THE SUNDAY OREGONIAX. rOKTIiAND, JUNE 6, 1913.
13
EG. HOPSON SHOWS
METER FALLACIES
Proposed Change Is Declared
to Be Based on False
Economical Theory.
POOR WOULD BEAR BURDEN
Water Said to Be nentlful Enough
for All Legitimate Uses and As
sertion Made That Waste Can
Be Checked at Less Cost.
METERS ADD YEARLY COST
OK 2.50 TO EACH WATER
USER.
The most reliable of engineer
ing records as gleaned by E. G.
Hopson, ex-supervising: engineer
of the United States reclamation
service, show that In other cities
the cost of repairs and mainte
nance on meters amounts to $2.50
yearly for each meter.
This cost would be attached t
the meters In Pprtland and would
require water users (who are the
only source of revenue for the
city's water system) to bear that
additional burden. For a meter
system in Portland this would in
volve an annual outlay of J125.000
for meter maintenance.
Before the Portland Realty Board
on Friday, E. J. Hopson, ex-supervising
engineering of the United States
Jleclam&tion Service. expounded his
views upon the subject of a city-wide
water meter system for Portland. Mr.
Hopson is an eminent engineer in
hydraulics and has made a thorough in
vestigation of the meter Issue in Port
land. Following' is the full test of his
argument against meters:
"The issue is not between meters
and no meters but between metering
the small Individual users and not
metering them. All the economies that
will be possible must come out of the
small man and not out of the big
one. Large users, such as manufac
turers railroads, hotels, laundries and
the like are already metered or will
be in the near future; this is the uni
versally adopted rule in all Ameri
can cities of importance.
"The issue is not between waste on
one side and economy on the other.
Wilf ul waste has no defenders, and
thould be stopped, and meters are not
necessary to stop wilful waste. Great
cities like Boston, Syracuse, Newark
and scores of others do this without
metering the small user.
"The issue is not between fire pro
tection and no fire protection, or poor
protection. The supply of water for
fire protection is amply sufficient In
all localities where the street mains
comply with the requirements of the
underwriters. The poor pressures that
now exist in some suburban localities
are due to the small street mains, and
meters will not take the place of proper
street mains.
Cost Not Principle.
"The issue Is not between cheap
water and dear water. The cost of
water to the average citizen will be
more with the universal application of
meters than with only the large users
metered. This is because the added
cost of meters will increase the gen
eral assessment by that amount and It
must be borne by the community. The
total cost of delivering water in the
city will be higher, not lower.
"The issue is not whether Portland
will need to increase its supply if
meters are not universally applied. The
supply conduits can carry more than
tira as much water as the city uses,
and the supply system at Bull Run can
be developed at low cost to supply ten
limes as mucn as the city uses.
"The real issue is whether a measure
or economy In use that may be ad
visaDie in some cities where water is
scanty should be applied here where
tne reverse conditions obtain.
"It is also whether a free or even
lavish use of this most necessary and
cheap commodity should not, on general
principles, be encouraged and not re
stricted. Public Good Cited.
"It is whether our resources should
be spent on a proposition that even at
best may be regarded as of doubtful
utility, but which many think is actual
ly a detriment, when so many other
cieariy-desirable measures cannot be
attempted through lack of funds.
"It is whether we desire to put a
premium on petty economies in use of
water, whereby a few cents can be
saved by the penurious at some risk to
cleanliness or health, and to the cer
tain detriment of suburban homes that
need the lavish use of the water supply
for their use and beauty.
"In the city .you have the poor man
with a large family or the person that
has to take in a large family of board
ers or roomers to earn a living and
that naturally uses more water than
the childless couple with the require
ments of only two people; nevertheless
it Is proposed to make the large family
pay the maximum and the other party
the minimum.
"Again, the average citizen with
small suburban residence, a lawn and
vegetable or flower garden, is necessar
ily a larger user of water than the
wealthy inhabitant of the city apart
ment, who only pays for what he or
she uses for washing or bathing.
Theory Not Approved.
"It will be insisted by the meter ad
vocate that there will be a minimum
charge for a reasonable amount of wa
ter and the meter will only work to
penalize the hog that uses an unrea
sonable amount. That sounds good but
how does it work out?
"The supply reasonable and necessarj
for the family of seven or eight per
sons -with a lawn or garden is unrea
sonable to the apartment house dwell
er. It is therefore necessary to fix a
minimum rate adjusted to the rea
sonable requirements of the large class
or suburbanites that are liberal users.
This at once permits the other classes
to waste freelj- and remain within
their legal limitations. It does not
appear to be a very fair and just ar
rangement hat penalizes the man of
large family while permitting need
less waste by the childless flat
dweller.
"Is it not desirable as a matter of
public policy that free or even lavish
use of water in a city be encouraged?
Water is the cheapest commodity, next
to air. that we enjoy; it does not seem
wise to be parsimonious in its use.
Ancient writings describing- the lux
uries and attractions of the civiliza
tion of that time refer particularly to
the numerous fountains and public and
private baths, and the lavish use of
water. Plenty of water usually
means the cleanliness that is next to
godliness.
TI Meter la Simile.
"One of the most annoying and aggra
vating features of the taxicab is the
recording apparatus that ticks off the
cents and dollars as you ride. This
dial, with its eternal scoring up of a
bill to be paid soon, has a morbid at
traction. Personally, I find it impos
sible to enjoy the scenery or the pass
ing features of interest to the fullest
extent. The mind seems to revert to
the miserable dial, with the inexorable
hand that only goes one way. This is
what a meter means on a house con
nection. You cannot water the lawn
without thinking whether you might
not have saved 5 cents by deferring
the operation for another day. The
same thought pervades the entire do
mestic economy. It is the difference
between freedom and parsimony, with
the ever-present thought of the saving
of a cent or two, and to be balanced
against the more Important considera
tions of use and pleasure.
"I maintain that the quantity of
water to be used (and in the word use
I do not include wilful waste) should
never be a consideration forced on the
mind of the individual user. He or she
should never be constrained to have a
thought as to the amount of water
that will be needed for an extra bath
or two or an extra sprinkling. The
supply is, or should be, amply suffi
cient for all purposes and for a great
deal to run away. If desired. In foun
tains or for other useful or ornamen
tal purposes, without thought or rec
ord. Waste Not Defended.
"Now, although I would advocate a
free and lavish use of water by the
individual consumer,' I would favor
rigid penalties for wilful -aste.
"In Boston a rigorous system of In
spection reduced the per capita con
sumption from 91.5 gallons to 68 gal
lons without the use of meters, save
on some of the larger services. The
method of Inspection consists of ap
plying a special, meter on the street
mains at certain selected points to de
termine localities where unusual waste
occurs. This Is followed up by a house-to-house
inspection if unusual condi
tions of waste are disclosed, and the
condition of plumbing fixtures in that
district is then made a special study
and necessary remedial steps are tak
en. A large proportion oi me city
water supply, however, must inevitably
be wasted. Careful investigation made
in some of the larger cities show that
from 10 to 30 gallons per inhabitant
out of a supply of about 100 gallons
may be wasted from leaking mains.
through bad Joints or broken pipe, or
through other defective places in tne
water system, the waste in most cases
running directly in the sewers ana es
caping. Meters on the service pipes
will not affect leaks of this descrip
tion, which can only be remedied by a
systematic inspection of the entire dis
tributing system Dy quanriea inspec
tors and the use of the pitometer.
Necessary Waste Tolerated.
"The occasional use of water to pre
vent freezing of service pipes snouia
not be considered as a waste, particu
larly in a citv like Portland, where
cold weather is the exception and where
It would cost much more to protect all
pipes from frost than to run a little
of the service water through tne pipes
occasionally to prevent freezing. With
every service pipe metered the house
holder would, however, hesitate to use
this entirely legitimate method of pro
tection. "The free or lavish use of water for
culinary, washing, barthing or orna
mental purposes cannot be considered
as a waste in any sense. Even the free
use of water for sprinkling lawns and
gardens must not be regarded as waste,
to be stopped or checked by meters. It
is and should be the ambition of a city
like Portland to encourage to the ut
most extent the beautifying of the su
burban homes by the free use of the
lawn sprinkler.
The waste due to leaky plumbing
fixtures should, however, be promptly
repaired or the owner penalized. Any
willful running to waste without use
or enjoyment should be considered as
punishable. Even the sprinkling of
lawns, desirable as it is, should not be
carried to an abuse, and reasonable
hours of use can and should be estab
lished to prevent abuse. Practically
all of these wastes, however, can be
remedied without the universal appli
cation of meters, and at a less cost and
with less friction and annoyance.
Metering; of Large Users Approved.
"About 40 per cent of the city supply
probably goes to trade, manufacturing
and mechanical uses, or for public pur
poses. I do not think the opinion that
these large users should be metered has
ever been seriously questioned. In
cities like Baltimore, New York, Boston
and other large centers the large user
has always been metered, it is under
stood that most of the large users in
Portland are already metered, and no
objection should arise to the universal
application of meters to such large
users as are not already metered. The
issue now before the people is to install
some 5000 meters, principally, as I un
derstand it, for the larger users, but
with the avowed purpose of following
up this with a general application of
meters to all services. It is the latter
step that is to be deprecated and de
feated. "It is urged that the waste of water
in Portland is encroaching upon the
supply for fire protection. This allega
tion I believe to be utterly false. The
per capita consumption of water, given
as 112 gallons a day in 1912, was re
ported in 1906 to be as high as 210 gal
lons per capita. It has thus been found
possible without the extended use of
meters, or even without any effective
system of inspection, to reduce con
sumption to its present moderate di
mensions." Portland's Consumption Contrasted.
"If you compare the use of water in
Portland with that in some of the
larger and best-managed cities of the
country it will be found that Portland
makes a good showing. Compare Port
land with its consumption of 112 gal
lons with:
Washington, D. C 220 gallon
Buffalo. X. Y Zso KRllona
Bridgeport, Conn aou gallons
Pittsburg. Pa -Jl gallons
Albany, JJ. Y gallons
Jersey City, N. J 1411 gallons
Fresno .'too gallons
Allegheny ::y7 gallons
New Orleans 400 gallons
And also some of the larger centers
with a consumption almost similar to
Portland, such as:
Baltimore 119 gallons
Cincinnati lo gallons
Syracuse 105 gallons
Vlcksburg HO gallons
St. Louis 1K1 gallons
and others. It will be found by com
parison that the use of water in Port
land as compared with other cities is
quite moderate.
"If Boston can reduce its consump
tion from 91 to 68 gallons by inspection,
it should be a comparatively easy mat
ter for Portland to reduce its consump
tion to 100 gallons by similar methods
at little cost and inconvenience. With
proper sizes of water mains, a use of
water of only 100 gallons per capita.
or even 50 per cent more than that
amount, would not endanger the water
supply to the slightest extent In the
report of the National Board of Fire
Underwriters I find the following
statement, written when the consump
tion was as high as 200 gallons:
"'Calculations indicate rfn available
delivery for purposes of. fire protec
tion from tlie main arteries leading
Into the district (the congested value
district) of about 15.000 gallons per
minute at Fourth and Stark streets.
This is a quantity ample for all rea
sonable fire protection requirements.
At other locations In the district less
favorably situated with regard to main
arteries the delivery is somewhat less.
but can easily be increased bv the in
stallation of larger distributing mains.'
Small Mains, Criticised.
"In 1912. out of about 600 miles of
water mains in use in Portland of 12
inches or less in diameter, 170 miles
were or less size tnan six inches. It
may be safely asserted that mains less
than six inches in diameter are of
little use for fire protection. Some of
these mains are ridiculously small, such
as three inches, two inches or even
15c
Fancy Maine
Sugar Corn
8c
Can
10c Choice
Sardines
5c
Can
15c
Select
Oysters
5c
Can
10c
Sapolio
5c
J
. 15c
Select .
Clams
5c
Can
-J lv
15c
Alaska
Salmon
5c
Can
GROCERIES
JOe oold Dust Waahlna; Pandr B
SOc l.old Dust tVaBhlaa; Powder 1 )
1 Xj Unban Flosr, lack. . 01. OO
20c Canned SaarrkrSnt
Arm and Hammer Soda, 3
J 5c Colirate'a Tnlo Powder. .... X4
10-1 b. ran Weddlmar Breakfast
sorglium 75
10-lb. pan Carnatioa yrn...504
10-lb. can Clover Maple Syrus, 65
Quart pan I.ojt Cabin S.Tni...5
J4-rai. can Lob; t'abis Srrtin . . C.3
(.allon can Lots Cabin Syrup, 1.12 5
PIE FRUIT
Pearlies. Apr I rota. Pears, . Apples,
Cherries), Blackberries, tirapea,
sasoerrlcsi Plana, Pumpkins, Rha.
barb. Etc., gallon cans, your choice
per can 234
15c
Canned
Shad
Company now
HALF PRICE
Brick: and Cement Paint, Very ape-
rial, the arallon 754
Shinsrle Stains, very special at, lte
gallon 50)
81.50 Varnish, Ballon 75 ?
15c
Karo
Syrup
8c
Quart Can
Garden
Hose
5 - ply Ouaraateed
Garden Iloae, 60-ft.
piece with attached
coupllnacs. Sold all
over town at f)..no.
Very special price
t S3.SO
15c
Kippered
Herring
6c
Can
5c
Jones'
White Soap
3c
10c Peroxide
Bath Soap
one inch in diameter. In 1912 It also
appears that not less than 16 miles of
Pipe less than four Inches In diameter
were added to the system.
"If proper-sized mains were laid In
the streets there would be no lack of
fire protection so- far us water supply
is concerned. The free use of water
with a consumption of 100 or 150 gal
lons per inhabitant, will not, to any
appreciable extent, encroach upon the
fire protection, with proper mains. The
small mains now in use must in any
event be relaid with larger ones. The
installation of meters will not affect
this situation In the slightest. If we
had all services in Portland metered it
is a practical certainty we could not
reduce our consumption below what it
is In other metered cities, such, for in
stance, as:
Worcester, Mass 83 gallons
Rochester, N. Y HO gallons
Paterson, N. J , 8(1 gallons
Providence, R. 1 70 gallons
San Francisco, without any meters
save for large services, has a consump
tion as low as 87 gallons.
Scarcity Cause for Meters.
"The few Eastern cities that have
universally applied meters on their
VOTERS, REMEMBER.
You have to pay every tiickel
of the cost of the meter system.
The water fund has no other
source of revenue.
Meters are all manufactured
in the East. No chance to help
home conditions.
All large water users are now
metered. Reduction in consump
tion of water will be at expense
of small householder.
Commissioner Daly experi
mented with dumping garbage in
gulches and it failed. The meter
system i his next hobby. It will
be .n expensive experiment.
Mr. Daly makes no claim of
water shortage.
Small undersized water mains
have to be rebuilt with or with
out meters. Why not rebuild
them before incurring addi
tional expense for meters?
Water meters are the source
of much expense and annoyance
for water users.
There is no chance for rate
reduction with meters. Tou can't
spend and save at the same
time.
City reduced rates last Fall
under present flat-rate system.
It can be done again from time
to time if revenue is not squan
dered on meters.
And don't forget that you bave
to foot the bill. The water fund
has no mystic source of revenue.
Every red cent comes from the
pockets of the water user.
services have found it very difficult
to obtain enough good water, hence
their reasons for economy; these rea
sons do not, however, affect Portland
with its practically unlimited supply
from the Bull Run reserve.
"It is understood there are about 50.
000 services in Portland to be metered,
which at an estimated cost of say $10 a
meter means an aggregate expenditure
of J500.000 for installation.
"A fair estimate of cost of maintain
ing a water meter, including depre
ciation, interest, the keeping of records
and computing bills, is $2.50 a meter.
With the new services metered the total
additional yearly bill for Portland
would therefore be about $123,000.
"If meters are not universally applied
on the small services but an effective
inspection force be organied. the
yearly cost ot that should not exceed
$30,000 per annum.
Margin for Expansion LiberaL
"The present supply system Is said
to have a capacity of 68,000.000 gallons
a day. The average consumption in
1D13 was only 27,000.000 gallon. If
we take an extreme case and assume
that the present use Of water will not
be reduced but will even increase to
as much as 150 gallons an inhabitant ai
sZr I 30cand35c 0StBS0-
6Vac Pound tUs
SALE MONDAY9A.M.H
SO ( "fl" " ft Jone Store
Simon makes deeper cuts on remainder
uwac. inuiuui, xiicxvT ui icgaiu iui
IF YOU WANT BARGAINS, GO
DRY COODS
10c Apron Gingham, yard... 3$
10c Calico, yard. ....40
10c Percale, yard 60
25c Poplin, yard .100
12 Ytc Outing Flannel, yd..7Yit
8-4 Unbleached Sheeting, the
yard 150
75c Ready-Made Sheets 4O0
25c Table Oil Cloth. . ..150
15c Bath Towels 100
15c Linen Toweling, yd.... 100
$2.00 Lace Curtains $1.25
15c Pillow Cases 00
Chi-namel Products aa--j'' mrr-i .-"i.,- .wj . .
The entire paint .tack saved Iron ft XatTLjr.JL W .saVJVV jtla l"
the fire Of the Ohio Paint A Varnish I m'9
selling; here at about
$2.00 "Frost
oc tjrranue
$20.00 Cast
$5.00 18x30
ac I'lum&ers'
Near 1 0 1 1
SIMON'S
Aider ioi-ioo rmoi O I
10c
Heinz
Pork and Beans
10c Atmore's
Mince Meat
5c
6c
day, an amount which the eminenlf en
gineers who designed the new water
supply system for New York City have
considered a reasonable amount for a
large American city, we will find there
is yet an ample margin of safety in
the matter of supply.
"The plea is often made that meters
will reduce cost and that the person
using a lot of water will have to pay
ror it. and not place the burden on
others. Meters Will not reduce the cost
of water; they will actually increase
it to the extent of about $2 a service
a year. This money inevitably must
come from the pocket of the consumer.
The big user presumably will be me
tered in any event and will pay for
what he uses: the balance of the funds
must come from the general public
that is, the small users. The total
yearly expense of the Water Depart
ment after the installation of .meters
will be larger than it would have been
had the meters not been universally
installed. The difference in cost will
not come from the pocket of the large
user, who, as before stated, will be
metered in any event, but must come
from the pocket of the small user,
who In turn will attempt to recoup
the extra charge by petty economies
in use. There will thus tend to be a
perpetual scrimping and saving in the
use of water entirely unnecessary and
unwarranted.
"It would almost appear there has
been a deliberate attempt to hoodwink
the public on this question during re
cent years, as metered rates have been
set so low that in almost every case
it has been easy to live inside ' the
old flat rates and to make an appar
ent saving. This has been so in my
own case, as I am on a metered sys
tem and only pay about half what I
did before the meter wig placed, but
I realize that this reduction is only
made at the expense of the flat-rate
people and that it must disappear as
soon as the flat-rate is abandoned and
everybody put on the metered system,
when the rate must be advanced to a
point where it will cover the difference
of upkeep and installation.
- "It is important for us to brush aside
the delusion that applying meters will
result in a general saving. The re
verse is the case. All savings to the
water supply system as a whole that
are feasible and desirable can be ob
tained without this universal and an
noying. application of meters, and th
additional charge of $125,000, which
may be expected, can be saved to the
city."
PICTURE RIGHTS OBTAINED
Mr. Considine Signs Agreement for
"Bigf Four" Service for Orpheum
Two of the most important and far-
reaching contracts thus far signed In
Portland s motion-picture history re
ceived the signature of John W. Con
sidine yesterday in New York City. By
tne terms of the agreement Mr. Consi
dine obtained the exclusive , rights in
Portland of "The Big Four" service and
the Mutual Master pictures. "The Big
Jour is tne vitagraph-lubln-Selig-
Essanay incorporation.
The agreement will mean that the
entire output of those companies will
be shown first at the Portland Orpheum
and that two master-pictures will be
exhibited every week with a change
of programme Sundays and Thursdays,
Illness Attributed to Grief.
BAKER, Or., June 5. (Special.) The
sudden news that his mother and k's
ter had died within a few days caused
a shock which finally ended in spinal
meningitis, and Charles Peddicord is
now seriously ill at St. Ellzabetn's Hos
pital here. Mr. Peddicord's relatives
died in Ohio.
Xonpartisan League, Attention.
Your league has unqualifiedly in
dorsed the Humane Society amendment
to the city charter. Vote for it.
No. 110 YES.
HUMANITY FIRST.
(Paid Adv. by Oregon Humane Society.)
of all merchandise saved from the fire of Jones' Cash fcNffi
xuxmcx wsi oiiuuii u inciters
Ladies'
Furnishings
S3c Ladles' Ribbed Vest or
Panto at .. 17
35c Ladles' Hone, nan 12V
15a Children's) Hose, now THci
One lot of Children' Hose
Supporters, now at 4
5o Ladles' Mean. I nlon Sulta, 25J
SOe .ndles1 Porssknlt Union
Suit, now at .-. 21
All Ladies' Muslin Underwear,
now at i...HAU PRICE
SOe Chlld'a Rompera. ......... .20
Ko Coveralls 40H
Due Chlld'a Dresses 20c
King" Ice Cream Freezers
isucicets ior
Iron White Enamel (5-foot) Bath Tubs
Cast Iron White Enamel Sink
friend force Cups
SALVAG
J. SIMON & BRO.
OO ODOT CTHrrT"
10c
Colton
Tomatoes
METERS ARE URGED
Water Bureau Engineer Says
Revenue Would Increase.
CONSUMPTION TO BE CUT
Argument for Mr. Daly's Scheme Is
That Iiife of Small Pipes Also
Would Be Extended and
Saving Would Be Made.
PORTLAND. June 5. (To the Ed
itor.) Several times during recent
weeks reference has been made in the
columns of The Oregonian to the re
ports of the water engineer to Com
missioner Daly upon different phases
of the meter problem and by your
comments thereon I fear a wrong Im
pression has been conveyed regarding
the attitude of the engineers in th
matter.
Will you therefore kindly grant me
space to say that I am unqualifiedly
in favor of the policy of extending
use of meters until every service in
the city Is supplied; and, furthermore,
I believe that the work of installing
meters should be commenced at once
and continued as rapidly as is consist
ent with economy of operation and ai
the needs of the service require.
From the statements which have ap
peared' in print, I think many have
gained an erroneous impression regard
ing the time required to complete thi
work. The time that Will actually be
taken will depend upon the growth of
the city and the rapidity with which
the present mains are overloaded, but
in my opinion it is not probable that
the work of metering present services
will be completed in less than five
yearB' time. It will, therefore, be seen
that the cost of the work will be ex
tended over a considerable period and
need not be burdensome during any
one year.
Other Cities' Methods Cited.
The experience of other cities in this
respect is that the installation of me
ters on old services at the rate of from
10 per cent to 20 per cent per year pro
duces satisfactory results, and I have
no reason to think such a plan would
not work advantageously in Portland.
By this method the consumption would
be gradually regulated and controlled
as the city grows, thus deferring the
time when larger mains must be laid.
and hence a saving in interest charges
will be effected, continuing for a term
of years and. largely offsetting the
original cost of meter installation.
As an Illustration of the probable ef
fect of this regulation and control, I
will state that on November 80. 1914,
the total mileage of water pipes in use
in this city, of all sizes, was 671.3. Of
this number 613.1 miles were four-inch
diameter and over, leaving 128.2 miles
of pipes less than four inches diame
ter, only about 6 per cent being larger
than two Inches diameter.
The estimated population supplied
with city water on the above date was
252,000, or, say, an average of 875 'per
mile of pipe, or 48,073 residing along
the 128.2 miles of small pipes and sup
plied by approximately 10,000 services.
Assuming the cost of meters for these
services to be $10 each, in place, the
total cost would be $100,000.
Mains Mast Be Replaced.
The 128.2 miles of small mains will
unquestionably in time have to be re
placed with larger-sized pipes, as the
population increases and the demand
upon these particular pipes exceeds
their normal capacity.
BUUDULULIIIK Bl A.-1 1 UT 1 HU I
eight-inch mains for these small pipes
ss-r &zz
: mM
prices 10 me Done.
TO SIMON'S
Men's Furnishings
"Arrow" and "SilTer" Brand Col
lars, each
15c Men's Black Hose.
10c White Handkerchiefs..'.
85c Bib Overalls.
$1.25 Black Sateen Shirts
$1.50 to $2.00 Dress Shirts...
$1.50, $2 and $2.50 Felt Hats.
50c Work Shirts . ,
sue iseits
r
42-Piece Dinner Set
31.9S .
Clear While Porcelain Dinner Set
pf 43 pieees, durable quality, em
bossed fancy border; north 3 the
set, at fti
LAWN MOWFHN Tllff Cadet (ut.
ear Lawn Mower lasts Innceatf
best lawn mower to buy. Sells else
where at $S. Our prl.-e. i . . .S52.7K
All kinds of tiarden Tools 1-3 off.
vim',
I t!. H
H
SI.OO
200
$14.00
$2.95
350
Near
Alder
FlL,H, i
8c
15c Bayless Mus- Prunes
tard Horseradish Very Fine
7c 4c
Pound
10c
will approximate (676,896 feet at $1.40)
$947,654.40. and interest on same at
4 per cent, $42,644.45. " .':
If it is assumed, then, that the serv
iceable life of but one-half of these
small pipes could be prolonged for five
years, the saving in interest charges
alone would be $106,611.10, or more
than sufficient to cover the cost of in
stalling meters on the entire mileage
of small pipes; and, besides, the me
ters would still be good for years of
service in detecting leaks and insuring
that each consumer is required to pay
only for the water actually used by
him.
Furthermore, it is but reasonable to
expect that an improvement in the
supply and increased pressure will ob
tain in other districts where mains of
a larger size have already been in
stalled. For instance, I have no doubt
that If meters had been generally in
stalled in the Peninsula district three
or four years ago, the laying of the
30-inch Highland main, now being
completed at an approximate cost of
$226,000. could have been delayed for
at least five or ten years, with the
saving of the interest charges, amount
ing to approximately $10,000 per an
num; and a similar saving in interest
charges could undoubtedly be effected
in otner portions or tne city by post
poning the time when demands are
made for larger mains than those now
in use.
Effect tt Meters Calculated,
rh regard to the effect of meters
upon the water supply for the entire
city and the revenue derived there
from, permit me to say further:
Based upon the recorded consump
tion through ?2, 585 meters during the
year 1914, the average per capita con
sumption was found to range from
236.5 gallons in the West Side business
district to 127.3 gallons in the East
Side business district, down to 41.9 gal
ions per day in the district supplied
through the Vernon standpipe, the av
erage for the residence districts alone,
in the entire city, being 64.1 gallons
per day
Deducting the record of the meters
in the Bast and West Side business
districts, and assuming that a fair sup
ply for all other services in the city
would not exceed the average rate
through meters in the residence dis
tricts (64.1 gallons per day per capita)
this will give a total consumption of
20,989, 00J gallons for the entire city.
It is noted that this amount is appre
ciably less than the capacity of con
duit No. 1 (which exceeds 22,000,000
gallons per day).
If the above amount, 20.989,000 gal
lons per day, was actually passed
through meters and paid for at present
meter rates. 10 cents per 100 cubic feet
or 13 1-3 cents per 1000 gallons, the
yearly income would amount to
$1,021,481, or say $171,000 in excess of
the entire receipts of the department
for water sold during the year 1914,
when the water actually furnished
approximated SO. 000, 000 gallons per
day. If all the water furnished U0
000.000 gallons was metered the rates
could be reduced 40 per cent, or from
13 1-3 to 8 cents per 1000 gallons, and
the revenue would etlll exceed that ob
tained during the past year.
Meters Reduce Consumption.
In other cities it- is found that by
the use of meters the average per
capita consumption Is reduced, from
that which prevails under flat rates,
without hardship to anyone, the rates
being adjusted so as to allow a gen
erous use of water, amply sufficient
for all legitimate purposes, the cost
of same being generally less than by
flat rates.
In some cities It is noted that about
0 per cent of the consumers pay less.
while the remainder have to pay more
than they paid under a flat rate, the
total income from the sale of water
not being greatly affected. All unite,
however. In .saying that there is a dis
tinct saving in being able to control
careless consumers, which results to
mattr.
the advantage of the entire water sup
ply system.
I have stated that other cities ap
prove the use of meters, and as an
P !i IT! T) 1 A Of Tflia nOllfV I XVAllIrt T. 1
the City of Log Angeles. kn6wn the
Meo', Women's and dalidmn'a
urmiHhinnr'S 6h, Fur
niture, Hardware, Groeerim, Bed
dlna; and Ory Goods.
Contents
of 3-stor
building;
retailed
by
SIMON
3AL-
Sale Opens
Daily at Si
mon's Salvage
Store, 131-133
First Street.
yVAOB
:rnu .
10c
Campbell's
Soups
4c
50
7i0
..30
-500
650
.500
.750
20-Mule
Team Borax,
5-lb. pkg.
150
25
35
15c
Del Monte
Tomatoes,
Solid Pack
IT
1
Fishing
Tackle,
Etc.
A Blar Stock of
KUhlig Tackle,
l inen and Hooks at
SO tKMR ON THK
DOLLAR.
30c
Coffee
3 lbs. for
50c
$1.25
Holland
Herring
75c
Keg
I. X. L. Chicken
Tamales
6c
Can
country over as a city of the most pro
gressive and modern type, and espe-'
cially is this true regarding its mu
nicipal water supply system. Within
the last two years it has completed a
system of aqueducts and pipes of large
size conveying a 265.000,000-gallon '
gravity supply from a mountain source
225 miles distant at a cost of over $27,- .
000,000, which must be conceded as
being quite an undertaking even for a .
city, of 350,000 inhabitants or over. ,:
Eniineer la Quoted.
From the record it appears that they
now have an abundant supply for
which they have no immediate use ex-
cept for irrigation purposes, and yet :
this is what William Mulholland, chief
engineer of the Los Angeles water de-
partment, has to say upon the subject,
of a universal meter system:
"We favor meters because we believe
it is the only fair and equitable method
of selling water; because it prevents
waste, and because it accomplishes a ,
saving in size of mains which would,,
otherwise be required. We have been''
metering for J2 years at as fast a
rate as finances will permit. We in- ' '
tend to continue this p61icy until every
tap in the city is metered. Comple-'!
tion of aqueduct in no way changes our " ,
policy in this regard."
Please note that this statement was ".
made February 26, 1914, or subsequent "
to the completion of their new conduit. ,.
Permit me also to say that a ma
jority of the water works engineers ,
and managers the country over favor
the installation of meters as an in-.
dispensable aid to effective water works
administration, and the knowledge n
that Portland can rightly claim a place
among the cities of the land possess-. ..
ing an efficiently managed municipal ...
water works would be a source of grat- .
Ification to all water works employes
and officers, including the engineer.
D. D. CLARKE,
Engineer Water Bureau. "
A project for draining and reclaimins
1.000.UOU acres of land in Egypt, work on
which has been begun. Is one of the greatest
and most expensive tasks of the kind ever
attempted.
California Hotels
San Francisco
GEARY AT TAYLOR
Bellevue Mote
10 minutes to Exposition without
transfer.. Built of concrete . and
6teel. Private bath to every room.
First class in every detail.
H. W. WILLS, Maimer.
(Member of Official Exposition Hotel
Bureau.)
Exposition visitors save si.oo day hoth
Oakland's UfiTCI Excellent Meal
Refined Family 11 U I LL Perfect Ser-rica
KEY ROUTE INN
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA
Key Route llrot to Exposition Entranoa
Rates: SI o S2. With meals S2.50 toS 3.ff t"
Weakly S6 to SI 2. With maais S 1 5 to $2
VOTE
commissioner!
PAID-ADV. 1
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