Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-08
WATER RATE AT
HOLLYWOOD CUT
SUPERVISORS REDUCE PRICE
TO BE CHARGED
BOARD FIXES $3.50 AS THE MIMI
MUM CHARGE
Thirteen Cents Per Thousand Gallons
Will Be Cost in Excess of
Six Thousand
Gallons

Effectively blocking the policy of the
Union Hollywood Water company,
which manifested desire to increase
its rates, the board of supervisors yes
terday unanimously passed an ordi-
nance fixing the rates to be charged
and came to the rescue of the water
consumers by placing $1.50 as the
maximum amount which can be
charged by the water company for
each 5000 gallons of water consumed
for domestic use.
The entire afternoon session of the
board was taken up i'll considering the
question of the water rates, and it was
only after Chief Deputy District At
torney Hartley Shaw had submitted
two estimates and an opinion to the
board that it was able to adopt tho
ordinance which finally was passed,
and which will go into effect August
1, 1909.
Thirteen Cents Excess
The main provisions of the ordinance
as passed are as follows
One dollar and fifty cents month
shall be charged for not more than
5000 gallons of water, and for each
1000 gallons in excess of 5000 gallons
there shall be a charge of 13 cents.
Ten cents per 1000 gallons shall be
rigation. Water used in the settling of
pipes and trenches shall be charged
for at the rate of 1 cent for each linear
foot of trench.
Water furnished for construction
work to be charged for at the same
rates as water used for domestic pur-
poses.
Rates for the installation of meters
fixed as follows: Eight dollars for
a one-half-inch meter, $12 for three
ouarter-inch meter and 500 for an inch
connection. Other connections to be of
proportionate charge
The water meter is to be read on the
same day of each month, except where
Sundays and holidays interfere. and all
bills shall be submitted to the con-
sumner within fifteen days after the
reading of the meter, and in cases
where the bill is not paid within fifteen
days after being submitted, the COM
pany will be allowed to collect rs cents
additional
Estimate Expenses
The value of the property of tho
water company was fixed at $340 900,
and its operating expenses were esti-
mated as $33,275 a year, and in the
reduction of the rates the supervisors
began by forming these figures as a
basis for their rate discussion.
Prior to July the rate charged by the
water company was $1.60 per thousand
gallons, and 13 cents for each addition
al 1000 gallons, but with the first of
the month the rate was raised to $1.75
and 20 cents.
In submitting an opinion to the board
Chief Deputy District Attorney Hart
ley Shaw referred to two of the claims
as follows:
zone of the items which was valued
by the company's experts at more
than 100000 is the pumping plant,
wells and water rights on Jefferson
street. This plant is not actually in use
and has not been, it appears from tes-
timony, since January 1. 1908, but the
company claims that this plant should
be considered as part of the property
on the value of which it is entitled to
draw interest, for two reasons: First.
that IL is an auxiliary plant and can
be used to supply its customers when
the main plant at Sherman is for any
reason shut down; and second, that the
water which can be pumped at Jeffer-
son street will be necessary in the
future to supply the increasing de-
mand for water caused by the increase
in the number of its consumers.
Plant in Disuse
"As far as the first ground is con-
cerned, it appears that this plant has
although there have been some break
downs at the Sherman plant since that
time, and even since this matter was
heard before you, / am Informed that
the company has had a serious break
down and the Jefferson street plant
was not used for auxiliary purposes.
Under these circumstances l do not
think YOU need consider this plant as
an auxiliary"
Mr.. Shaw answered the second con-
tention by quoting from a decision of
the supreme court of the United States
which held that if plant is construct
ed for a larger area than it finds it
self able to supply, if it does not have
the customers contemplated, 1t is an
Injustice to attempt to make, say two
thirds of the number, pay for full
return.
The attention of the board was furth-
er called to the fact that in its esti-
mates the company had covered one
item twice, and in the matter of $10,-
900 for the laying of new pipe it had
that covered by the cost of main
tenance. The company placed an esti-
mate of $36S,04S on its property but
the estimate was assumed as too
large, and in many cases the estimates
of the company were materially cut.
The new ordinance which will go into
effect the first of next month does not
place the rate as low as the twenty
four petitioners who brought the mat
ter to the attention of the district at
torney's office demanded, but it will
nevertheless be q material saving to
the water consumers of the district and
the reduction in rate is material one
when the present rate imposed by the
is considered.