The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-05-28

stall, Other cities have met the cost
by advancing It to the individual con
sumers and then allowing them to pay
II Off a little on each bill
eve want TO see our lawns kept up
and the beauty, of the city increase
yearly rather than diminish. We want
the, poor people to have all the baths
they wish. But believe we can give
them water at five cents a thoufand
IPAllons for which they now are paying
seven and one-half cents.
lt&t1This proposed change in rates is
merely trying to make both ends meet
by raising taxes; it Is not seeking
economy, With true economy, we can
haye moro water than ever and lower
taxes.
Still, Another Waste
| - There is still another waste. Wa
ter that runs off into the sewers all
must be pumped up fourteen feet and
forced out to sea. That means add
tional fuel, labor and maintenance
charges.'h #
James T. Taylor, an engineer who
| was instrumental in drawing up plans
to end the Nuuanu water famine, and
who has given the general subject much
study, said that the records of other
,, cities showed that, where meters had
been installed, saving had resulted of
between twenty-five and seventy-five
per cent. He had no doubt that a saw.
| per cent would be shown in Honolulu
The water department, Mr.. Taylor
pointed out, was now burdened with
the sewer department. The two, hC
thought, should be made separate and
self sustaining. "There is no ques
ton" he concluded, "that the meter
system is the only solution Of the prob
| lem pc
Working Elsewhere
Emil A. Berndt, chairman Of the pro
motion committee, spoke to the same
general effect. There was only one
method Of, attacking the problem, he
said, and that was to measure the in
flow and the outflow. He instanced q
town in Michigan which had been com
PEELED to install meters because il
found, its sewer system was becoming
overtaxed and 1t hadn't money enough
to build new sewers. After a period
of experience during which the popu
lation of the town had doubled, the
original sewer system still had a ca
pacitv margin Of twenty-five per cent
left, everybody had just as much water
as ever, for use not waste, and it had
not been necessary to increase the sup
ply.
I'D Towse, a student of muhieipa
affairs, told of another town which hest
tated to expend $4,000 on meters, and
at the end of the first year had saved
$4,000. d. " -
Ed Paris spoke of the experience Of
the city with fat rate for electric
lighting. Many persons had objected t.
the idea of meters, but after they hal
been installed they found. first, that
their bills were very much less, by rea
son Of 'eommon sense economies which
worked no deprivation, and then that
the rate was lowered, effecting still fur
ther economies at the fountain head OF
charges
Secretary Brown quoted Superintend
ent Murray to the effect that it would
! cost Honolulu in the neighborhood OF
$ll0,O0" to put In universal meters.
Mr.. Taylor also brought up the sub
! iCct Of water charges to shipping. A
careful investigation had convinced hin
that the actual expense of supplying
ships is not more than thirty to forty
ceuts u thousand gal ons at the outside
whereas tn" new rates propose charges
of g. so. Seventy.fve cents, or at the
most dollar, he thought, would he q
more cquita Bile charge. San Francisco
charges twenty five cents a thousanG
gallons.
Mr.. Taylor did not say that thi,
same San Francisco rate, which il i'm
posed bv the Spring Valley Water Com
Panv, private corporation, is a sourc,
Of COMPLAINT from ship owners all owe
the world, who term it exorbitant, an,
that one of the chief arguments ad
vanced for the acquisition of the Hctcl
Hetchv water system bv the city ha,
ICCn the desire to attract ships by Civ
ing them rate on fair par with othe
great ports.