Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-07-23

PRIVATE dwellings. l,,S2 1910 20
Hotels, restaurants, and bars. Ia 26.s 10
stores, BANKS, &c............... l22 6j9 CO
vas 30 10
Engines locomotive. y SO 10
Engines (statlonaryj........... ?! All 10
Stables ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. - Cos IS
breWerles ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ~ ;3} IS
BaI Der shops aud pubic baths. IL as 20
bakeries and conIecloneries.. Is 81 20
Northumberland. l. lg3 So
Churches, public schools, and
Charitable InStI'u ions. for
which there Is no charge...... g.
Total. .I,6u1 Ss5,se7 10
ton the 3ist OF December 1859. the last date TO
which find any similar report. the whole
number of wItsr-takrrs WAS 2,ul>, and the
vaIue OF the water rents Sli,-22.75, showing an
incTe Sc IN The past nve and n hIlt years OF
25o9 In the number OF places suppie with
Potomac water, and OF ~iU..6I IS In ia annual
value OF the rents. In this statement the pub.
lie buildings and other rs tabiish ments b-iong-
I'M, 10, or occupied by, the General Govern
lnent We're NOT taken INTO the account. The
number or places supplied Win Potomac water
for IN" hrst time during the year ending the
3uih ult, is so, and that NUMBER of taps has
Consequently been made by the Inspector and
Taper OF Wafer Mains.
In this connection 1 would say that by the
munlhcent provision made by the q neral
GoverLment for supplying this city with
water, our citizens are afforded one great con.
venIence and necessity at n mucn lower rate
than Is paid therefor in other places; and by
comparison OF our water rates with those of the
other principal cities OF the country, lind that
they are, on an average, not more than ore
hitn as high In no city have the officers ot the
water department. been less lnQuisi .orial IN
examl ming rs 10 tie use OF water. or allo We'd Il
more liberal consumption witnoutextra ch urge
This lenlency Is often abused by an extriya-
CANT use ana waste OF water, which tha grow
ing shortress of our supply req uires should he
remedied. our basis OF assessing water rents
is, for domestic use, the numb-r OF stories and
front width OF the house supplied. which,
after a careful examination OF the systems
Il q sfiatt ha-r
adapted 10 our circumstances. Were our rates
higher, II " ould be we'll 10 take into account
NE lumber OF rooms III each house, and
also 10 make separate charge for stree;
washer. water closet, bath tub, &c: bat with.
out ms reasIng our general rates thesa itr rs
are too small 20 compensate for the extra labor
and expense OF their assessm ut and collection.
For hotels and other establishments recurring
n large supply OF water The of water me-
teTs !" Guild in my opinion, BE- Trry grea, im
lroVemenf, and probably save i very large
quantity OF water which Is SO much needed
lor ordinary domestic purposes il the more
elevated parts OF the city. The use OF S1e,ers
Is increasing In other cities and | wo:ld rec
cmn@nd their adoption for hotels, brew-yies.
steam engines, gas woi ks. stables, and similar
establishments, which now pay fixed water
rent generally lnadeq uate and often but loose
~ prcporiiOned TO the amount OF water used
Both 10y preventing waste and BY an increase
OF revenue would the city b. repaid for the
cost OF the meters, varying frJKl S2l 10 SO
each, should authority be given Tor their pur-
chase ana adoption. The imperfactiOn OF such
meters has retarded their coming into general
use, but tate Improvements have Oeen ache we'd
which render them both accurate anu pTicrI-
cable.
WATER TAXES
A tax of seven -eIghths OF one cent per s1uar.
1907 Is assessed upon all property binding
upon street where a water MAN Is laid L. r.
lmonrse the expense of laying the sar'a, which
Is payable In five annual ins;alments or an
one payment, with discount OF SIX per cent,
az the optICn OF the owner OF the p-oua-tc
The amount Of this tax collected during t6r
Is Thay h
collected since the SANE was first ASSESSED. ~
l-J5, as have made the IompilatIon from tn
thousands ofmargins ofTeceiptS given therefor
II l. part Of my experience 70 be- Frequently
asked by persons coming 10 pay This wa,vrtlX
whv. since the General Governmen, built IN
Aqueduct. and the owners Of property pay this
taA Tor laying the mans, any rent for "a use
OF TIE water should bs Necessary. These III.
Gunir> are answered by CONSIDERING
LIST. That tins tax Is payable III five annual
lnstalm-nts. 50 that unless IL Is voluntarily
paid sooner, but ne-ffth OF TIE cost OF The
uaIn> Is available 10 the water fuad ID oi'-e.
the disbursements of each year, even suppo,
Ing the above-Earlsd rate OF asses sn-nt 10
cover III, expense, which Is frequently L III Ii.
csse, owing 20 the great width of our streets
anu the large amount of property Belong !rg 70
the General Government and d liable 10 the
tax.
I'D That almost constant. and sometimes
heavy. expenditures are necessary 10 repair
leakaGrs IN the mains and prevent the damag.
10 streets, sewers and other public and private
property, which would BE- 4 disastrous SCnSe-
quence Of neglect In this particular.
Sd. That soon after the organization OF the
Water Department, ten years ago, a lOaa o;
SIS 90 was deemed necessary in order 70 ex-
tend the circ ulation OF water from the few main
arteries provided by the General Goyerement
by laying new water mains. prior 10 the au.
thorization of this tax, and water stock was
issued for that amount, Upon which the inter.
est has been regularly paid. but 10 meet The
princIIai of which, 10 tall due as hereinafter
ared, no surplus or sinking fund has accu-
mulated from the revenues OF this ONCE; ana
ith. That the fire hydrants, OF the m D, an.
proved and efficient pattern now in use have
been erected along the lines OF the water mans
10 the number OF about five hundred, which
as safe LaTdS ags lus: tie destruction OF MON.
eriy, certainly rIkaLce its value IL q ratio far
exceeding their cost.
Thus II becomes necessary 70 supply this d..
ncIenCy, for The time being, in the tax in.-ndrt
T. cover the expense OF laying the mains -four
rt'hs of & being IN deferred payments as we'll
As 10 ceiray the expenses OF repairs aud rre
MIGRANTS aeoye-namei, and wh,i spare. 4,
once so apprcpria;e, JUS; aad equitable as Il
moderate Charge fer the use OF wa.rr,
REPAIRs.
During he year rsuars OF some eighty Leak
sgsS II mains, stops and hre hyt-aI : nav.
BEEN maze, new stop boxe. have a--. pE. IL
~ he street crossings wheTey-r reEG-I-. Ne
ce>sa-y by the decay OF HI old one. sum-
thIr;y stops have beah paved arcU4d, - :hr
great improvement OF the streets and IN .raasrd
safety OF travel. This ork has baeu done ny
tie inspector AID Taper OF water mann. under
purpose, from time TO tine. instead Of orasrIng
II done by plumbers or contractors rs hs,
heretofore generally bsen toe case. am sl,-
isf1ec thaf the result has ben, owing IN NJ
small degree 20 the thorough competency o;
toe L i-Ct3T and Taper Of mains, and MS de.
vo,ISL - his cu;ies, gre1' saving OF exp. Sc
vel. rs he giving work TO poor men who
greatly need 70. AS an example, ne price paid
heretofore tor paving around stops, Nv con
tract, has been $40 eacn, whiie the paving OF
the thirty aoove-named cost but - each
LAYING OF WATER MAINS.
during the past season, after my accession To
once some 1900 feet OF 6.lnch water mains
were procured aad laid. This was all the pine
which the limited resources Of the wster fund
and the appropriation therefor would ALLOW,
although u was very far from meetipg the
demand. IL 10 proposed 10 lay about a0,OOo feet
Of 6-ineh mans during the present season, aud
the WORK - noe IN proGress. Eirs.plues were
erected along all the lines of the new mains so
that protection - property IL made 70 keep pace
with the convsnierce Of supply Of water
RECEIPTS AND 1xPsNsIs.
The receipts OF this once tor the wear ending
June %. isSa, which have been deposited In the
designated bank, were as follows:
Receipts from wster taxes. ...... o. ISL U2
reuts 81 afS ~
taps and permits -. 2,H5 40
S55,aUi -
(NollactOY. And demos tied IN credit