Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1921-07-07
MANY OBJECT
TO new RATES
CITIZENS ENTER PROTEST TO
THE CHARGES ESTABLISHED
FOR WATER SERVICE
SCHEDULE WILL Be REVISED
The Council Is Now Working Out New
Rate Sheet.

A lively discussion of the new water
council featured the business session
of the commercial club luncheon last
Tuesday evening. Quite number of
citizens were present to enter protest
against what they claimed was a too
drastic increase in water rates, and
the matter was thoroughly thrashed
out
The chief objection seemed to center
around two features of the new rates,
these being the rate charged for lawn
sprinkling and the additional charge
of 25 cents for each room in excess of
four. Some objection was also made
to certain rates charged business
houses.
The chief objection, however CEN
tered around the sprinkling change of
IA cents per square yard for the sea-
son. 1t was shown that some residents
having large tracts would be forced to
pay from $50 to $40 per season for
sprinkling privileges, while the charge
for the average sized lot would range
from Sc to SIS. 1t was agreed that this
was too high. During the discussion
il was mentioned that if the sprinkling
rates were not reduced people could
not afford to pay for sprinkling and
many lawns would be allowed to. dry
up to the detriment of the appearance
of the town.
After the objectors had all been
heard and suggestions listened to. DR..
Fry, in behalf of the council, stated
that the water and light rates as pub
lished by the Bonner Water & Light
Co. and established by the public utili-
ties commission, had not been raised,
but it was now being learned that
while the company had adhered quite
closely to the published light rates,
it had not been charging in many cases
the published water rates. The only
information the council had to work
upon were published rates, and il had
no way of knowing what each individ-
ual consumer had been paying. The
discussion brought out the fact that
the charges collected ranged all the
way from nothing for water service
up to the highest rate allowed by the
utilities commission.
Dr. Fry stated the council had no
desire to raise the rates, but called
to the attention of his hearers that the
council faced a difficult situation. that
of establishing a rate that would be
fair to all consumers and which would
return enough revenue to make the
water department self-sustaining. He
emphasized the fact that the council
was devoting lot of time and energy
to the work without a cent of pay and
asked for the patience and cooperation
of the public, stating that after the
city had had charge Of the water and
light departments for a month or two
and could learn what revenue would
he available rates would be made just
as low as would be consistent with
good business practice. DR. Fry fur
ther remarked that the public should
realize that whatever one pays now for
water and light service is. being used
to pay for the city's own systems.
Immediately following adjournment
of the commercial club meeting, the
council went into session and took up
the matter of readjusting the water
rates Last evening another long ses-
SIGN was devoted to this work and an
other meeting will be held Friday eve
ming to finish the task. 1t is most
difficult task to arrange a schedule
that will be fair to all consumers and
at the same time provide the needed
revenue. 1t can be said, however. that
the new rates now under consideration
will provide a substantial reducti IN in
sprinkling charges as well as certain
reductions in other items OF the
schedule.