The San Francisco call., 1909-03-20

WATERBILLSGROW..
METERS NOT READ
Spring Valleys Charges Against
School Department Are
Doubled
Reports of Principals Show
That Statements Were
Not Taken

Formal notification that the Sprini
Valley company was doubling wate
bills and presenting demands withou
the trouble of pretending to reaS
meters was given the board of super
visors yesterday by the board of edu
cation. Secretary LefingweIl sent ;
letter to the board stating that th'
February charges upon the department
of S2,36105 were about double thos'
Of the same month in 1908. and h
narrated the economics of the schoo
principals in attempting to scale dowl
water use and told of their excava
tions to uncover the lost meters, who's
mythical readings were the suppose
basis of Spring Valleys demand. Th'
letter follows:
We most respectfully wish to inform your
honorable board Of the fact that the bills
presented 10 this department by the Spring
Valley water company for water supplies
during the month of February are about
double the amount for the same month last
year. There has been a steady increase in
the bills apparently without reason. Every
has been used by our Janitors to effect
saving and there has been no waste. Not
NlfnSta1dlnE the Dill Tor the month or
February is 81, 36l O5. We have reason to
believe that in many instances the meters
have not been read at all; stlll we md in
crease in bill. The following extracts from
replies OF principals to letters the sub
jeet issued from this Office are respectfully
quoted:
The principal of Noe Valley school informs
US that the condition of the meter is such
that it could not possibly have been read for
some months past. Two of our deputies, as
well as the Janitor and principal. bear wit
ness 10 this fact.
The principal of the Buena Vista school
writes that she is greatly relieved by the
report of the plumber TO know that the
meter at that school has not been read in
months, being absolutely covered up.
Principal of the James Lick grammar
states: 4 feel confident that the $4,000 bill
was an arbitrary amount fixed by the COM
pany without an inspection OF the meter.
The meter is placed beneath the remains
OF sidewalk at the corner of Twenty-6fth
and Noe streets. The opening above il was
heavily boarded over in January and the
. cover appears not TO have been removed
since. So firmly is 1t imbedded in the frame
and so completely is 1t covered with soil
that il be found only with difficulty
The principal Of the Madison school states:
The meter is below the sidewalk and
iron lid covers the opening ! had this lid
pried open today; il was imbedded in an
Client mud which had not been disturbed for
many day If one may judge from appear
ances."
Principal Of Agassiz school states: "The
amount Of water is not used-I think.
While the plumber was here Wednesday l
asked him 10 look at the meter. 1t barely
moves. From 10 a. m. to IL a. m, which
time includes the recess, when the faucets
most used. the meter showed the use Of
100 feet. Everything possible has been done
TO decrease the water bill, but l see nothing
has been accomplished -
Principal Of the Hancock school states:
You remember when examined the water
meter what q strange sight met gaze.
The cover showed ii had not been lifted for
months. as long strings Of cobwebs and piles
OF dust and debris had gathered on its cor
and edges, The face of the meter was
covered with thick crust of dried mud,
which would have TO be scraped OF in order
to read the figures. How the water COM
pany could calculate the amount of water
used from that meter in the condition In
which we found ii is a mystery"
A great many of the other principals OF
the department are OF the common belief.
owing 10 continued rains during the month OF
February and also the fact that every pos
slhle effort made to effect a saving, that
less water was used during the month of
February than during January previous
months, and we are therefore utterly at a
loss to understand the bills that have been
presented by the Spring Valley water com
pany 10 this department for. the month Of
February.