Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1912-11-25
MAV0D IMRMTC
lIGHAVN w HlvtJ
WATER RATE
INFORMATION
Tells Board He Was Not Con-
suited When Changes We're
Made and Asks for Chance
DISCUSS SUBJECT
BEFORE HIS CABINET

proposed cndnge IN wafer rates nor /
had he been consulted in the matter I
Mayor Harrison w Howell, at this
mornings meeting Of the Board, /
urged that the people be given more /
time to consider the proposed changes. /
If the people do not appear inter !
ested and the Board thinks the pro-
posed change good, the Mayor said, |
the Board should adopt the new
rates. AS a result of the Mayors |
visit, action on the proposed change
in rates was deferred
When the Commissioners assem- \
bled for the meeting, j. Writ Willis, !
representing the New Castle Leather
Company, Dehaven Morris, OF the
firm of Morris and Tazewell; Alfred
Moore. Of Gibbons and Moore; J.. /
jackson Pierce. Charles +. Fox, of
the Delaware Trust Company; James
j. Jones, real estate men; George +.
McGovern, of the Board of Trade and
Harry e. Mellon, a plumber, were
present
With the opening of the meeting
the following letter from the Real
Estate Brokers' Association was read
Honorable Board of Water Commits
sioners of Wilmington Delaware
Gentlemen We respectfully pro-
test to your honorable board against
the adoption of the proposed schedule
of water rentals by the Board Of Wa
ter Commissioners on the grounds
that. ina our Judgment, they are not
justified by the facts as brought out
at the hearing had on the matter on
Monday morning last, that they viii
not accomplish the result claimed by
your board, t. e., the elimination Of
waste; that the rates as proposed
Will cause a very material increase
i'm the water rentals of the city-bOth
commercial and domestic-and mas
much as your surplus earnings COM
pare very favorably with those Of
other cities in the class Of Whining
ION from 10000 TO l0O,000l we can
not understand the necessity for any
increase i'm rates.
I'VE therefore request that your
board defer the proposed changes
, until the public (which is directly
interested in these changes) can
more fully inform itself on the mat
ter. and until the member OF your
board. AZ present confined TO his
home through illness, is able TO be
present SO that the matter may be
considered by the entire board Of
commissioners
In making this request we speak
not alone for the large number of the
owners of property whom we repre-
sent directly but for an even larger
nunibcr of Individual owners ana &c.
cunants of property who have com
mungated with us ON the subject
I've wish TO assure your board thai
wc have no desire to interfere I'm ans
way with the conduct of amy depart
meni of the city government, on tho
contrary We offer our services to the
end that 4 fair and equitable adjust.
mout OF the matter may Zoe had.
Respectfully submitted,
Real Estate Brokers Association,
Alfred r. Moore. President
Attest, Charles r. Fox, Secretary
The letter is signed by the following
members of the association.
Delaware Trust Company. W. w
pusev. ID title and real estate Off
Ger. c. j. O'Kecfe, G. c. Griffith, J
Jackson Peirce and Son, Equitable
Guarantee and Trust Company, by
Joseph NJ SEWER: A. y. Stayton Com
pany. Gibbons and Moore, George r
Townsend Company, Security Trus
and Safe Deposit Company l.. Scot
Townsend yice-president; J. Milton
Maddox, L. b. Wakeman. John Craig
Morris and Tazewell John J. Mon
Afghan. Wilmington Trust Company
Real Estate Department, by James II
Scott, Charles W. Gooding. George w
Miller, John w Talley and Son, b.
John W. Talley, Edmund p, Moody ant
Henry Hopes
This was followed by letters IRON
n. b. Danforth William J Fisher
w r. Powell and G. H. Hayden. T
Chalkley Hatton, an engineer, alsI
sent a letter in which he quoted ca
perts opinions TO substantiate his Oh
lection of providing for slidini
scale in the rates. He said that gs'
companies and even ,he governmal
charged each other for what was USE
irrespective of the quantities the
buy The housekeeper Mr. Hatio
said used water as a living necessit
only, while the manufacturer used
as a means for profit II was Nh
Hattons opinion that the small con
sumer, will not use the same amour
while the manufacturer will althoug
he will be charged less than IN
small consumer.
Mr.. Hatton said that it was fac
that water was being wasted in larg
quantities in manufacturing plants
although not with The knowledge {
the manufacturer. perhaps. He urge
that the cost Of water be based o
the cost Of actual production an
Nimpng The letter closed, with n
statement that the writer had to g
west. otherwise he would have bee
present. The letter. while on a lei
ter head Of Mr. Hatton's was not sig
ed
Mayor Howell. who entered n
Board room while Mr.. Hatton's lett
was being read, was called on
speak, and i'm addressing Presidei
Knox, said in part:
Il am here to familiarize myse
about the proposed rates and part
due to my conversation with you.
have not had any definite report, b
you know, have been busy IN civ
matters You know ] am Mayor
all the people, and when ! told W
I had not been informed of these pr
posed changes in our water rates, W
told me you were too busy TO run aft
me.
The matter of the proposed cham
YOU said had been considered for fol
years, and If good thing it would
better to have people learn OF It
the next six months. People vi
don't desire their names made publ
come to me and speak of the cham
- -.-., tI,,s don't e~ix-D fhrfr ohio