Perth Amboy evening news., 1913-06-05
WANTS LARGER
METER TESTER
Supt. CroweII Makes Re-
Commendation to Water Bd.

That the city may be losing hun
dreds of dollars a month because Of
the inability of the water department
to test meters above the two-inCh
size, was the substance Of a report
made by Superintendent A. H. Gro
well to the Board of Water Commits
sioners last night. Mr.. Crowell cited
one instance Of loss to the city last
month. He stated that at one plant
in the city he believed that $500
value of used water had not been
recorded by the six-inch meter at that
place. Mr.. Crowell recommended
that an apparatus be obtained by
which tests may be made of all
meters above the two-inch grade. He
stated that at present the meters
above the two-lnch size have to be
taken to Jersey City to be tested If
it is suspected they are out of order,
and that as such expedient is very
inconvenient and expensive that par
ties having such a meter are reluc-
tant to report the deficiency in same
because of the tediousness, etc, of
having 1t tested outside Of the city.
Mr.. Crowell suggested that an ad-
the above mentioned testing appara-
tus In the proposed headquarters,
which he recommended some time
ago as being needed for the water
department. The superintendent laid
stress on the rapidity in which the
large meters could be tested If a test
ing device were purchased by the
( board. On being questioned as to
the cost of such an apparatus Mr..
| CroWell was uniformed, so a mo-
tion was passed instructing him to
( get such information and supply the
( board with same at its next meeting,
Another matter which Mr.. Crowell
| brought to the attention of the board
was concerning the G. Pardee Works
meter system. He stated that he
had been trying to get the plant tC
install meters on the main watel
lines leading to the works but tha
as yet he had been unsuccessful Thi
| has been done by other plants Of thu
| city. He stated that he had always
been asked to wait for a while, anC
that when Pardees intend to take the
action he requested seemed very in
definite.
He said that the works have indiv-
idual meters located about the plant
many of which would get out OF
order and remain SO without the
water departments knowledge. He
stated that four meters were opera
ting In an inferior manner in the
plant during the last month, that the
department has no way of keeping
check on their workings, and that
they can now be easily tampered with
as far as the knowledge of the de-
partment concerning same goes. He
recommended that the plant be re-
quired to have q six-inch meter on
each Of It's main lines, on which the
water department can more easily
keep tabs.
! A motion was carried instructinl
] Secretary w. Guy Weaver to notify
| the works that they would have tc
meet the necessary requirements oil
! the board in the matter, as is done by
other manufacturing plants in the
| city.
| A petition was received signed by
, four residents In Sutton street ask
| ing the board to place q water main
in that street near Johnstone street
1t was referred to the pipe commit
| tee.
Samuel G. GarretsOn appeared be
| fore the board and made a complaint
as to a water bill for S32.97, sup
posed to have been incurred at one
] of his six-room tenement houses II
| DeKalb avenue. The bill was for tht
| quarter beginning December /. HI
! showed another bill for another ad
! Joining six-family house for 1897
He asked the board to consider the
discrepancy. He stated there haC
4 been a leak in the former house, bl
/ he thought same had been repaired
/ too soon to waste enough water tC
/ increase his bill to about double the
+ other bill. The matter was referred
to the superintendent TO investigate
and report on same at the next meet
! ing OF the board.
An application was received for ;
plum ber's license, made by OttC
Miller, of SIT State street. 1t will
be Investigated and report on same
heard at the next meeting.
w. p. Nolan. the new commission
er, appointed by the council Monda!
night, was present, though as yet h
has not been assigned to any commit
| tees. The Other commissioners pres
ent were: Charles D. Snedeker
! Thomas Grieve and Clarence c. Sib
ley.