Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-02-18


gallons for any quantity between
= 00o and iS.00O SALONS; 25tsc for
any quantity rum 1900 20 $1,000
gallons. 2sc for any quantity over
o.000 SALONS nv this system every
consumer pays the maximum rate ~
3bc for the FIRST 5000 gallons used
and the maximum rate for each divi-
sion under the meter-rate schedule.
on ench % liz bills the Water prints
an alleged schedule under the head.
ing Meter Rates." and quotes these
rotes a. " they were taken from tho
schedule IN the franchise. while In
fact mo- such schedule II authorized.
clearly shows that consumers using
over 5000 gallons per month, or
rather more than zoo Faliona daily,
were ~ have the rate for the amount
used on the entire quantity.
From the statements Of two former
ma nagere 81 the water company I
learn that the company that original
las ohtrlned thc present franchise con.
strued Il az I have Indicated above,
and the charges were made on the
basis Of the rate for the total amount
consumed during the month. o. wns
not until the present management
obtained control ~ the company that
the rates were raised as shown
above.
~ the present system the company
collects from every puuyumer Who
uses moro than G 00a gallons monthly
30c per munth and the amount 90 OK.
ccssivc charge Increases in proper
tiun To- the amount consumed until
the consumer who uHcs 100000 gul.
Ions per month pays t26.20 instead
OF fs0.00 - | am informed there
are ubout i.a0o meters Installed In
the City, u can be seen That this
oyercharge. while small Va each IN
diyidual case. amounts Co q large In
/ crease Of revenue for the COMPANY.
There is no question Ia my mind that
this system Of charges IL in violation
OF the terms nt The franchise and ~
| Illegal.
u seeins 10 be the general impress
sion that the Water company may
make u minimum rate ~ 81 SO per
month ia all cases, but ! und that the
| Z. rms 81 the franchise only partially
| bear out this assumption. Under the
| terms ut the iran hise thr company
| may establish q minimum rate of
$3.50 per month where the meter b.
| Installed at the request Of the con-
| sumner. hut where the company in
| stalls meter nt rs own Volitluu and
flor IL own protection the minimum
charge iS the schedule ratio for the
premises unless said schedule rate eN-
igccus t1.Nu per month. when meter
rates must be chufged A. an Illus
tration The schedule rnt@ for res-
idence Of four rooms or less is Soc
| per month. providing there ATE mo-
/ extras such ls bath tuh toilets. wash
basins, etc. Ia this case the mini
mum rate wher" the meter was in
| stuffed ht IA. Initiative uf the COIN
p1ny would hr ssC per month nUd su
In AN eases where the schedule Tor
the premises docs not exceed 81 y"
! per month. This system ol over
charge affects seriously the smaller
consumer and ma b. not enforced
| ny the company IN all cases.
/ Under the provisions go the iran
| chisc the company " required go
/ make an adjustment 81 rateH to %
! minimum at 81 80 per month On JUN
lH of each year. This means In -r-
feet that consumers are 81 have
| credit during thC summer months
| quantity they failed q" us. during the
winter and for which they wer"
| charged the fuli minimum rate.
4 For example. if consumer use-
an average at 5000 gallons monthly
from November To- April he would be-
rntitled to q credit of about 2lOO
] gallons per month o. be- applied nn
bills Tor months when thu consump
, ton was In eXrtsg ~ 5.I0O gallons,
| that being about the quantity for
which ho would pa " so per month
Iut IN Wrtrg rate. I lud that ne
| present management ut the company
makes 40 adjustment at rates and
! gives no credits, hut that the former
management that Be- those in control
mp Co about TWO years ago ala make
periodical adjustments and glVr Crrd'
Do tor water charged FOR iu excess oi
the amount used
I have received numerous com
plants of caprl"iuus ANA maniiettlS
! unreasonahlr charges ~ one case
| Wher, the monthly bili increased from
$3.50 per month. az which figure u
had remained for several years e.
a.0h for the month, ana the meter
| reading showed an Increase of con
sumption 81 from ea17 gallons q,
l2.it2 gallons. although there hn'
been apparently NO Increase in ih'
actual amount az water consumed
This is an cXtrcm" case bat ! find
there or" larg1 number Of case
OF thr same Kind The answer OF
the company officials 10 complaint
in such eases is invariably that th'
consumer has wasted the water oi
that there IL leakage iu the pipes
hut I am OF the opinion that this d
not sufficient 10 account for tho dts
cr-pun,tes in majority OF IN" casel
ana that in many instances the m"
tiers are not read or read with gruH
Cnrelrssuess. Ia one case the hll
of january, 1913, showed hubstau
tai increase over that va boCoWhrT
although a. q matter az fact the m"
ter WAS frozen during the Las
fifteen DAYS Ot the fiscal month lU'
the consumer obtained an ~ his sup
plN of water from nelghbur
peculiar feature OF the mutter wa
that the nriRhhnrs I'LL for the muu'l
was only about half that ut the coE
though m" uvighhuT had used hi
usual amount uf water ana TO- ada
tiou supplied another family u
another ease during two mgnths th'
meter was frozen and me- water pass
I'd through yct the bills tor those tw'
months showed % substantial inCrras
over those for preceding months, II
this ease the consumer mad plumb
Ter cNHmin, the meter ana pipes nn'
ho found that 10 water could pas
Through IN" meter and thor" wa
leaknEc Ia he pipes. q seems TIA
such uu-tances might be- multiplied iu
definitely ana that the water com
pauN apparently makrs very little 81
fort Ia Tactity conditions hy tcstiul
meters where complaints ur" madl
or bv insisting upou correct reading
by A. employees.
Another system uf charges to
which there appears IN he No. author
lty under the franchis" b. that Of IN