The city of Buffalo shows a daily consumption of 271 gallons per inhabitant, and Allegheny, Pa., 247 gallons per inhabitant. There are a considerable number showing an average daily consumption per inhabitant of 160 gallons or more. All such high averages exhibit extravagant use of water, or otherwise inefficient administration of the water-supply. The reduction of such high rates of consumption is one of the most difficult problems confronting the administration of public works. The use of the meter has proved most efficient in preventing wastes or other extravagant consumption, as in that case every consumer pays a prescribed rate for the amount which he takes. TABLE I. -------------------+-----------+----------+-------+----------- | | | |Consumption | | | Per | per |Population.|Population|Cent of| Inhabitant | | per Tap. | Taps | Daily, | | |Metered| Gallons. -------------------+-----------+----------+-------+----------- | 1890. | 1890. | 1890. | 1890. -------------------+-----------+----------+-------+----------- New York | 1,515,301 | 13.9 | 20.2 | 79 Chicago | 1,099,850 | 7.1 | 2.5 | 140 Philadelphia | 1,046,964 | 6.1 | 0.3 | 132 Brooklyn | 838,547 | 8.7 | 2.5 | 72 St. Louis | 451,770 | 11.8 | 8.2 | 72 Boston | 448,477 | 6.6 | 5.0 | 80 Cincinnati | 305,891 | 8.5 | 4.1 | 112 San Francisco | 298,997 | 9.9 | 41.4 | 61 Cleveland | 270,055 | 8.7 | 5.8 | 103 Buffalo | 255,664 | 6.3 | 0.2 | 186 New Orleans | 242,039 | 54.0 | 0.4 | 37 Washington | 230,392 | 6.5 | 0.3 | 158 Montreal | 216,000 | 5.3 | 1.7 | 67 Detroit | 205,876 | 5.1 | 2.1 | 161 Milwaukee | 204,468 | 11.1 | 31.9 | 110 Toronto | 181,000 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 100 Minneapolis | 164,738 | 16.5 | 6.3 | 75 Louisville | 161,129 | 11.9 | 5.9 | 74 Rochester | 133,896 | 5.4 | 11.4 | 66 St. Paul | 133,156 | 12.7 | 4.2 | 60 Providence | 132,146 | 9.4 | 62.4 | 48 Indianapolis | 105,436 | 35.6 | 7.6 | 71 Allegheny | 105,287 | 7.0 | 0 | 238 Columbus | 88,150 | 11.5 | 6.4 | 78 Worcester | 84,655 | 8.9 | 89.4 | 59 Toledo | 81,434 | 18.6 | 9.4 | 72 Lowell | 77,696 | 9.2 | 22.9 | 66