fault finding.
But perhaps this Is depressing. The
question is, does the city propose to
reduce the water rents. If so, it can
| lop off vast sums by interpreting the
rules to suit the notion Of the large
consumers. But this should be done
| in such way that everybody will
know the motive back of it. The
statement that it is the system, not
the price, that is aimed at looks well.
but when you figure both ways and
see the city heavy loser by the de-
parture from the long established
rates it presents a different aspect. 1t
| is a matter of business on the part OF
consumers to get water at the low
est possible figure, but the public has
q right to expect that somebody WIZ
| take it's side of the question and en-
! deaVOr TO IN Scneaule, IL we dlS ~
have change at all, which will put
I'll on the same level. The city Is try
ing to equalize the great Question of
real estate values. The law states
that all property shall be assessed or
tie same basis. why not apply this
to water and have every consumer
pay at the same rate for as much vr
IT as he finds it convenient TO use?
If something like this is not done the
water department will soon be an els-
phant on the city's hands.