The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1921-08-03


| other city purposes. The City seems
inclined 10 this view, There should
be no service charge or family
charge There should be a minimum
charge depending upon the size of the
motor, and this charge VIII neces-
/ sarily have to be somewhat higher
! than IS ordinarily the case Tor at least
| the drst month or two. until the
amount of revenue under the new
| rates IS disclosed
1.-The meter should be read and bills
collected monthly IN order that the
consumers may be informed OF their
| consumption Landlords owning build
ings for rent should be permitted to
have the entire building on one meter
/ or should have each tenant In the
| building metered If they desire In
| the latter case. the landlord should be
required to make any necessary alter
alton IN his plumbing, and al his own
| expense. in order to install the meter
All tho water consumed, should DO me-
tered by the water company. except
that used for fire and other purposes
where it Is 1mpracticable to meter.
1T la important that there should be
q rate established for domestic sprink-
ling that will encourage the use of
water for that purpose. The sprinkling
season of 1921 will be practically over
when this order goes into effect, so
that tho question need not be decided
until more reliable Information is
available. 1t is difficult. If not i'm
possible. to fix a rate for that kind
Of service until experience under the
new rates has developed what the con.
sumption for purposes other than
sprinkling viii be- Tho Commission.
therefore. viii. not later than April l
1922 make an Investigation and hold
a hearing for the purpose OF estao-
fishing a special rate for domestic
sprinkling. If 1t is found to be prac-
ticably to establish such rate.
FIRE HYDRANT RENTALS"
The evidence shows that the wa
ter company has 100000 feet OF water
mains in East Chicago. There are in
the city 375 fire MIGRANTS. It is the
almost universal rule in American I
cities that there should be at least one /
fire hydrant to each 500 feet Of water
main throughout the city. and that IN |
congested business districts the inter-
walls between hydrants should be from
200 20 500 feet East Chicago has too |
few fire hydrants. which is a damage /
and detrimeDt 10 the city by way of
less protection from destructive fres
and also through the higher ratings Of /
the insurance companies.
The City should have at least 500 I
ire hydrants on the present system Of /
mains. and the Commission believes
that the water company should be re-
quired to install. at its own expense,
sufficient number during eoch of the
next three years. without additional
rental cost to the city. so that at the
end OF the period the city will have at
least 500 fire hydrants on the present
system OF mains. These should be in
stalled by the water company at points
designated by the City. At least 40
should be installed during the drst
year.
The installation of these additional
fire hydrants will cost in the neigh
borhood of $4,000. but the Commission
believes that the expenditure is neces-
sary in order that the City may be as
sured OF adequate fire protection In
that respect
The City Is now paying the water
company a rate OF s4S.o0 per year for
fire hydrants. The rate is extremely
low in comparison with rates OF other
cities OF Ike character. The best au-
thorities agree that under ordinary
circumstances. such as exist IN this
case. the City should pay for fire pro-
lection at least S1.00 per year per
capita Some estimates run as high as
$3.50 per capita 1t Is also believed
that fire protection service in a city
should yield revenue sufficient to meet
approximately 25 per cent of the whole
cost of the water supply. including
fixed charges. The Commission be-
lieves the City of East Chicago should
pay. under the present circumstances,
$4,000 per year for fire hydrant serv-
ice. that amount being approximately
s1.00 per capita and approximately is
per cent OF the whole cost of furnish
ing the water service to the City.
The water company should be re-
quired to install at its own expense
during the next three years enough
additional hydrants on the present sys-
tenn Of mains so that at the end Of
three years there will be 500 fire hy-
drants on the present system of mains.
and there should be no additional
charge against the city over and above
the $4,000 for such additional hy-
drants.
ION new mains laid during the next
three years. and after that. unless
otherwise ordered, the City should have
Installed on the average OF one are
dydrant for each 500 feet Of main. and
should be required 20 pay an annual
rental OF $4,000 per hydrant for such
hydrants. The City should also be re-
CURED to pay 5000 per year for each
hydrant IN excess Of 500 attached to
the present system Of mains IL there
should be any such.
Tho rates herein authorized are
radical reduction and modification OF
the meter rates heretofore authorized.
The audit shows that tho new rates
will yield little. If any more. revenue
from the average domestic consumer
than the fat rates now in effect.
The rate to the city Mas been soma
what increased. but the increase IS off,
set to a considerable extent by the ad- :
iitional fire protection which will be
given by the installation Of the adj
litional fire hydrants by the water :
company without initial cost or rate
Increase to the city.
The rates to Industrial consumers
AVE been adjusted and arc believed to
30 reasonable. Domestic and other
consumers who desire to economic on {