The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-09-09
WATER QUESTION
 A BIG PROBLEM
Whole State Interested in the Rate Question at
 New Haven
HEARING POSTPONED

The hearing of the New Haven Water CO before the public utilities commission on the application for an increase in water rates in that city and surrounding towns, includ- ing West Haven, North Haven, Hamden, Cheshire and Branford, which was scheduled to be held on September 21, has been postponed until November 9. This step has been taken because the survey be- ing made is not yet completed. The consumers will base their claim for a continuance of the rates now in force by a report to be prepared by Boston engineers and New York firm will submit statement for the water company.
 It is a big question, one in which the whole state Is interested. Water for domestic use is about the only commodity not yet in absolute con trol of public service corporations, but 1t is believed that if they get control of the several systems. the price will be as high as gas. cleo tricity and such other things as make for right living, but are too expensive for most people. Every body likes to have gas and electric ity in the house, and many who cannot afford to meet the outlay are managing to pay the bills. even though they skimp on. what is more essential. It Is possible to get along without either gas or electricity in the home, but such a thing is out of the question when you come to talk about clean water. The rates for domestic consump- so that neither landlord nor tenant will look upon it as something on which extreme economy will have to be used. If you do this 1t will have a tendency to curtail the use of portable water to wash In, cook with and drink. not to say anything about sanitaries.
 It is true that the rates for clean water in the home are low, but they should be kept at that figure in the interest of public health. Peo- pie who use water for commercial purposes can charge the cost to consumers, but the average house. holder has no such way of Tighten ing the burden.
 Of course corporations are not philanthropists. They are in bust ness to get all they can out of their investment, but even so the law should see that the price of water for damestic use is not ad- vanced to a rate which would make the use of it almost prohibi- tive to the ordinary working man. It is true that enterprisinng citizens who have money invested in water systems should receive reason able return on their investment. but under existing conditions when there is such demand for the ser vice for business purposes, it does seem that the domestic consumer should not pay more per cubic foot for the water he uses than the firm that applies 1t to other purposes. Isn't 1t a fair proposition to sub init that every customer pay the same price per cubic foot for the quantity he uses?
 The other side of the question is that large customers in all lines of business get special prices. That's true, but no corporation should be permitted to get corner on what every human being finds 1t neces- sary to use day in and day out and fix a rate for the service out of proportion to what the vast major ity of people can afford to pay. No wonder there are those who say it is we'll that corporations cannot corral the air else they would fix a price which would make it ne- cessary for human beings to breathe slowly.
 It is true that it is not fair to blame one set of citizens for what is common to most human beings. Everybody wants to get the highest penny for what he has for sale. It is not a case of what the article is worth, but rather how much can you get. This being so. it behooves the general assembly to so regulate the price of such things as are ab- solutely essential to life. and water comes next to the air we breathe. should not be so expensive that there would not be an abund- ant supply in every home in the community at a price within the reach of all. If officials do not see that this order prevails. the addi- tional income will have to be ex- ,>auHaH gv. daa ailna, with onidaunicg nf