Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-01-10
THE METER SCARE
Has Driven the Rates For Water
 Out of Mind.

perS about water meters IS read ana discussed all over town, but curiously enough you rarely hear word re- garding rates, subject which, in the opinion of some is of vastly more im- portancc than the other. There is no denying the fact that the people are down on the meter and it will be q hard job to convince them that 1t is not a dangerous thing. Many talk of it as though it is closely kinned to the internal machine and might take a notion to explode and blow the house to pieces any hour of the day or night.
 Some make light of these questions but others regard them as well wor- thy of thoughtful consideration on the part of all citizens. Commission CT Walker, one of the most active members of the present city goyern- ment. says that Superintendent Ken nedy's report on the water question is Of more importance to Waterbury than the presidents message and many agree with him. It is I big subject and many-sided enough for honest citiens to look at from differ ent standpoints without falling out over it. The worst thing about Il dis cussion of such matters is that so many lose sight of the subject and switch off onto personalities. This is unfortunate, because q man favors meters is no reason that he is dishon- est. nor is there any ground for charging fellow with wanting to evade the payment of an honest debt because he is opposed to the nse of meters. It is all a matter of opin- ion and the conclusion of those who see other things in q mans attitude are not worth talking about.
 X great many very honest citizens don't like the change of rates proposed by the board of public works. al- though all admit that it is an im- provcment on the present rates. In a general way it might be said that the new rates if adopted would mean q flat rate of one cent per hundred gallons for all water consumed for manufacturing and merchantiie pur- poses, and fat rate of two cents for all water used for domestic purposes It is argued in many quarters. and with a good deal of force. too. that these figures should be reversed, so that the minimum rate shall be shdrged for domestic use and the maximum for such other purposes as corporations find 1t to their adyantag. to apply city water. On the other hand the claim is made that the or- ly fair way to sell water is to charge all consumers Il fiat rate. This if ap- pears could be done by making the price a cent and q half for each one hundred gallons to all. Figures at hand prove that inc running expenses of the department could be met at a fiat rate of one cent, but things would bc rather clOsc on this plan and in order to make sure that there w9uld not bc deficit the cent and half has been chosen. Of course. it should be remembered. that all these compute tious are based upon the general use of meters. Now. then the question sinners down to where small con sumers prefer to pay the present rates with DO meters than consider ably less with the meters. It is tho big consumers that this new move hits and if you notice they arc lying low, hoping. evidently. that the rum pus created by the small consumers will save them from having to come down more handsomely. Some of them don't care and say that they have no objection whatever to paying the same rates as household consum- CTS. At tho most il wouldn't make q difference of over S2.00o Il year to tho hearies. consumer and anybody who thinks that this would cripple our manufacturing industries and drive them into bankruptcy has . poor knowledge of their financial standing. IL is the small consumer that insists upon letting tho big one get water 1t less than cost. even though his own bill should continue to he twice as large as if ought to be.
 Meters got q black eye in Water bury when the first one was installed about tv,cnty-iivc or thirty years ago. At that time the rates, should have been changed SD that water for do- mes;ir use measured through q meter would not bc almost as expensive as milk. 1T the price per one hundred gallons had been reduced 10 q cent and a half everybody who OWES q building would want n meter install ed in it. but the outrageously high price has been in force from the Oc-