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Show MEIER lilUITlOW TO BEJEFERRED Great Outla' of Money Necessitated Is One of the Main Obstacles. GOES OVER FOR YEAR J Intention of Commission Is First to Increase the Water Suppfy. No general step towards installation of water meters ln Suit Lake will bo made this year, according to the statement mado by Tr. JL Korns, commissioner of water supply. Mr. Koraa declared -that while he 15 In favor of motoring the aystem, the other commissioners are opposed op-posed to It becauso of the gTca-t outlay of money necessary for the purchase of tho meters, it Is noaslblc that a slight beginning towardu tlio meter system will bo made, but no heavy appropriation will be sanctioned for that purpose, tho oom-miosionorrf oom-miosionorrf being of the opinion that the same amount of money onn b used to greater advantage ln securing more water. "Nevertheless. I favor tho meter system.," sys-tem.," Mr. Korns said. "The objection mado against It by those unacquainted with tho plan aro unfounded. The water department has no desire to Increase tho revenue by use of meters; ln facL wo' can give figures at any time to prove that the rato to tho consumer would be lower under metom than under the present pres-ent flat rate. Our solo purpose In advocating advo-cating the me-tor system In to eliminate the useless and unreasonable waato of water." Has Prepared Table. C. F. Barrett; superintendent of waterworks, water-works, has propared a comparative table showing tho cont of water to the consumer con-sumer under the meter system and the flat rates. This tablo shows that tho average household of five persons with five rooms and 200 aquaro yards of lawn lo water would havo lo pay only 57.13 l'or metered water, whereas the same houEohoId Is assessed at 13 undor the prcr.cnt flat rates. Bven allowing for a 50 por cent waste of water, In case the consumer docs not desire to limit himself In any way, the meter rate would not exceed ex-ceed $10. GO as against $13. it Is said. The average nozzle of one-quarter of an inch in diameter flows two gallons a min-uto min-uto and the average lawn of 200 nqunrc yards requires ninety-four gallons a day, according lo tho water superintendent. At 7 cents a thousand gallons it would cost the owner of such a lawn J1.SS to water his lawn 210 times a year, while the flat rato for a lawn of the same size Is $G a year. Commissioner George D. Keyser of tho park department, and Richard P. Morris of tho department of streets and public! Improvements, are decidedly averse to I the meter sysHem at present. Both announced an-nounced yesterday that tho mattor waa settled definitely this year as far as their votes were concerned. Views of Mr. Morris. "I favor spending all our available resources re-sources for moro water rather than pursuing pur-suing the idea of holding the people down to the present supply." Commissioner Morris said. "When -we havo exhausted the possibilities of additional supply there will bo timo enough to consider the question ques-tion of meters. As I understand it. the commission has not serlouslr considered Installing meters on a big scale this vear. though it Is possible that a slight start in that direction will be made In lino with the UEual policy of adding a few meters each year." It is understood that about 1000 meters will bo provided for In this year's hudgel. Some question has arisen as to the legality of the city adopting the motor .system so long as tho revenues from tho present flat rate prstoin are adequate to the maintenance of the waterworks department de-partment It Is contended by some factious fac-tious that under agreement made with original owners of water rights before they surrendered their rights to the city, tho city cannot Incrcaso Its rates bevond the point, of necessity. |
