St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1912-08-30
Water Committee Report

4
To the Honorable A. A. Mucl
aud members of the Common Coun
Gil of the City of St. Johns, Oregon
Gentleman: We, the undersign
ed, members of the special com
mittee appointed to investigate
water rates in the City of St. Johns,
Oregon, and to draft an ordinance
regulating the said rates, herewith
submit the following report:
First--Upon being appointed tc
investigate the rates charged by the
St. Johns Water Works and Light.
ing Company we notified the said
Water Company of Our appointment
and also suggested to the said Com
pany that some of its representatives
appeared before the committee and
offer such data as might fix a rate
which would be reasonable rate for
both the consumers and the Com
pany. This the company refused =,
failed, and neglected to do. Con-
sequently we have had very little
information upon which to proceed.
Second-The failure of the Water
Company to cooperate with the
committee has rendered the task of
getting information very difficult.
The rates of the Water Company
are absolutely unscientific and APP
parently are mere guesses as to
what rates the traffic in water
would stand.
Third-It is the opinion of the
committee after investigation that
the rates in effect are exorbitant.
There is an almost universal com.
plant by the consumers of water in
the City Of st. Johns against the
high cost Of water and against the
inefficient service. The water com
pany fails to keep up the pressure
agreed upon under the franchise,
fails in many places to supply pure
water, the consequences OF which is
that the consumer pays an exorbi-
tant rate for water and for service
which he does not get. Further
the failure to keep up pressure re-
suits in an inadequate fire protec-
ton.
Fourth-Your committee was ap.
pointed primarily with view to re-
duce the rates, aud, IN the oidi.
nance herewith submitted aud re-
commended by the committee, the
rates have been reduced. The com
mittee in the reduction OF rates has
tried TO make the reduction of rates
reasonable. The rates have been
classified as municipal rates, base
rates and meter rates. The munici.
pal rates have not been changed.
Many Of the schedules Of base rates
are unchanged. Other base rates
have been cut about IS per cent. The
principal change effected by the or.
dinance proposed is the allowing OF
every one other than the City OF ST.
Johns the preference of being put
upon meter rates. The meter rates
have been reduced about 10 ga per
cent. and the minimum charge
therefor has been reduced about as
per cent. Your committee feels
that the meter rate is the most sci.
entiiic base Of fixing rates. aud
that II the majority OF the water
consumers choose the meter rate II
will ultimately mean a large rtduc-
tion in the charges for water for the
reason that consumers will be pay
ing only for that amount of water
which is used. Then, too, after
the consumers are upon the meter
rates II the charges are too high a
further reduction could be made by
some council in the future by simply
lowering the meter rates.
Fifth-Your committee recon-.
mends:
The adoption OF the ordinance,
submitted.
b The enforcement Of the provis.
ion in the franchise of ST. Johns
Water Works and Lighting Com
pany relative TO the keeping OF
pressure OF twenty pounds to the
square inch.
That the Council appoint a
standing committee which shall be
known as the Water Board aud
which shall pass upon all com.
plants by consumers OF water. The
Water Board should be in constant
touch with the situation and should
make recommendations from time
TO time to the Council.
d That the ordinance proposed
should be enforced and that II by
chance the Courts should find that
the Council did not have the power
to regulate rates that the charter
be amended in such a way as to
the Council to regulate
rates and to control public service
Your committee how
ever, would suggest that should the
public service commission be created
under what is known as the Ma
larky Bill, at this general election,
relief for all matters connected with
public service corporations could be
had from this commission.
Dated at St. Johns this 27th day
of August, 1912.
Perry c. Stroud,
John T.. Hitler,
ID. Frank Horsman.