The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-01-11
FRANK DISCUSSION ON
THE QUESTION IS HAD
Mayor Bransford Present at the
Conference and Presents
Facts and Figures.

at meeting Tuesday afternoon IN the
gold room at tho club The meeting
was called to order by f. o. Howard
at 1880 o clock, and adjourned at 2:l5
o clock, without having taken any
definite action further than to record
majority vote against the meter
proposition. The committee meeting
was attended by twenty chairmen, and
the discussion of the question now be-
ing agitated was conducted in a bust
ness.tike way. The result of the dis
cussion will be taken up at a meeting
of the same committee next week.
Some of the things said by the different
chairmen follow:
position to say that Salt Lake should
use water meters for am neither for
nor against them. / believe. however,
that must do sonnet thing to stop this
great waste OF water. and l am In
formed that we are losing money on our
water system every year. l believe it
would he far better, TO get enough in
spectors TO prevent this great waste, and
personally j VIII favor any effective
means OF stopping this waste. ] believe
that large proportion Of the waste of
water In Salt Lake is on our shrubbery
and lawns, and no more flagrant example
OF the wasteful use OF water is to be
found than can be seen every summer
In Liberty Park or in the parks sur
M, n, WaIker-.I believe that in
the event water meters were placed I'm
general use in Salt Lake there would be
many who would curtail the consumption
OF water at the expense and serious dct
riment OF their lawns and shrubbery." He
said, however, that there WAS no uues-
ton In his mind but that something
should be done TO curtall this waste or
water.
A. Richter said that several wears
ago, under the Morris administration. the
question OF water meters was taken up
and al that time the consensus of opin-
Richter said that the most fragrant waste
OF water in Salt Lake could be found
In the business blocks. and that the own
ers and managers OF these buildings
were the guilty ones rather than the
owner or tenant of the small cottages.
Mr.. Richter favored tho appointment OF
at least three inspectors in each munich
pal ward whose duty it should be to
examine every property and to enter
every house and building at least once
month 10 see that plumbing and all
nydrants were i'll perfect condition. He
said hc was opposed TO meters, because
meters were an expensive luxury. II.
as some OF us say, our water cost would
be cut In half through the use of water
meters, where would We get the revenue
TO pay for these expensive meters? "One
thing is certain" said Mr.. Richter. 1.-The
installation of water meters would not
add ono drop TO our city's supply of
every cent of our revenue from the water
department. over and above the actua!
cost Of operation and maintenance. on
the building OF reservoirs and acquiring
greater water supply. My experience as
a rental agent has been that tenants will
not pay the water tax, and the own
ers OF property would curtail the lawns
If compelled TO pay on a meter basis"
Mayor John S. Bransford far
have not decided for or against
water meters. and although | know that
the city council Is considering a resolu-
ton providing that meters shall be
placed in all homes and buildings. IT has
never come before me In an official ca
pacity | am skeptic on the question
sts at present InH Tant to learn earn what is
cnt we can get on without water meters
If the people OF salt Lake City will be
reasonable in their use OF water. We
had twenty inspectors ont last summer
during the season when water famine
was threatened, and | believe they turned
off the water from about one hundred
residences. At some OF these places the
owners simply told the men to go oil
and turn tho water off, that they would
pay the dollar IL cost to have the water
turned on again. and get even when the
INSPECTORS were not around NV idea
has been all along that the water works
system ought TO pay its own way
The mayor read from statement on
ment, which. he said WAS prepared two
years ago. and from this statement he
showed that the three bond issues now
in existence Will require d sinking fund
OF S9t, ,JS3 "a year, while the interest
charges amounted TO approximately $6i.-
000 year He said tho expenses or the
water department were approximately
S235;. 900 year. Tho revenue for the fis-
cal year 1905 1909 he said was s5i 900
less than the cost OF maintenance, lnclud-
Ing interest and sinking fund, and that
amounted to $4,000 TO $1,000 year.
These figures he said, did not include eX-
tras for burst mains and floods. He said
that an increasc Of 50 cents on charges
for baths and toilets and by increasing
the minimum charge on meter rates from
20 cents TO 40 cents and charging 40 cents
instead Of 80 cents Tor each additional
room In a dwelling over five rooms would
bring about d balance OF revenue and cX
roDditGrcs.
James H. Moyle suggested that an
equitable arrangement would be to
charge the present generation With not
more Than onc-hall OF the sinking fund,
The mayor said that during 1909 there
were l22l new water connections made.
while in 1910 the number OF new connec-
tions was 1862. The present meter rates
on water. he said. were cents a thou
sand gallons for manufacturing and rail
way purposes. and I cents thousand for
domestic use. Salt Lake City. ne said.
used 2I5 gallons per day per capita. to-
tai which was greater Than that of any
other city in the country With two cN- ,
ceptions. Tho mayor discussed the Jor- /
which the city Is interested. and also |
spoke OF the suit now pending in the I
courts against the Progress company. in !
voIving the citys right To water from 4
Big Cottonwood creek.
IL was brought out In the discussion /
that II might cost approximately $lIO. 600 ]
to put "A meter In every one OF the $1,000 /
dwellings in Salt Lake and. in the dis |
cussion. some OF the members OF the /
questioned the propricty OF /
compelling the water department 10 fur /
nish water for the use of the street de- /
partment In flushing and sprinking the |
streets OF the city.
{. o. Howard. chairman OF the COM
mittee. suggested that II would be much !
better for Salt Lake to spend $3.50. 900 |
In the construction OF reservoir in Lit
tie valley on the high line northeast OF
the city.
Joseph e. CaIne. secretary of the
Commercial club. spoke decidedly against
water meters. saying he remembered that
when the water system first con-
structed in Salt Lake the people OF the
city owned the primary water rights out