The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-03-16
Manufacturers Tell Board of
Works Water Company
Did Not Pay Cost of In
stallatiOn.
MERCHANTS JOIN
IN FIGHTING COST
Bond Explains Charge In
cluded Because Pu b lie
Utilities Hereafter Not Oh.
ligated to Furnish Service
Free.

committee of manufa cturers ana
wholesale merchants attended the
meeting OF the board of public works
To-Day TO protest against any charge
lor readiness to serve or for water
USED, IN case of fire. in the overhead
sprinkler systems, with which sixteen
estaollshments OF Richmond are equip
peo. The protest arose as the result
OF the city's proposing a charge OF
nve cents per sprinkler head. or a
minimum OF $50 per system per an
mum. IN the tentative schedule of water
rates recently submitted to the state
utilities commission.
City Attorney Bond exp,ained that
this charge was a tentative one and
had been included because the state
commission had laid down the dictum
that public utilities hereafter would
not De called upon TO furnish any free
service. Mr.. Bavis, president of the
board. further explained that the city.
Ieellng the domestic consumers had
ueen paying too much for water, felt
this charge would enable more eouit-
able rates for all classes of copsum-
ers TO be established
The committee. however. pointed
out that under existing conditions, the
city paid all the costs of fire pro-
lection. Through the general taxes a
sufficient fund was raised to meet the
expenses of the fire department and
to pay the water works company a
return on its investment in mains and
MIGRANTS; in other words, readiness
TO serve for protection against fire.
The committee pointed out that all
manufacturers and merchants. as we'll
as particularly those who have INSTALL
ed the overhead sprinkler system. arr
heavy contributors TO that portion Of
the fund raised through general taxa
tlon that is used for fire protection
purposes.
In addition the committee pointed
out sixteen manufacturers and whole
saiers have used their own money. not
the clty's nor the water works in in
stalllng the sprinkler device in their
establishments. In other words. fig
uratively speaking. they have laid tine
hose i'm their plants and. in event OF a
hre, they receive no more than their
just dues under the taxes they nav
. from the water that is turned on and
goes through that hose which is fur
nished them at no additional charge.
The overhead sprinkler in reality il
direct beneft 10 every Deiehbor,
hood surrounding an establishment in
which IL Is installed II consists of
overhead pipes with holes at specified
intervals. These holes. however. are
plugged with a special composition
metal that melts at a comparative low
temperature. In case of a fire. there
fore. in any part of the factory equip
ped with the device. the head soon
melts these plugs and a spray of water
coming, IS ii does, right at the start
of the fire. soon has the blaze under
control and prevents what might other
wise have been conflagration. Near
ly every establishment so equipped in
Richmond has put out fires in this wav
and in most cases the fire department
has never been called.
Members of the committee saw thew
felt the proposed charge. being in the
nature of double taxation. was unjust
and that the city should use its in.
| f1uenCe with the state utilities com.
mission against il.
| The board was impressed with ,bs
justice of the committees contention
and will meet with John l.. Rupe. VINO
was chosen TO represent the commit.
tee. later in the week, and finally ad
! justing the matter