The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-12-07
DEVELOPMENTS
IN METER FIGHT
Petition Against Meters Board of
Public Works In Command

There were two new deVelopments
his morning In the water meter fight
that has been raging i'm Hancock dnr
ing the past week. The first of these
- petition addressed to the Hancock
city council asking that all water me-
ters be discarded. even In the business
blocks where they have been in usa
for some time. and the entire city pnt
on fiat rate that will Just pay the
expenses of the city water system
As this petition sets forth the rea
sons why the faction that opposes the
meter extension proposition is maxim,
the fight and as it affords In. first
real opportunity To get at the rea-
sons of the struggle as seen by this
side II Is here reproduced:
I'VE the undersigned. taxpayers eli
iZens and voters of the city of Han
cock. respectfully petition your hon
"rable body To so amend. alter and
change the rules, laws and ordinances
now I'm force, regulating the use and
distribution of water in our city as To
tsrs. and the adoption of the nat rate
ihroushout the entire city. by business
firms and private dwellings alike. ~
well AS hotels. flats and tenement
houses.
Water meters have had q trial in
Hancock ana have proved most
fruitful source of trouble and hard
feeling
1T is well known how Hancock city
water affects any kind of water fix
lures and those who have had eXper-
ience with water meters. know full
well that Hancock city water is no re
spect0r Of meters, by Whatsoever name
they may be known.
Establish nat rate for all: If tn,
income from such rate is more than is
required To operate and maintain the
water plant, reduce the rate: if not
enough raise it,; but let the people
have all the water they want. ali ,he
time and any time let them drink IL,
splash i'm ii. wash in il, swim i'm ii, yes
let them even waste some of it If
thereby there is more of "A tendency
toward cleanliness and sanitary con
ditions of our city.
let the people have all the water
they want without feeling every time
they open a faucet they are adding
more 10 the already high cost of liv-
ing let there he at least one Trims
in Hancock they do not have To- econ
omize ON.
IF this council ana administration
will establish the Hat rate. they vii!
not only be doing good service to
the people now in Hancock, hut Ia
those who are To come, and this adj
ministration will so down in history
as the administration that freed Han
cock from burdensome and trouble
some tax, especially on the poor man
and a. the same time help to estab-
fish an era of good feeling in the only
city i'm the copper country.
The Other Side Presented.
The second development in the fight
came when the city officials came for
ward with statement to the effect
that the city council had no iurisdic-
ton in the matter when il was brought
mp last Wednesday evening, owing to
The fact that Il resolution and an or
dinance were on the books giving
power To the board of public works IL
place meters in all houses or in any
house The board at its session did
not recommend that the council pass a
resolution that meters he put in all
houses I'm the city occupied by two or
more families as the mayor assumed
when he put the question Ia the c1un-
ell, but the board had passed this rs