The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-10-01
City Attorney Found Water
Works Company and Pa
3M
irons Had Entered Into
Contracts for Rentals.
BELIEVE ORDINANCE
Is NOW A VALID ONE
Council at It's Meeting Last
Evening Also Took Action
On Ordinance Establishing
Precincts.

Amendments to the metAs ordinance.
rscsntly passed. making II illegal for
the Richmond City Water Works COM
pany to charge meter rent for the past
six months. which falls due today, and
to IN ordinance establishing the voting
precincts Of the CITY,. were considered
last evening at = special meeting Of
council The amendment to the me-
ter ordinance was very important
one. % the patrons H the company
who have their water measured by
meter will have to pay meter rent for
the past six months, It having been
found by City Attorney +. ]. Study.
thak the patrons and the company hal
entered into . contract to such an ef-
feet Unless the ordinance is declared
illegal within the next six months. as a
suit to test It's validity is now pending
in the federal court. the ordinance
will bf effective at the time Of the next
semi <nnual collection Of meter rents,
whi9 falls due April I. 1910.
Study Takes the Blame.
Er. Study was responsible for the or
ance being passed in September. He
United last evening that he had not
knspected the matter az carefully - he
might, and since its passage. he had
learned from the officials Of the COM
pany that when the meters were In
stalled In the residence Of the patrons,
the company and the consumer had en-
tered into = written contract, In which
the patron agreed to pay, forSall dam.
age to the meter and also pay the me
ter rent which the company has been
assessing. Mr.. Study did not know Of
any special agreement between the
company and the consumers at the
time he had the ordinance passed.
The agreement is perfectly regular
and legal and Mr.. Study said that the
amendment to the ordinance should De
passed in order that the company
would not be embarrassed He said
the city could bring civil suit against
the company and probably have these
agreements between the company and
the consumer declared null and void.
This could be done on the grounds that
the company was imposing an unrea-
sonable regulation, according to Mr.,
Study.
Read Second Time.
The amendment is to section one
It, as amended. says that 1t shall be H.
legal for the company to charge meter
rent. except In cases where the compa,
ny and consumer have entered into an
-. a.
nance was read the second time by IT,
tie and laid over until next meeting
for final consideration.
Mr.. Study said that II there were any
consumers who had not entered into q
contract with the company to pay me.
ter rent. that they would not have tc
pay the rent for the past six months
which falls due today. However
there will be but very few patrons OF
the company who will be 80 effected
Even though the agreements between
the company and some Of the patrons
were signed four and five years age
and were not renewed each year. thes
are still effective.
Precinct Ordinance.
The amendment to the ordinance
establishing the voting precincts ef.
fected only the seventh and eighth
wards The eighth ward was a par,
ol the seventh ward at the time of the
last city election and had but one vot
Ing place. The law requires that
council shall establish the voting pre-
cincts Of all wards. Last night was
the last tine that 1t would be possible
to pass such an ordinance and make II
legal and effective In time for the cit,
election November 2. The precinct:
established by the county commission
ers at the last county election were
adopted by the council. The precinct:
in the west side are now numbered 81
H3SS In the Seventh ward and 34-s35 il
the Eighth ward. The ordinance wa.
passed on suspension Of the rules an:
signed by Mayor Schillinger.