New-York tribune., 1906-03-23
WATER METERS FOR PHILADELPHIA.

WATER METERS FOR PHILADELPHIA.
BY the adoption of resolutions formally pro-
testing against the use Of water meters the City
! Councils of Philadelphia have brought upon
! themselves a storm Of criticism. Engineering
! News declares that the resolutions are full of
| fallaces. The American Machintst' remarks
| that experience in cities where meters have
been used has already upset all the arguments
| brought against their use" Mr.. John c. Traut-
wine ir., formerly chief Of the Water Bureau
| in Philadelphia sends to The Tribune a letter
which is printed In another column and which
gives an inkling of his sentiments. 1t is safe
to infer that he attributes the recent action Of
the Councils to the same "lamentable ignorance
and prejudice to which he believes was due
the unpopuarity of his recommendations in
1898.
Such honest objection as is offered to the
introduction of water meters undoubtedly pro
ceeds, in a large measure, from a wrong inter
probation Of an unquestionable fact. In cities
where they are employed on a large scale the
average consumption of each resident is only
about half as large as in places where there are
few or no meters. That is where the great
economy of the system comes in Mr.. John Il.
Freeman, who advised the adoption Of meters
in New York City a few years ago, estimated
the legitimate consumption in the Borough OF
Manhattan at seventy-one gallons daily per cap
Gillette. the present chief of the Philadelphia
Water Bureau, told Mayor Weaver two or three
weeks ago that the city would save nearly or
quite 80 per cent of its water and millions OF
capital if it followed the course which he ad-
vised A food of light is thrown on the matter
by a communication addressed by Mr.. Iraut-
wine not long ago to the Philadelphia Councils
in support Of Major Gillettes policy. 1t con-
tafned a singuarly instructive diagram. With
In 10 fls, u.t1l al
consumption of the few who waste water, and
with short lines was indicated the consumption
by the many who use it properly, though freely.
The first class constituted, according to his estl-
mate only about one-fifth of the population
perhaps Iess-and the second class fully four
ffths. At a glance, however, it IS apparent
that the one set of lines is fully five or six
times as long as the others. The comparison. 1t
NAV be assumed, is based on actual tests in Sc
Iected localities, and is fairly representative Of
the truth.
The argument Of Mr.. TTautwine and of that
large body Of engineering experts which agrees
with him is in substance this: Stop the waste
and you reduce the cost to the consumer and
thus encourage him to use all he wants. such
reasoning is certainly convincing. 1t shows the
faIlacy of talk about meters being antagonisuc
to public health and individual health. 1t makes
Ineligible to the dsinterested reader Mr. Iraut-
vines remark about persons who are laboring
under "deIusion" on the subject 1t gives spe-
cial point to the opinion of Engineering News
that the inexcusable delay in the completion OF
the filters for the city has cost Philadelphia
hundreds of lives. thousands Of cases Of sick
mess and millions of dollars in doctors, nurses,
druggists and undertakers' bills
1t would be a mistake to regard the cause for
which Major Gillette and Mr.. Trautwine have
been contendng as lost. The newly elected
Councils in Philadelphia may be expected to
show more sympathy with Mayor Weaver and
less sympathy with the grafters who have
been robbing the city for years than did their
predecessors The campaign of education al
ready handsomely begun, must be carried fur
ther. no doubt but the prospect of success
would seem to be brighter now than it was a
month ago