FIRE AND WATER

FIRE AND WATER

EVERYTHING is now in readiness for the convention of the National Association of Fire Engineers, which convenes at Milwaukee next week. The local commitee has not been idle, and judging from the programme, as published elsewhere in this issue, business and pleasure will be about evenly divided for the delegates and visitors. This is glorious convention weather. May the chiefs of the nation enjoy it to its fullest measure.

赞斯维尔的受托人水,O,基于“增大化现实”技术e evidently confronted by both theory and * condition. Their minds are not clear upon the question of what strictly constitutes an equitable adjustment of a water rate, if that indeed can be positive, based upon an ad libitum use of water, be it much or little, in domestic or manufacturing distribution. In their report, a copy of which appears in our issue of August 12, will be found several paragraphs that are certainly interesting to water-works officials. The first of them we herewith produce : “ Experience with the use of meters is as yet too limited to enable us to form any decided opinion as to the ultimate results, but all the indications point to the conclusion that these results will be eminently satisfactory to both the works and the consumer.” It appears that a consumer using water for other than domestic purposes objected to paying a bill for metered water, on the ground that a hitherto fixed rate for using water was enough to pay, in view of his interpretation of the rules and regulations of the board of trustees, and that in his judgment they, the trustees, had no right to charge more than four cents per 1000 gallons for water consumed. The trustees had fixed a rate previously of four cents per 1000 gallons, but whether the rate so fixed was based on a predicted or a measured quantity we are not informed. They, however, felt and believed that financial ruin would result if less than six cents per 1000 gallons was charged for water consumed. The case was brought into court and the trustees won, the court ruling the trustees had the power to exercise their discretion in the matter and no violation of rule had occurred. The trustees, however, after winning the suit concluded to cease applying meters, for the reasoij in their opinion the assessment plan was better in point of income. The trustees claim that, “ like all other well conducted water-works, it has an established minimum rate for domestic or family consumers, and on this minimum rate are based all other rates.” “ The minimum rate of water rents in this city is $3.70 per year for a family of four persons.” They assume that these four persons consume on an average 15,600 gallons per year. Why this figure is assumed can only be conjectured. It amounts to a little over ten gallons per day average to each of the four persons. It is useless to argue on the question of daily per capita consumption in this case, no such figure (assumedly a minimum one) can be ascertained by perusal of American and European water-works literature. The dollar and cent limit is fixed, but the daily average in this case is “ away off.” The records of the pump duty tell a different story. One year’s pumping shows a daily average consumption of over 2,750,000 gallons of water, and taking the total population to be 23,000 as against 21,147 (the census figures of 1890), it will be found that 120 gallons is the daily average per capita consumption of water. It may be assumed to be even greater in view of the fact that not all of the resident population get the benefit of direct water privileges. The main question is indirectly lost sight of by the trustees of the water board of Zanesville, and it is this, a water rate only determines a revenue and in no possible manner can it determine a fixed figure for a certain number of gallons of water to be used unless a positive restrictive feature exists in the shape of a water meter. It is a difficult job to undertake one scale of rental or rates for the government of all manner of water consumers. One phase of the question is yet to be thoroughly understood by many water-works com. panies as to the best way to establish a rate or tax for domestic use of water. It is evident that a tax or rate should in all cases be paid for the ready means furnished propertyholders to improve their property and protect it, in order that a water company may be self-sustaining to the extent of paying its expenses. The officers of the Zanesville waterworks make a mistake in abandoning the use of water meters, and they should meet the issue squarely on one of the leading features of all waterworks administration, and that is the daily per capita consumption, independent of what is used for manufacturing and other purposes not strictly domestic. A low rate should be established if possible ; it can be if proper methods are adopted. Pumping water, to say the least, is the most expensive of all methods, and when it is necessary to pump water it is desirable to keep down the factor of waste in order to maintain low water rates or taxes.