The Hawaiian gazette., 1912-11-15
WATER RATE ON
WATERFRONT UP


While n material reduction in water
atos for the waterfront has been prom
Iscd by the government after January
!, there is promise of another reduction
during the coming year, according to
the statement made before the chamb T
of commerce trustees yesterday after
noon by Vice President f. G.. Athefton
1.-THE reduction cannot be made be
low certain per cent, - said Mr. Atb.
erton, lowing to the necessity of keep.
M M the revenues, hut rs ro-e water
meters are installed the revenues would
naturally be increas d. Mkt wear there
may be an additional reduction. "
The question of water reduction came
up through correspondence had between
T. II. Davies n Company. agents for n
steamship line, and the hoard of ha bor
commissioners. The company, in n let
ter to the harbor commissioners, dated
October 2l, stated that for "euch
water as the government can supply
through its water system charge is
made TO the Canadian. Australian steam
ship company of u cent per gallon. or
$3.50 per thousand gallons"
Excessive Ratio Charged.
The company cited the steamship
Zealandia, to which the government was
unable to supply more than 43,309 gal
Ions in the time the vessel was in port
at the rate of $500 gallons per hour, and
consequently the company had to take
water from barge, $1,000 gallons being
so taken. The total water taken by the
Zeaiandia was l0l ,2d9 gallons, which
cost $5i297 Mt the rate of 1896 per
thousand gallons, The company con.
sidered this obviously out of all reason.
Davies & Company strongly repre-.
scented that the government should with.
out delay get its water system so mr..
ranged that it can deliver to visiting
vessels such water as they require with.
in reasonable time, and, secondly, that
the charge for such water be reduced
TO one tenth of the present rate.
Straightforward Letter.
cat time when so much is said
about Honolulu becoming port of call
for vessels needing coal, water and sup
plies, wrote Davies & Company to the
chamber of commerce on October %,
: it does not seem .inopportune for us
to suggest to the chamber of commerce
that 1t shall use every effort to have
the harbor expenses fixed on n reason
able basis, so that the assurance can
be given to shipowners that vessels can
make use of this port without fear of
having to pay absurd prices for either
accommodation or supplies.
eff it is advertised that for the item
of water alone $3.50 per thousand gal.
Ions Is the charge, the natural infer
ence will DO that all other items are
equally high, and Honolulu will not be
a very popular port for transient steam.
ers. There may be some ports in the
world, where vessels lie off long way
from shore and have to take their water
from barges, when the charge is high,
but we do not think there are any such
ports where the charge is equal to what
it is in Honolulu. Certainly there are
no socalled civilized ports where YES
sells can go alongside the wharf where
the charge for water is what it is in
Honolulu.
"We are pleased to know that the
water rates charged have been the sub
Ject of criticism by Others than our
selves, and so we entertain the hope
that if the complaints can only be kept
alive n remedy may eventually be dis
covered.
at is interesting to learn that the
difficulty of making the combined water
and sewer systems cover their expenses
necessitates charging for water more
than it costs in any other port in the
world"