The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-02-09

Editor Press: You have asked me
proposition. l give it the more gladly
as l believe there is an attempt be-
Ing made to foist water meters and
other costly plans upon the taxpay-
ers of Spokane regardless of whether
the citizens want such or are able
at this time to pay for them.
1t has been determined by the
water commission that it requires one
gallon of water to properly sprinkle
7.3 square feet CT lawn in the city
of Spokane.
The ordinary building lot, having
a lawn area of $500 square feet, al
lowing 1900 square feet for build
ing space and not estimated as lawn,
would be required to pay $3.50 for
each sprinkling month according to
the abJSe estimate. Should the
property owner desire to maintain an
additional lot of equal size in lawn,
but with no part of it occupied by
buildings, 1t would increase his lawn
tax to $500 per sprinkling month.
The sprinkling months in Spokane
are more than three and less than
four months, but for the purpose Of
this estimate we will assume three
months as a basis. Therefore. it
would appear that the yearly tax for
the one lot would be $1,000 and for
both lots it would be $24.06 per an
mum.
The city water department col
1ects $4,000 per annum for lawn tax,
while the same lawn area estimated
according to the report of the water
commission would be required to pay
more than $4,000 as a lawn tax, or
nearly three times the present fiat
rate.
1t will cost the city of Spokane
to install u Inch water meters with
frost proof castings $2470 each, the
kind that are being used at present
and giving good satisfaction.
According to the report issued by
the city of Cleveland, where water
meters are possibly more generally
used than any city in the United
States, 1t cost $1.10 per annum for
the reading of each meter; 10 cents
for repairs. and $1.07 for interest on
first cost and depreciation, making a
total of s2.27 as the operating ex-
pense for each meter in service. 1t
Is not expected that the city of Spo-
kane with it's lack of experience
would improve upon this perform
ance, and the consumer would at
least have added to his already bur-
densome water tax this $227 per an
mum, the cost of operating his water
meter.
If water meters are installed, 1t Is
the opinion of those who are in a
position to know and have given the
matter careful consideration that the
revenue derived from the present
meter rate of Is cents per 1000 gall
Ions will not be sufficient to meet the
fixed charges of the water depart
ment, and 1t would seem that there
is reason for this conclusion If the
recommendations OF the water COM
mission are adopted and their plans
executed, as their recommendation
calls for a material Increase In the
fixed charges against the water de-
partment on the one hand, and on
the other a reduction of more than
80 per cent in the use OF water to
the consumer, and consequently a re-
duction in the water revenue.
If meters are established and the
lawn owner required to pay even the
present meter rate, tn large and beau
tiful lawns in this city will b reduced
In area or possibly eliminated.
There are approximately 1000 rent
ed houses in s SEane upon which the