The Indianapolis times., 1928-12-20
Water CO. TO
Face State
Meter PROBE
City-Wide Survey Started;
Injustice to Consumers
Is Charged.
ORDER HEARING DEC. 27
Corporation Should Pay for
installation, View of
Calvin Mcintosh.

sweeping CnargGS OF lnJuSVlce 10
consumers in the new meter pro-
gram of the indianapolis Water
Company started a searching in
vestigation today by the state pub
lie service commission.
Armed with a list of 600 persons
who recently have paid plumbers
for installing meters ordered placed
on their property by the water COM
pany, commission engineers began
city-wide survey regarding meter
installation costs.
Their findings will be a portion
of the evidence to be presented be-
fore the commission at the public
hearing on the water company me-
terization program, ordered by
Commissioner Howell Ellis for
Dec. 27.
Since the order was issued, with
approval of all commissioners, meter
installation has been stopped, Ellis
ruling that no more work be done
until after the commission hearing.
Ellis Orders Survey
Ellis ordered the survey made and
placed Harry Wenger, chief of the
engineering department, in charge.
He is being assisted by Hugh Albeit
and w F.. Lebo of the engineering
department.
They expect to have much con-
crete information regarding plum
bers' charges and the method used
by the water company in forcing
meters to be installed, Wenger de-
clared.
Practice of water companies in
other cities also is being investigated
for use as evidence at the hearing,
Ellis stated today
He has ordered William Edwards,
service department chief, to visit
leading Indiana cities and obtain
this data. Edwards left on his
statewide survey Wednesday, start
ing work at Evansville.
Complaints Are PrObed
Edwards has spent much time fol-
lowing complaints made against
water company methods. Inciud-
ed in them have been cases where
water was shut off after fiat rate
had been paid in advance, because
the property owner failed to install
a meter when ordered to do so by
the water company.
The company bases its orders on
a public service commission order
of 1923, which Senator Robert L.
Moorhead alleges was dictated by
the company attorney"
Moorhead has asked permission
to present an affidavit at the hear
ing, showing he was to be charged
$50 by plumbers for installing a
meter in a cellarlesS house.
He also alleges that the cost has
been so excessive in certain in
stances that families of modest
means were forced to go to small
loan firms to borrow money to have
the meter installed.
Mcintosh Against Order
Commissioner Calvin Mcintosh,
who first advocated free meter in
stallation, to be paid for by the
water company, arose from a sick
bed today to tell The Indianapolis
Times that he still feels the same
way about the matter.
what the commission ordered in
1928 doesn't mean a thing in this
matter" Mcintosh declared. "Such
orders should be cancelled or modi-
fled when they become unjust.
when water company subscrib-
erS originally installed all the nee
essary equipment for service, they
did enough. If the water company,
which will benefit by meter in
stallation, wants them installed, let
it pay the costs.
with hearing Of this case it
would seem that the time has ar
rived to clear the whole atmosphere
regarding company service.
'T understand the property holder
pays for his water line all the way
from the main, but the water COM
pany claims ownership. If so, that
also is unjust. A man should own
what he pays for.
Urges Free Installation
Despite the fact that company
officials contend that for them to
pay the cost of meter installation on
service remaining unmeterized would
be unjust to the $4,000 and some
who have already paid for their
meters being installed, think it
should be done.
"It will be the best way to secure
good will for company that has
been abused quite generally.
Furthermore, think that sub
scribers who want to stay on a fiat
rate and not install meter at all
should be permitted II do So"