The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-01-05
Claim the Users Of City Water
in Their Complaint
BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL
They Say That They Are Paying Exorb-
itant Prices for water--N. ]. Rob-
erts Gets Contract for Printing
City Reports.

j j. B. Sanguinetti, and a. and G.
Tomasi, represented, respectively, by at
torneys S. HoIlister Jackson and Frank
Martin, appeared before the city council
last evening and protested against the
city water rent bill charged them on
their business blocks, claiming that the
bill was excessive and that they wee
not being charged the same as ether
users Of the water. The real bone Of
contention was over the water meters
that had been placed in these blocks
4 by the city water superintendent Mr.
jackson said that Mr.. Sanguinetti had
for several years paid q service rate on
his block Of $l24 year.
This summer the water superinten-
dent went through the block and put In
two water meters and the bill for the
last quarter, Oct. ! 10 Jan. |, amounted
to S27S3 on one meter and $30.05 on
the other, making total Of $58.4S for
h three months and $233.92 for year.
Thus the meter had raised the rent over
$l00 a year what be had paid under
the service rate. The meter rate charged
was cents per hundred cubic feet, which
Mr.. Jackson said, when compared with
the service rate, was way above IT,.
Mr.. jackson said that the city eneour
aged its patrons TO use more water by
liking lower rate for those who used
La greater amount Of water, and now
the city goes and puts in a meter and
charges them a higher rate for using SO
much water. He considered the bill was
excessive.
Mr.. Sanguinetti told the, council that
he was very particular to keep all the
i faucets in repair and sent man around
\ through the block two times day to
Inspect the faucets and closets. Mr..
Martin said that A. Tomasi had paid
under the service rate $l60 a year. Two
meters had been placed in his block and
he had been charged at the rate of 8
cents on one meter and a l0-cent ratio
n what be had been paying under the ser
vice rate. Mr.. Martin also said that q,
Tonasi had been charged at the rate of
II no cents on one meter and ~ cents on
4 the other, and both meters were in the
same block de said that both men had
ksen very careful to prevent leakage, and
they thought they were being unjustly
i tSSM They claimed, he said, that if
ia Z the business blocks in the city were
~ meters they would lock All the matter
differently, but as it was now, they
considered that they were being charged
more than other users. G
In speaking again, Mr.. Jackson re-
4 peated that the city had established an
annual service rate and encouraged peo4
fplc TO use more water By reducing the
rate to large users and the people paying
a service rate were nearly 100 to | OF
those having meters. The rate for the
meters was higher than the service rate,
and the city was forcing these men to
pay a higher rate, giving the majority
lof the users the benefit 0f the low rate
He thought that the service rate must
be too low or that the meter rate was
too high.
n Alderman Alexander said that it had
i come 60 the notice of the water super
Il intendent that water was being wasted
in these blocks and for that reason he
had installed the meters Just as fast
as the city could get the money with
which to buy meters, more would be
installed, he said, as 1t was proving
paying investment for the city. The
n water superintendent was not present at
the discussion last evening, and Mayor
Robins stated that there would be an
other hearing on the matter January l2,
when the superintendent would be pres
lent to tell his side Of the story.
| The business transacted by the coun-
Icil was as follows: the report of the
overseer of the poor for the month Of
December was read and accepted The
report was as follows: balance on hand
December /, $l4665; received from the
city, $500; paid out, S330S9; balance,
Sll5T6. Received from the town of
Braintree S5095, which was paid over
to the city treasurer.
/ The chief Of police reported total
Of nine arrests in December Six for
intoxication, one for breach of the peace.
one larceny and one for allowing minors
to play pool.
The building inspector reported favor
ably on permits being granted to A.
Tomasi to build an addition to piazza
at II Merchant street; to Barclay Broth
ers TO extend the roof of the wing to
their stoneshed seven feet. The per-
mits were ordered granted. The fire
committee reported in favor of granting
H. j. Smith permit to move shed
back TO his property line under certain
restrictions in regard to fire protection
The bids for the printing of the annual
city reports were opened. Only two bids
were received One from N. J. Roberts
for $4,000 and from f. W. Cummings
for $3.50. On motion of Alderman Camp
bell the contract was ordered let to Mr.
Roberts. The committee on license re-
ported unfavorahly to granting lunch
room license OF Charles Frattini and
the report was accepted.
A committee from the Italian Dra-
matte club appeared before the board
and wanted the assistance Of the council
in engaging the opera house for a benefit
Entertainment for the earthquake suffer
ers in Italy. The committee said they
were willing to pay for the use Of the
house, but wanted il on the evening Of
Jan. lG. Manager Hoban had moving
picture show on that week and did not
want to give up the house. The matter
was referred to the charity committee
and Alexander Alexander, a member Of
the committee, talked with Manager
Hohan in bis Office and made arrange
ments 50 that the Dramatic club win
! probably have the house on Jan. s
: The resignation of c. A Merrill as E