New Britain herald., 1917-02-10

cOnLrACLB are maOe on a CaSn ulSCOuAl 1 for prompt payment and payment for ] same as executed as above. All debts I contracted are paid by check, no swapping or exchange of bills or ac- counts are allowed. Salary accounts are paid the first of each north. Superintendent and foreman are paid on the first and fifteenth and receipts for amounts are filed with regular vouchers.
 Miscellaneous expense for office use is paid in cash at time of purchase, each six months articles are itimized and a check drawn for same and de- posted as cash.
 When any land for right of way or for protection of water supply is pur- chased 1t Is searched and description obtained, approved by the mayor and comptroller afterwards approved by board and recorded on record book or the department, a certificate of title and a warrantee deed is obtained. re- corded in town where property Is located. All deeds, rights of way and water damages are numbered, 1n- dexed and recorded in book for that purpose, date of purchase and amount paid. t.#... .a .ft ra .-t
 Method of Collecting Revenue.
 Uncer tho meter system, a record of, meters, number of house, owner, street, date. of setting, testing and changing is kept in a card system Books containing a sheet foD each house for two years, where the month ly readings are recorded and kept. During June and December of each year the readings are transferred to ledgers, bills made therefrom and mailed to owners or agents. All un- collected bills ending January and July 31st are taken from the ledger, new bills with interest added and mailed. thirty days after second notice is sent. which as rule brings a ma- jority of them around. A few have to be threatened. All old accounts must be paid before the current bill. All other accounts for labor, ma- terial, etc. ,are charged on a, day book and a petty ledger. All money de- posted is entered on cash book, also on order book where balance is shown. Daily balances are made during the collection period to detect errors which migh occur. All payments to treasurer are acknowledged by receipt. All receipts are on stubs which are en- tered on sheets totalled, checked by com ptro1ler and correspond generally with deposits.
 The physical management Is under the supervision of Superintendent J. H. Towers, who has charge and the re- sponsibility of the entire supply. He has supervision over the caretakers of the different reservoirs, tho ad ditions and repairs locally.
 The engineering work has been trs nsferred to the city engineer who will have full charge of all new con- struction or development of the sys- tenn, his report to be made to the board. All expenses in connection with his duties are paid from the de- partment's funds.
 The executive or general manage m ent Is in the hands of the members of the board, whose action is collec- tive, except in minor details which are covered at the office, as occasion re- auires, the chairman is the responsible head, who has to take all responsi- bility in case of failures and divide co-equall. with other members when success is attained. t.e
 A Few Statistics to 1915.
 Cost of reservoirs and distributing mains $1,72O, O,000.O0; relaying in city, larger mains $96, ,000.00; metering city $73,0cO.00: land and buildings $110,- OOO.oO water rights and mill damages $73,1o0.0o. ...
 Water mains are in 237 streets; 5,1oo buildings: 11,000 families, $500 meters, 56.00O people: 90 miles of mains; 1900 valves: 720 hydrants; 4 100000 gallons capacity; 10 gate houses; size of pipe, inch to 30 inch; 2,50O acres of land, including sites. Value of property (comptroller) $2,s00,910.46. Receipts to 1916. $2.423,179.S9. Taxes paid 1915, $1,955.75.
 A daily record is kept of the rise or fall of oach reservoir. as we'll as rain- fall for each month and a total for each year.
 Personnal of the depart: Three commissioners one of whom Is chair nan) clerk, assistant clerk superin- tendcnt, two foremen. three inspectors, three caretakers
 Location of plant, Shutte Meadow Lake, Southington; East canal; West canal. Plainville; High Service reser- voir. City; Reservoir. Wolcott; Reser- voir. Burlington; New supply, Upper Burlington. F. T. Stanley, H. E. Russell and G. M. I>enders.
 The first meters were set in 1869 ac- cording to the report for that year water was wasted same as it is in many cases at the present date.
 P. J. EGAN.
 Clerk.