Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-07-26
LETTERS EROM THR P1OPL a.
4 Solution Of the Water Diff cultv,

sioneis have deemed it their duty to explain to
the consumers OF Potomac water the theory
water rates. This is a healthy sign. After all,
public opinion Is power in this District But
The showing OF the commissioners is very un-
eS f s sRe fey to an a
adequate water supply: IL seems to me that
the solution Of this question, which the Com
mlssioners SO neatly dodge, Is quite easy. In
according to the statement Of the Commits
sioners, s45, 500. This is just SO much money
wasted. There Is no necessity for the water
registrars Office. The large force of employees
III it are OF no manner Of use-some to draw
their salaries. But, 1t may be asked, how can
we get along without water registrar and all
his suoordinates7 Very easy. Abolish the
office and turn over the duties properly belong
ing to the supervision Of the mains, the grant
ing OF permits and the tapping OF mains, to the
De In ehage Of the His
and the cost will not exceed s., 900 q year,
=, But who viii collect the water rents? Let
them oe couected as other taxes are! 1t will
De very easy matter to arrive at an equitable
rate OF taxation which can be levied upon all
improved property at the regular triennial as.
sessment and collected as the general taxes
should commend itself to our rulers. Every
house should be supplied with Potomac water
and all pr1v1eS abolished. The expense would fall
erty. better class tenement houses for the
poor would naturally follow, and pestilence-
breeding novels like those In Hell's Bottom and
other quarters OF the city would disappear.
The rate OF taxation for water purposes would
not be high, because the general government ,ooud
II Nas plan tcas adopted, pay ons-hafJ the tar.
1t ought 70 pay one, half. 1t consumes, accord
ing to the figures of the Commissioners, vastly
more than one-half the supply that comes
through the main49rom the distributing reser-
VoirS. 1t Is true that the general government
built tie aqueduct, but the citizens OF Washing
ton and Georgetown paid for the MAINS This
equal1zed expenditures. The credit side Is In
favor OF. the citizens, because they get but
traction OF the water that Is distributed
through the mains laid and paid for by them
And now as to the supply OF water. | think
little practical common sense will solve, to
certain extent this problem. The water for
Washington is carried over Rock creek In two
mains: The mains from the distributing reSer-
volr discharge into receptacle on the George
town side, and the arched mains across the
creek Into like receptacle on the Washington
side. Thus the pressure is equalized at these
Two points. The large main which carries the
water for the high portion of the city northwest
and capitol liill has exactly the same pressure
part OF the city. If the large mains for the high
portion had an independent supply from the
reservoir would not its pressure be greater?
o on IL W0ua TR i Is true would give
few days. and the cost will be trit1ing and the
relief will be immediate. The outlay would not
be one-SiAth that OF the stand-pipe. That mon
ument OF engineering where a steam pump
throwing a twelve inch stream is fed from a
ten-tnch MANI
Then, again, as to water wasted. Whose fault
is ii? venture 10 say that nine,tenths OF the
water closets in the city run day and night.
There Is small army Of employees belonging to
the water registrars office. aud yet this evil is
not cured. 1t could be il the water registrars
employees were not worthless. They are so
worthless that they cannot correctly make out
the water rent bills, and when, through their
negligence or stupidity, the consumer fails 10
pay all the charges against him. they cannot or
i'm Of
without warning, cut off the water.
The question is asked, how would you enforce
the payment OF the water tax If your plan was
plan would not only insure the collection of the
water tax, but OF the general tax also, because
the one could not be paid without the other,
because they are levied and collected together
If the landlord did not pay his taxes he could
not collect his rent; that would be just, wouldn't
The citizens OF Washington and Georgetown
In their own hands. Let them take counsel to-
gether and with one voice present their griev-
ances to Congress next winter and insist first
upon the adoption OF the plan herein outlined
It Is Just and equitable, and Congress Will un-
doubtedly respond. P.
THE INDECENT ASSAULT CASE DISMISSED
George Sloan, who was before the Police Court
yesterday On the charge OF having committed
an indecent assault upon q little boy II years
old, named Thomas Stubblefleld, about July 1st,
complaining witness testified to this man taking
his brother toward the wharf. Col Rogers
test1fled that the accused had not been on the
ooat 4ary Washington except twice, and not
since last Monday week. Miss Beckett tesCified
that Sloan was not on The Mary Washington
until recently. The court remarked that If
there was anything the government owed to
society, 1t was that children should be protected
from SUCH immoral practices as had been sworn
10, but in this case he mad some doubts and
dismissed the case.
INJURED BY THE FALL OF AN ELEVATOR AT
THE NAVY YARD.-AbOut 10 o'clock yesterday
morning, as Mr.. Hineline, an employe OF the
iron no ioandly at the navy yard, was ascend ng
iron, the iron ropes which hoist the elevator
gave way and precipltated him and the iron to
the ground and badly crushed his left foot and
ankle. He was carried to the dispensary Ia the
yard, where lie received medical treatment.
and was then sent to his home, on 11th street
southeast, near the Anacostia bridge.
TWENTY EIGHT NEW BUILDINGS TO BE ERECT
ED.-Mr. j. G. Hester is preparing plans for the
immediate erection OF twenty eight small, neat
rent to be S. or $40 per month These houses
will be built on the south side OF street, be.
tween 10Th and 18th streets, opposite the base
ball grounds This Is highly oommendable
and II more were erected they would be source
OF great comfort to the poorer classes, who are
required to live In alleys where there are no
eAA.Ao<siJ AAesA5CAlCAto, ouV WuClc tuc TILL Is
no lower.
A DESERTED WIFE's SUIT FOR D1voRcE.-To-
day Angle L. Kafghn, by VIII. Smith, filed bill
for divorce from the bonds OF matr1mony with
Maurice NJ. Kaighn. The parties were married
in September, 1866, her name being Town; they
have had three children, and she charges that
he deserted her In July, 1877.
MARRIAGE LICENSES have been issued to VIII
liam H. Wade, OF Washington, D. c., and Ella
c: Chopper, OF Gaithersburg Md; Pleasant
Riley and Julia Sedgwick, both OF Montgomery
county, Nd; Joseph CaSassa and Annie Potts,
both Of Pittsburg, Pa.
THE NORTH CAPITOL OUTRAGE CAsE.-To-day,
Henry Harry, one OF the parties charged with
outraging the person OF Miss Maggie NJ CLANCY
In March last, gave bail in So OO0-Messrs Jay
II. Arnold and Frank Haggerty going on his
bond, and he was released from TAIL
CAsHMERss.- Read Towson's new advertise
ment OF black cashmereS
BAND AND CHAIN BRACELETS, at Prigg's. +
THE OOURT6.