Long-Range Program to Meter
Water Users Reaches Mid-way
Medford'i water depart
ment is near midstream now
in long-range program to
place all city water users on
metered rates.
The program's purpose, ac
cording to City Water Super
intendent Robert L. Lee, is
two-fold: i
1. To conserve water, by
reducing waste;
2. To render charges fair
nd equitable, by basing them
on actual individual use.
The metering program has
been under way about five
years, Lee reports. Customers
still on flat rates, who num
ber about 4,100 at present,
can expect metering within
the next four years.
Nw Construction
Some 500 commercial, .in
dustrial, institutional and
multi-family customers were
metered from 1954 to 1957,
according to Lee. Since 1956,
he reports, all new structures
of any type requiring water
have been metered.
The department is now con
cerned with metering residen
tial customers, of whom only
about 30 per cent have been
affected so far.
Lee stresses the importance
of metering to water conser
vatipn.
"If we went back to flat
rates, we would be out of wa
ter in a very few years," he
states. Thanks to a policy of
metering customers outside
the city limits, Lee explains,
the annexations of such areas
as Kenwood-Grandview and
Berrydale brought about 600
metered customers into the
city.
Having some customers in
side the city on flat rates and
others on metered rates ob
viously is not proper. As Lee
puts it, "We can't ride the
fence indefinitely.
Sufficient Water
Placing everyone on flat
rates, according to Lee, would
hasten the day when new wa
ter sources would have to be
tapped. With total metering,
he explains, the city can ex
pect sufficient water from Big
Butte . Springs until about
1972. Thereafter, additional
water would have to be tak
en from the Rogue river.
Lee describes metering as
"one of the most effective
and reasonable means of wa
ter conservation."
"Our water is much too val
uable and limited in quanti
ty," the Mectfora water com
mission states in an informa
tional booklet, "to be distrib
uted at flat rate charges
which inherently encourage
wast and indiscriminate
use."
Other Oregon cities with
metered rates, according to
the commission, are Ashland,
Grants Pass, Roseburg, Cor
vallis, Eugene, Salem and
Portland. The majority of cit
ies across the nation, it re
ports, already have meters.
Mot Raise Cost
Lee emphasizes that -shifting
from flat to metered rates
is not an attempt to raise the
cost of water to individual
consumers.
"Meters in themselves don't
set the rate," he says, Meters
simply measure the amount
of water used, while the rate
schedule for this water is a
"separate consideration," he
explains.
Lee reports that a custom
er's monthly charge for me
tered water is generally lower
in winter months, and higher
in summer months, than the
flate rate charge. The yearly
rate for average customers,
is about the same.
One basis for the belief
that metering means higher
water bills, Lee explains, is
the higher costs to metered
customers outside the city,
many of them in special wa
ter districts. These customers,
he emphasizes, are paving
not only, for the water itself
but for retirement of district
bond issues.- In addition, he
points out, the city seeks a re
turn on its investment from
outside customers while sell
ing water approximately at
cost to those inside the city.
General Fund
The meters, costing about
S28 each, are being financed
from the water department's
general fund, Lee reports.
Most residences, he says, have
a meter box or other installa
tion facility near the street in
the parking strip out front.
He adds that the city has
been preparing for metering !
for some 20 years.
Reading and maintaining
meters and preparing bills
mean more complicated and
more costly procedures than
those for the flat rate method.
"But," Lee says, "the initial
cost and operating cost are
more than offset by the sav- j
ings in water. Water isn't
free."
Another factor he cites is
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KE 5-1173
that metering costs are well
below the costs of new supply
facilities that would be re
quired sooner, and on a larger
scale, if the waste inherent in
flat-rate service were to con
tinue.
Water Saved
Water saved through the
use of meters becomes avail
able to other customers, so
that Medford can expand that
much further before the Big
Butte Springs source must be
supplemented by more expen
sive water from the Rogue.
The commission's leaflet
states that under metering,
"each customer pays for his
water service on the basis of
the amount of water he uses
as an individual customer.
"With flat rates," it contin
nues, "the charges for water
service are based on the aver
age amount of water used per
customer by a large group of
customers.
"In other wdrds, if you use
less water than the average
flate rate customer, you are
paying too much for water
service and on the other hand,
if you use more water than
the average customer, your
water bill is lower than it
should be at the expense of
others."
Two Fronts ,
The metering program, Lee
Rogue Valley to
Increase Interest
Interest on savings deposits
at Rogue Valley State bank,
Medford, will be increased to
3 per cent effective July 1,
Clarence Young, president,
has announced.
The board of directors voted
to increase the interest rate,
which is paid semi-annually,
because o'f higher interest
rates prevailing - on govern
ment bonds. A high percent
age of savings deposits is in
vested in government secur
ities to keep funds immediate
ly available for depositors
needs, he said.
Young also announced that
work on the branch office
building on East Jackson st,
near the Medford Shopping
Center, is in progress. He said
directors hope the branch will
be open in August or early
September.
He said that accounts open
in the present bank may be
transferred to the East Med
ford branch on request.
J'' Yf
R3(D)CSC5W - R3
... and, as Our
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reports, is currently progress
ing on two fronts. On the one
hand, a conversion for all cus
tomers in the Pierce Heights
area is now under way. This
east side neighborhood bound
ed roughly by Valley View
dr. and Windsor ave. on the
west, Oakwood dr. and Acorn
way on the south, and the city
limits on the north and east
was chosen, according to Lee,
because the water must be
pumped into the area at high
er cost and because many
customers have expansive
lawns and large service con
nections. Meter installation for
Pierce Heights residents is
currently in progress, Lee re
ports. He says these custom
ers can expect to be billed on
a metered basis starting in
November.
Changed Account
The other approach in
volves requiring establish
ment of metered service
whenever a flat rate account
is changed. Lee points out
that over 1,000 account
changes are recorded in the
city each year.
Account changes, he ex
plains, are marked by turn
ons of water at a new or exist
ing residence. While occasion
ally these" turn-ons follow
temporary discontinuance by
an absent family, most repre
sent the arrival of ' a new oc
cupant. "We believe," Lee says,
"that the change -of -the -account
basis for metering will
distribute the installation load
over a three-year period." At
Brownie Troop Visits
Mail Tribune Plant
Members of the St. Mary's
Brownie Troop 76 toured the
Mail Tribune plant last week.
Accompanying the group
were Mrs. Al Carrara, Mrs.
Earl Igo, Mrs. Martin Spiel
busch, and Mrs. Margaret
Eakin. ,
Making the tour were Ja
neen Payant, Susan Ran
dolph, Carla Dibble, Patricia
Evans, Bernadette Becker,
Karen Swindler, Tina Car
rara, Mary Burich, Karen
Teutsch, Lynett Stinson, Bob
bi Swindler, Leta Norris, Rita
Spielbusch, Tresa Lucas, Rena
Spielbusch, Carolyn Shasky,
Barbara Doody, Thresa Han
ley, Linda Budreau, Ronly St.
George, Patti Doyle, Joan Lit
tlefield, Monica Dunn, Judy
Holtzinger, Gloria Igo, and
Mary Taft.
HOME FURNISHERS
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Point
the end of that period, he
adds, all remaining flat rate
services would be changed
over.
The metering program came,
under fire at a recently city
budget committee meeting.
Councilman Ed Hall, Ward
I, who said he was "very
much opposed to meters,"
asked if public cooperation in
rationing water at critical pe
riods would be a better con
servation method. He cited
one period about 10 years ago
when residents were asked to
water their lawns on alter
nate days based on their ad
dress numbers.
Prefer Meters
"People as a whole," Lee
replied, "mucli prefer to be
metered than to be required
to irrigate only at certain
times."
A committee member asked
Lee about "promises" in the
past that Medford customers
would never have meters.
"Such statements may have
been made in all sincerity by
some individuals," Lee said.
However, he added, such a
guarantee -vas never an ac
tual provision of any bond is
sue. He remarked that Med
ford's remarkable growth to
day could not have been pre
dicted years ago.
Officer Installation
Set by EP Lions
Eagle Point - Installation
of new officers for the Eagle
Point Lions club will be held
at the Rogue River Lodge in
Shady Cove June 6, with Dep
uty District Governor Leon
ard Carlson of Phoenix serv
ing as installing officer.
New oficers are Glenn Cly-
mer, president; Charles Mar
tin, first vice president; Ernie
Gregg, second vice president;
Clarence Davis, third vice
president; Stewart Hopper,
secretary-treasurer; G. Lee
Hayes, tail twister; Hoyle Jor:
dan, Lion tamer; Darrel Cope-
land, director, two years:
John Ousterhout, director,
two years; and Robert Cocks,
director, one year.
Installation will be held in
conjunction with the Eagle
Point Lady Lions auxiliary,
Officers were elected at a
meeting at the Teenage club
recently.
Alaska was purchased from
Russia for $7,200,000.
Are Starting Their .
O . Whilst
WEJ)AY,
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Officers Installed,
Awards Presented
At Southern Oregon
Ashland - Robert Mead,
Southern Oregon college jun
ior from Klamath Falls, was'
installed by retiring president
Richard Clark, Medford, as
president of the student body
during the spring special
awards assembly in Chur
chill hall.
Serving with Mead will be
Ron Leggett, Bonanza, sec
ond vice-president; Janet
Meyer, Klamath Falls, secre
tary; Maureen McCurdy, Med
ford, treasurer; Larry Hall,
Ashland, yell king; George
Olson, Klamath Falls, first
vice-president; Ona L i 1 e s,
Roseburg, Larry Barloen,
Klamath Falls, Ron Fader,
Ashland, Alvin Born, Klam
ath Falls, representatives-at-large;
Sue Main, Ashland, par
liamentarian; Larry Hoover,
Lebanon, convocations; Jack
Henry, Klamath Falls, pub
licity; Jim Ochs, Klamath
Falls, council editor.
Presidential awards , were
presented by Clark to Dick
Simonson, Medford; Lois May
Ashland; and Claudia Pierce,
Coos Bay; for outstanding
service to the college.
Pzesenled Plaque
Dr. Alvin Fellers, director
of student affairs, and Toby
Kay Deller, retiring social
chairman, presented Clark
with a plaque for his out
standing service as president.
James Boyd, Medford, was
honored as the first SOC stu
dent to receive a National
Merit Scholarship bonus
award. Richard Clark was an
nounced as the recipient of
the $100 for the coming year.
Mrs. Mabel W. Winston,
dean of women, ' announced
the dormitory citizen award
winners: Pat Urie, Reedsport;
and Larry Wait, Roseburg.
Claudia Pierce and Vernon
Arnold received the Victor P.
Mills award of $50 each.
James McDonald, Medford,
was named Phi Delta Kappa's
"Man of the Year in Educa
tion." McDonald s e r v e cr as
president of the Student Na
tional Education association
last year.
Outstanding studentsin
chemistry and mathematics
were presented handbooks by
Dr. Elliott B. MacCrackenr
chairman of the science-mathematics
d i v i si o n. Linda
Wright, Ashland, chemistry;
Patrick McCabe, Gold Hill,
mathematics; and Norman
Pawlowski, Jacksonville,
physics, were those honored.
JUNE 1ST
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For the best poetry written
during the year, Dr. Arthur
Kreisman, chairman of the
humanities division, gave rec
ognition to William Black,
Medford, who also received
honorable mention in a state
wide Centennial poetry con
test, v
Charlotte Riley, Medford,
president of Tri Zeta, wo
men's service honorary, pre
sented a $25 award to Judy
Johnson, Ashland; and Judy
Paulsen, Ashland, president of
Sigma Epsilon Pi, women's
scholastic honorary, gave an
award to Sue Main, Ashland,
secretary of the organization.
Britt scholarships for stu
dents from Jacksonville were
named by Dr. Arthur S. Tay
lor, chairman of the social
science division. They are:
Vickie Tweedy, Edna Welch,
Sonja Smith, Edgar Walker,
Norman Pawlowski, Clyde
Smith, Ron Muir, and John
Winningham.
Dr. Fellers gave recognition
to the nearly 200 students
awarded State scholarships
throughout the year.
Youths Invited to
Join Air Patrol
Jackson county boys and
girls 14 through 17 years old
have been invited to join the
Medford squadron of the Civil
Air Patrol, Commander Lt.
John Keener, has announced.
He said the cadet training
program offers classes in av
iation education, photogra
phy, radio and communica
tions, meteorology, search and
rescue procedure. Additional
classes are planned in me
chanics, gasoline model air
plane building as well as for
mation of a marching band.
The cadet staff is under the
command of Lt. James Re-
neau and Lt. Viva Ann Mac
Manama. Cadets earn a cer
tificate of proficiency and
can receive the rating of air
man third class on joining the
Air Force. .
Meetings are held each
Monday at 7:30 p.m. in the
Civil Air Patrol building at
the Medford airport.
ROAD OPEN
The north .entrance road to
Crater "Lake - National park
was opened to two-way traf
fic Friday morning, the park
service announced.
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Grange News
Upper Applegate Grange
June 7 will be Church Sun
day for Upper Applegate
Grange members who will at
tend the 11 ajn. worship
service of Ruch Community
church. Later they will meet
at the Grange hall for a pot
luck dinner. All Grange mem
bers are urged to reserve this
date and be present. Plans
for the event were completed
at the regular session of the
Grange on May 22 at which
Master Kathleen Scovell pre
sided. .
According to the report of
the relief committee, Edwin
Rutter, who sustained a spinal
injury, is in Rogue Valley
hospital. Clara Flesher is con
valescing following surgery,
and Floyd McKee who has
been ill at his home, is im
proving. Agriculture Chairman
George Redhead stated good
feeder steers from California
were bringing from 28 to 32
cents in the local livestock
auctions. Broilers in some
areas have been selling for 14
cents per pound, and eggs
likewise are bringing low
prices, he stated.
Ways and Means Chairman
Ethel, West announced the
schedule for square dances
continues unchanged with
workshop sessions the second
and fourth Monday evenings
and square dances every
fourth Saturday night. A sum
of $4.40 was turned into the
treasury from this source,
Contributions were also re
ceived from the Upper Apple
gate Extension Unit and from
the Little Applegate Sewing
club for use of the hall.
A community bridal shower
for Nancy Lou Redhead whose
wedding to Anthony Mitschke
of Medford is scheduled June
5', is being planned for Satur
day evening, June 13, it was
announced. This event will be4
held in the Grange hall and
everyone is invited to attend.
Entertainment and refresh
ments are being arranged by
Anna Scott, who is general
chairman. ...
Thanks to all who assisted
with the Mother's Day dinner
May 10, was expressed by the
Grange Master.
Members were reminded to
bring sack lunches to Ruch
school Monday, June 8, to
assist in giving the 4-H Cover
ed Wagon "Train a send-off
when they lunch there en
route to Corvallis for their
summer school session.
Phoenix Grange
Memorial services were
held May 26 at the Phoenix
Grange. In memorium were
Andrew Chapman ( and Gert
rude Luvin.
Chaplain Mona Ferns was
Expensive
opportunity to purcS h- t a""-aon " P "
I " ' '"misnings at a I
in charge, participating in the
services were the three graces,
Mabel Cox, Ethel Hocker
smith, and Mabel Johnson, a
song by Vaughn Quacken-
bush, tableau with Evelyn
Cyr at the cross and poem by
Velma Johnson.
During the business session,
Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Reich
stein were obligated in the
first and second degrees. "Mr.
and Mrs. Charles Hocker
smith were presented a 25
year gold certificate and Mr.
and Mrs. Melvin Lattie re
ceived their 5-year attend
ance pins. Voted to become
members were James Bruce
Cyphers, Paul Whisenant,
Bayard Getchell and Ronald
W. Baker. Mr. and Mrs. Wil
liam Wroe were accepted to
become members by demit.
Master Charles Johnson an
nounced next visitation is
scheduled for June 16 at
Eagle Point Grange. ,
HEC Chairman Mrs. Sol
Cox requested members to
bring their General Mills cou
pons and referred to the May
5 bulletin for rules on the
chrochet and canning contest.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles John
son and Mr. and Mrs. Dee
Hendrickson are planning to
attend Oregon State Grange
convention in Baker.
Refreshment committee in
cluded Mr. and Mrs. Olin Poe
and Mr. and Mrs. Ira Luman.
NEW
LOW
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On CHAIN LINK "Life
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Large quantity purchases make this low cost possible.
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UlJlGH'S Construction
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OPEN EVENINGS
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o
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MAIL TRIBUNE, Mtdford. 0
Sunday, May 31, 1959
Forest Service
Accepts Project
Rogue River National for
est officials last week ac
cepted conditionally the con
struction of new buildings at
the Prospect ranger station
and is now occupying them,
according to Carroll Brown,
forest supervisor.
The buildings constructed
by E. J. Fordyce and associ
ates, local building contract
ors, include four residences,
an office, gas and oil shed
and water pressure tank, and
building.
Construction has been start
ed -on the Star Ranger station
new residence south of Jack
sonville. Two barracks will.be
started at the Union creek sta
tion 11 miles north of Pros
pect, Brown said.
The French paint and var
nish industry increased pro
duction by 55 per cent in the
last five years, reaching an
output of nearly $200 million
in 1957.
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