The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-07-05
FIRST TEST MADE
Woman Complains That Water
Meter Is False.
Deposits a Dollar to Have
Question Settled.
ANOTHER GRIEVANCE.
Also Says the Reader Was I'm
pudent.
Fees Don't Pay the Cost of
Making Test.
ANOTHER GRIEVANCE.

He was just that impudent that ]
could have put him right out of the
house." said Mrs w. J. Dixon of 1915
Lincoln street this morning. Her eyes
were flashing and she was very much
wrought up at the actions of meter
reader attached to the waterworks de-
partment.
Il know he didn't read that meter
right. 1 told him that 1 thought they
ought to send around men that had a
little more gray matter and knew some
| thing
Mrs Dixon opened her pocketbook
and produced a dollar which she paid
to John Sheahan, plumbing inspector,
after citing her wrongs in the above
| sentences.
! The dollar was to pay for an inspec-
| ton of the water meter at her house.
| This is the first payment for an inspec-
ton and the first inspection to be made
| under the new city ordinance passed
! last winter, which provides that in cases
| of dispute over meter readings of either
gas, electric or water meters, the person
| finding complaint shall place a dollar
with the city as a deposit and in case
| the meter is found to be correct the dol
! lar is forfeited and if not the company
| at fault has to pay the city the dollar
| and correct its meter as we'll as the bills
Ion which complaint exists. The dollar
| of the consumer is returned.
So many complaints have been made
within the last several years over aHeg
| eQ lTTeSulaTlIleS OF meters Cnat the city
council was at last forced to pass an or
dinance providing for inspection and de-
, failing the work on the plumbing in
spector.
Thus far no one had deposited the
necessary fee to make a test until Mrs.
Dixon appeared at the city hall this
morning.
When went to the office the first
, time" said Mrs. Dixon Ito pay this
bill 1 was told not to pay it and the
rot 70 sol
. that a man would be sent out to read
=, the meter again. He went out again
and came back and said it was correct.
Then I was told to pay it. When we
put in the water Mr.. Dixon said he
would not think it excessive il we had
to pay 81 or 1925 month but when it
gets to be $3.50. that's different.
why, last month we didn't use the
water for sprinkling at all; you know
how wet it was. There wasn't any
sense in US to sprinkle with so much
rain. When I asked where the man
was that made the inspection they
wanted to know what wanted 1
told them that I wanted the meter
Inspected. They said it would cost
a dollar But don't care if 1t would
cost four dollars. 1 want to- find out"
Mr.. Sheehan assured her that he
would be out to test the meter.
That's the first one L have had"
said he; zone man came up here and
complained about his gas meter but
after talking it over he was persuaded
that the charge was not excessive and
went away. Most of them get scared
out when they are asked to put up
their dollar. I haven't heard anyone
complain about their electric meters
and 1 think that the gas meters are
generally correct. There may be a lit
tie air in the gas but 1 don't know of
any way to get that out and test the
gas and anyway don't think that
amounts to very much. 4
1.-The fees don't begin to pay for the
cost of testing them. To take a meter
down and bring it to the city hall
costs more than a dollar. Why, the ex-
press alone would be that much. 1t
takes q wagon and two men to go
out and bring one of these meters in. |
1t costs a great deal more than 81 to |
test the water or gas meters and the |
electric meters-why it will cost near
er $25 to test them
The city has not yet purchased it's |
equipment for testing meters. But |
the equipment of the waterworks de- |
partment is used by the plumbing in |
spector to make tests for water meters
and gas meters are tested with the |
equipment of the gas company Both |
of these equipments are standardized |
by the company that manufactures