The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-07-13
Attorney Henry u. Johnson
Tells Board He Objects to
Features of Water Works
Contract.
CONSIDERATION OF
MEASURE is SLOW
Attorney for Richmond City
Water Works Company
Makes a Hard Fight for
Favors to His Client.

When the board of works adjourn
ed this noon it had spent the major
part of its time considering the sched-
ule of rates on which the water works
contract bids are to be based.
II want to go on record publicly as
attorney for this board that the pres
ent form of this schedule is not to
my liking" was the statement of Hen
ry U Johnson.
IF we are to have a flat rate in
Richmond then that flat rate should
cover all the consumers. II this alb
breviated flat rate which we are now
considering goes into effect those who
want a flat rate will in a number of
instances be unprotected. In addition
in the absence of a physical valua-
tion, there will be no means of COM
parison by which we can determine
whether the flat rates are higher or
lower than they were before"
So the flat rate question was left
and the conference, at which the city
was represented by Attorneys Jessup.
Gardner and Johnson, the water works
company by Howard Dill and Attorney
]. F. Robbins, and the Campfield COM
pany by Mr.. Campfield with his attor-
ney, Mr.. Lindemuth proceeded to the
discussion of the form for meter rem
tails.
AS now constituted the bidding
form begins with 10000 gallons; so
much for the third, SO much for the
next 10000, for the next 10000 and SO
on.
In no place is there any protection
| in the wording of the specifications
| for any other system than exists now
The largest consumers of water will
keep on enjoying the present inequal
tiles
| Small Fellow Overlooked.
No action was taken in favor of the
smaller consumer. Henry U. Johnson
brought up the suggestion of the Pal
| ladium that in view of the fact that
the water supply is likely to be ex
hausted it was against the public pol
| icy to place a premium on the great
est use of water, and also that it was
an inequality to force the employees
corporations to pay a greater share fol
the proposed addition pipe line fol
fire protection than the whole com
munity would benefit by such a pipe
line.
John Robbins succeeded in side
tracking any consideration of this
question.
The specifications are not yet in
their final shape and will be consid
cred this afternoon at another ses
| sion.
! The rest of the morning was spent
in vigorous attempts on the part OF
the water works interests to gaiT
points in it's favor.
Attorney Robbins was loud in his
expostulations of the danger to his
| client if the citizens were allowed to
have the meters tested without ex
pense to themselves. He tried to pic
ture the great injustice of his com
pany being forced to test a meter
which was in good repair.
| Even the time honored clause OF
| having the water pressure the same
all over town did not suit him though
/ it has been in force in practically the
same wording ever since the stone age
On all these points Henry L. John
son would quietly assert the principle
that the danger to the community was
somewhat greater than to the com
pany.
| One of the typical things about the
meeting was the covert question o
| Robbins to his client as to how much
water DR.. Zimmerman used. This wa:
at the time when the conference wa.
considering the minimum rate cluas<
which was left open to the companies
to bid on. The mayor, however. seem:
to fall under the same classification.
as the private consumer, and unable
to avail himself of the rates accorded
/ to the large users of water.