Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-11-24
REDUCTION OF
WATER RATES
Demand Becoming Insistant
for Lower Water Rentals;
May Enter Campaign
RATES ARE EXCESSIVE
Consumers Have Paid for
Plant and All Extensions
and Tire Of High Rates

The demand for reduction of
water rates is becoming insstent in
the city, and the apparent reluctance
of the present council to make the
required reduction promises to make
the question considerable issue in
She spring elections. There seems to
be lack of information in the coun-
Gil regarding water rates as fixed in
other cities which own their own
system 1t is being pointed out that
while Aberdeen preens itself upon
owning its own system, those who
use the water, those for whose bene-
fit it is owned and whose money
pays for it are no better, if as well,
off than they would be under a pri-
vately owned system.
Highest Rates in Country
The Herald has stated time and
again, and it has not been contra
dicted, that this city paid the high
est water rates of any city owning
its own system in the United States.
It's water consumers put up with
more penalizing and discourtesy than
would be tolerated in any private
concern. The management of it's fl
nances have been wrong from the
start The resident consumers are
taxed for extensions and improve
ments which add to the value of un-
occupied property, yet private con-
Germ that would undertake to collect
rates based on the cost of its extern
sions and improvements in addition
to the maintenance would quickly
hear something snap.
Consumers Pay for Plant -~
In the five months ending October
81 the water department collected
$27.395.79, while the cost of main
tenance was $1O,7697O, and $4,O1S.S9
was expended for improvements and
extensions, showing profit of $751;
626O9 in the five months, or an av.
erage of $3,325.21 a month, and ex-
tortionate sum to be wrung from the
consumers of the city.
Up to November /, the sum of ST.
1923 was expended on the Fairview
reservoir, and it is estimated it will
require $4,000 to complete it. There
is $4,000 Of water fund money lying
idle, invested in sewer bonds, which
has been drawing interest since 1908,
and the system is entirely free of
debt. Since the plant was acquired
by the city, the consumers have paid
all cost of the plant, paid off the
bonds against it along with the in
terest, and it is small wonder that the
people are now demanding lower
ing of rates, and some of the advan-
tages of municipality owned plant.
Injustice Of Present Rates
AS the fiat rates are now fixed,
economy in faucets and waste in
water are encouraged. The council
should inform itself from the exper-
ience of other cities before attempt
ing to fix new rate schedule. The
plan of taxing by the faucet is OBJ
viously unjust The Herald knows
an instance where widow living
alone is charged $3.50 a month, while
there are houses in South Aberdeen
occupied by ten or more persons u.s.
ing but one faucet, where the charge
is $1.00 a month.
There are approximately 1900
houses on a fiat rate, and it is safe
to assume if a family rate, regard
less of faucets, was established at
$1.00 month, the difference in the
monthly receipts would not exceed
$500 a month, reduction that could
we'll be afforded where the net pro-
fit per month is shown to be over
$4,000. The fact is that a reduction
all along the line is overdue, and if
not granted by the present council
will certainly be the leading issue IN
the elections.
Changes in Collections Also
1t has been suggested that the
method of collecting water rates be
radically changed; that instead Of
collecting monthly, fiat rates be
collected quarterly or semi-annually,
and that they be made lien on the
property, instead of looking to the
occupant of the property for the
rental. This method is highly salts
factory in many cities. 1t reduces
the clerical work in the Office, does
away with the penalizing system now
ly insures all collections.