The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-01-21
Won Pein Says Minimum
Rate as Proposed in Water
Bid Brings Storm of Indig-
nation from Laborers.
$4,000 is ASKED
FOR LIGHT PLANT
Taylor Charge Is Unfounded
Bill Presented to Have
Lights Placed in Alleys
, Two Yearly Reports.

Declaring that he would not vote on
the water works bid unless the mini
mum rate for dwelling houses is chang
ed and that this rate is calling forth
a storm of indignation from the work
ingmen of the city, councilman-at-large
Mathew Won Pein opened discussion
on the water works matter in the city
council meeting last evening.
Mr. Won Pein expressed his dissatis-
faction of the bid of the Richmond
City Water Works and particularly Of
the minimum rate on dwelling houses
in strong terms, saying that it is dead
wrong" and would be an outrage to al
low such rate to stand. He said that
il the water company must have such
rates it should take the money away
from others than the workingman.
"If man uses only 50 or So worth
of water a year and must pay the full
minimum rate, there Is a premium for
wasting water When a person must
pay for the water he does not need, he
will not attempt to have it, said Mr..
Won Pein
Councilman Evans brought before
the council, a receipt given house
renter by the Water company showing
that the company had charged $500
for turning on the water when the man
moved into the house. Surprise was
expressed by the mayor and council,
who declared they had never heard of
such a cahrge. Mr.. Evans stated that
many workingmen were called dishon-
est because they were unable to pay
their debts.
1T is no wonder" said Mr.. Evans,
that such accusations are brought
against the workingmen. These people
are held responsible for paying to have
the water turned on. If this charge was
transferred to the property owner, he
in turn would make it up on the rent.
Public Utilities Bill.
Water consumers of Richmond who
are consumers of water will know
more about the rates here for the next
twenty-five years after the discussion
on the Public Utilities bill has taken
place tonight, at Indianapolis.
This bill is of more interest to the
people of this city than any other bill
before the legislature with the possible
exception of the penal farm bill. 1t pro-
vides that commission be appointed
to investigate all public service corpor-
ations and regulate the prices of the
product furnished by the corporation
to the satisfaction of the people and
with fairness to the corporation. If the
rates, in the opinion of the members
of the commission are too high they
will be lowered.
The bill also provides that the COM
mission take up the Railroad Commits
sion work. A manufacturer who be-
lieves railroad company would be
only doing him justice by placing a
siding up to his factory can appeal to
the commission to compel the railroad
to do so.
A committee from this city will at
tend the meeting of the senate commit
tee of the state legislature tonight and
will discuss the matter The commit
tee is composed of City Attorney Gard
ner, H. U. Johnson, Wilfred Jessup,
and Charles Jordan, secretary of the
Commercial club.
Wants $4,000.
Nimrod Johnson. superintendent of
the Municipal Light Plant appeared be-
fore the council to ask for an appropri-
alton of $4,000 for the improvements
on the city light plant, and to present
the light plant report for 1912. He stat
ed that the light plant is running full
force and has been turning away pros
pectfve patrons for some time. With
the proposed Improvements, he said,
the Municipal light plant will be able
to furnish the entire city with elec-
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