The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1912-03-22
WANT WATER RATES
PUT UNDER KNIFE
Merchants Association Favor
Referring Question to Special
Session of Legislature.

Directors Of the merchants associa.
tion yesterday favored legislative in.
vestigation of the present water rates
charged city and shipping. If special
session of the legislature is called, the
association will try to have the matter
brought up for consideration. The di.
reetors had before them the report of
the special committee on harbor water
charges, in which was contained a ref
erence to the fact that all parks and
governmental institutions in the city
receive water free, and that this was
really direct charge upon the ship
ping, instead of the city.
The directors were of the opinion that
the water rates for shipping must be
reduced soon, owing to the threatened
establishment of independent water
sources by the Matson and Inter Island
companies. The directors feel there
was discrimination in the system of
charges, citing the Inter.Island as an
instance receiving low, fiat rate, as
opposed to the maximum charge made
against visiting companies, and were
unanimous in favor of putting the en-
tire city under the meter system. The
report was adopted and copies ordered
sent to the Governor and superintend.
ent of public works.
Should show Profit
The report, presented by IT. M.
Church, chairman. and Charles Bon,
contained the information that 1--WE
have a water department that wound
otherwise show an annual profit, under
existing rates, saddled with large
deficit by the sewer department.. - Says
the report: "The present rate to all
vessels of the United States Navy, in
GLIDING transports, is seven and half
cents per thousand gallons less ten
per cent. The present rate to the Uni
ted States lighthouse tender KukM is
fifteen dollars per month; the present
rate to steamers of the Inter-Island
Steam Navigation Company ranges
from twenty-five dollars down to fifteen
dollars per steamer per quarter. The
rate to all other shipping is two dollars
and half per thousand gallons. We
are informed that the total receipts
from the Inter-Ishnd Steam Naviga-
ton Company for fifteen or sixteen
vessels for 1911 were 5000. II this
5000 was for water at the rate OF
two dollars and a half per thousand
gallons it would mean, say, for fifteen
vessels daily average consumption per
vessel of but seventy-five gallons, an
obviously inadequate amount. Hence
the conclusion that the rate to them
is far short Of two dollars and half
per thousand gallons. No record has
been kept of the amount actually used
by the Inter-1sland company.
Meters Soon.
tVenturi recording meters VIII soon
be installed by the department by
which an accurate measurement of all
water taken into the city mains VIII
be made. At the present time it is
only possible to estimate same, when
the department does Mt IL 100000 gal
Ions daily. The estimated receipts tor
water for 1912 exclusive of shipping
are $115,200. The estimated receipts
for water for shipping for 1912 are $751;
500. The total amount of water posi-
BILE to purchase for $4,000 at the rate
of two dollars and half per thousand
gallons is 13,920,000 gallons. or in other
words. shipping is paying for less than
the average consumption OF the city
of water for one day sum of $4,000,
or nearly one.third as much as the
amount received from all other sources
during the entire year.
"Tbe rate actually received for
water for city consumption, exclusive
of shipping, on the basis of 17,500,00o
gallons daily consumption and the
yearly receipt of $4,000 is one and
eight-tenths cents per Thousand gallons.
"The amount of the discrepancy be-
tween the basic rate of the public
works department of seven and half
cents per thousand gallons to city
consumers and the amount actually
received of one and eight-tenths
cents per thousand gallons, one
half of the 17,500,0O0 gallons daily or
8,750,000, is attributed by the depart
ment to waste. The daily receipts for
water as above are 1915. On the basis
of seven and half cents per thou
sand gallons this amount would pur-
chase daily 100000 gallons, leaving n
daily amount still to account for Of
4,550,000 gallons.
Much Free Water
awe are informed that no charge ~
made by the department for water fur
nished to public institutions, the city
parks, city fire department, etc. While
the amount so used is unknown IL Is
claimed to be large and to degree,
perhaps, accounts for the 1850 600 gal
Ions daily otherwise unaccounted for.
We are informed that two differ
ent transportation companies are seri-
ously contemplating providing water to
shipping, independent of the govern
ment. We believe it is imperative the
rate should be reduced and if not, and
private capital equips for providing
water to shipping at reduced rates, the
amount now received by the govern
ment from sales to shipping will be
eliminated and the department will
show loss in revenue accordingly.
Suggest Remedies.