New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-11
THE USEFUL METER.

What would check the, waste OF city water
and at the same time permit the public TO use
all that it really needed. according TO engineers
who have made special study of New-York' s
water problem. is the water meter. II the city
would install meter in every dwelling house.
tenement house and apartment house in the en-
tire city these men say TI.416.So0 gallons of
water could be saved in Manhattan. The Bronx
snd Brooklyn in one day OF 100000 gallons for
entire city The old frontage system of calcu-
iating water rents must go. these experts saw
and with it the chances of graft which certain
Ianmany politicians have used 10 build I'D
snug fortunes. The Citizens Union favors the
passage by the Board Of Aldermen OF a resolu-
ton which was introduced the other day and
which will authorize the Water Commissioner to
put meters in all dwelling houses
Just a glance down a New-York street Is
enough 10 see how inadequate is the frontage
system Of calculating water rents Yonder is
an old fashioned brick dwelling house with
gabled roof and doruer windows a relic of the
ouieter days OF Little Old New-York." Be-
side il towers a narrow apartment house. like a
wafer stuck edge, divided up into small
suites OF rooms, each with bath" It's width
Is no greater than that Of the ancient structure
alongside but although it consumes by means
OF its many looms and other modern sani-
tary equipments a hundred times more water
than the old dwelling house. its water rate is only
four or five times greater The reason is that the
water rent IS based on the frontages Of the two
buildings, not on the actual amount OF water
which each consumes
These frontage rates vary 10 such a degree
that they a Chinese puzzle TO the unini-
tated. The water rate for a dwelling house
che story high and sixteen feet wide. for ex-
ample, is s. a year, while for building Of this
character five stories high and 3Tla to 80 feet
wide the rate is SIS. The basis of the frontag e
rate for a house is that il contain only one
family An additional dollar is added for each
additional family. Extra baths cost So year,
and other sanitary fixtures 50 year.
In the early history of this city. when dwell
ing houses were built of almost uniform size,
only few stories high, and with none of the
sanitary appliances which at the present time
call for a large supply Of water, the frontage
system Of water rates fairly equitable
standard for everybody. In those days people
aid not use the water that they now demand.
Few houses had more than one bathtub. The
great majority OF dwelling houses. such as one
sees to-day still standing in the quaint streets
OF the Greenwich Village quarter Of the city had
none There a faucet over the kitchen
sinK and one on an upper floor Ito I'LL the
t.ocHers OF the bedrooms. A housewife o. those
tiies used ten gallons OF water where one Of
0O11ay would use one hundred.
IN. 1ne loss OF revenue 10 the city because of its
70 install more water meters is shown
- me fact that. although only one-ifth of the
80 800 consumed II Manhattan is nletered vel
bhe FOUR times greater volume az llnr,etered
MateI. Al The present time there are 10 meters
s L,,rers GNeillng houses, tenement houses or
80. ei. - houses which do not maintain a
pant Tor the generation OF light ana rs1wcr IN
clner pullQlngs, or parts Of buildings meters
Commissioner" VI '4i7 Fl" 'e