Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-06-14
THE WATER QUESTION.
The Relations OF the District to the
General GOvernmemt-The Discussion
i'm the IHOuse-InterestIng and Ism.
pOrtant Debate

water supply OF the District, In the House On
Monday, the following interesting points were
brought out
Mr. Neal. of Ohio, chairman Of the District COM
mittee, In advocating the bill said We have had be-
fore delegations OF the people OF the District Of
Columbia, and are all satisfied that on the
high grounds around the Capitol and above 14th
street, and elsewhere, and wherever the grounds
are somewhat elevated, there Is an inadequate
supply OF water. There are various reasons for
this. One probably Is that the suppiy-pipes are
not large enough. But the great reason is the
water is brought from the distributing reservoir
in iron pipes, twelve OF twenty-our and twelve OF
thirty-Six inches in diameter and they run through
such section OF the city that 1t Is impossible TO
supply the high grounds with sufficient water for
the purposes OF the people who reside on them.
The question arises, such being the case, what
shall Congress do? We must do either one of two
things We must either provide for a supply of
water ourselves or else we must authorize the
District OF Columbia to furnish its own water
works
their report say that in their opinion there should
BE- no divided ownership OF this property, and as
the government has heretofore done all the work
from the Great Falls to the point where the water
Is distributed through the District at It's own ex-
pense, having expended something like five mil
Hon OF dollars for that purpose, the Senate CON-
mittee report that In theropinion the government
should complete these works as they were origin
ally designed.
Now what IS 1t proposed to dot At the Great
Falls OF the Potomac river a dam has been built
across ffohli the Maryland shore to what is known
dred and forty-six feet above the mean level of
Underwater at the arsenal 1t is required that the
dam shall be completed, In the first place. by
one foot two inches higher than the present dam;
and also by building the dam from Conn'S Island
10 the Virginia shore.
Then we come down tn the distributing reSer-
volr which Is sixty feet below the Great Fals and
tt Is proposed that the aQueduct, which is circular
In its form, and nine feet in diameter shall be
tended to the distributing reservoir, to point
9Th street extended. where new reservoir can be
built which will hold, it is estimated, three hun
dred million OF gallOnS and from that the water
viii be distributed all over the city. Ii this Inn
proveIneRt is made, understand 1t will come with
such force that 1t viii reach to the top OF the dome
OF the Capitol, If IL should be necessary to do
ASH have already stated, IL Is demonstrated that
mtely necessary. What was SUFFICIENT for city of
forty thousand people Is insufficient for rapidly
growing city, already numbering one hundred and
eighty thousand inhabitants The question for
Congress to determine is what will we do in the
premises; what action will we take?
Let me say TO the House that it Is not altogether
gratuity upon the part of the government OF
course the government buildings, the navy-yard,
the arsenal, al portions OF the government prop
erty In this District are supplied with water from
these works In addition TO that. every person
living in the city who uses the water, every citi-
would consider were we citizens OF this District,
fair and fun price for the same. So that we give
TO the people of this District nothing; we give
nothing to the public institutions other than those
which belong TO the government, but they are
charged for every drop OF water that they use
from this aqueduct
Consequently there Is no propriety In the amend
Inent proposed by the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Rea agi 70 require that 0ne-ha OF the expenses
pie of the District because, as have already said,
they not only pay for the water they use but they
pay FOR the expenses OF It's distribution through
out all portions of the city.
The tables which are annexed to the Senate re-
thu peop Of ts Dsqe haTs areaay snoM
$ii0i, $50 OF the cost OF the permanent improve
ments connected with these water-works That
DIV
the shape OF taxes, Waterman taxes, and other
taxes
amount to 81 ,313,351. There is now due, owing by
she people OF this District, the sum OF $4,000,
which has been borrowed for the purpose Of lay
ing the mains throughout the city.
Mr.: BlOunt said: The government is getting
these pipes, while the people of the District are
getting the residue. Upon what principle can
they contend that one-half the expense of this
water supply should not be paid by the District OF
Columbia; that the whole expense should be paid
by the government OF the United States? If this
were single question should not have so much
feeling about 1t, but 1t was only few days ago
that my friend. the chairman of the committee,
came In here with a bill providing for the ex-
ment OF the Potomac flats, the expense OF which
has been estimated from 50 coo 900 to $40 600.
Mr.. Speer.-Mr- Speaker, 1t strikes me that the
view which my colleague (Mr. BOUNTY takes of
this question Is somewhat Illogical 1t seems that
MS mind rests upon the question Of the Potomac
Congress.
on its own merits The question is whether the
water supply OF this city is sufficient and IL in
sunieient, whether IL is proper that the federal
colleague says that for the first seventy years OF
the history OF this city it got along with scarcely
any appropriations from the general government
That may be true; but at that time this cI ty
governed Itself; It had some voice In the DISPOSE
ton OF It's an airs and In the appropriation OF its
taxes Now, every dollar OF It's taxes is paid into
the Treasury OF the government, and the people
here cannot control its expenditure.
The title OF all this property OF water works is In
the government, whatever may be said to the con-
trary by my colleague What Is his argument to
show that the title Is not In the government?
Why, that the distributing mains in the streets
Wen, suppose that be true, does not every lawyer
know that II party attaches fixtures to the realty
OF another party those fixtures instantly become
the property OF the party who holds the title to
Not only have the citizens of the District of
Columbia no control over the question OF these
water works, no more CONTROL indeed, than they
have over this building in which am now stand
leg, the water works, situated partly In Mary
land. being as much government property as this
building, but they have no control over the re-
cetpts which come from these water works They
bring In yearly some $13S 0O0 according to the re-
port, and that money Is appropriated under the
law-to what7 To the citizens OF the District7
serving these water works for their owner, the
government And however much tt may be true
ti6t Tie CltiZcnS OF Luis DlStrcL are Denente0 by
these works. 1t Is also true that it Is entirely gov
eminent property and the title Is solely in the gov
ernment, and the government alone can improve
the property, and the citizens are the customers
OF the government and pay large and onerous
water taxes
IL Is not like any other question which comes up
about the government or the District when the
citizens pay one-half the expense. Here is a val
liable property the title Of which resides solely In
the FEDERAL government, and II IL Is be extended
or improved the government should extend and
improve IL
A great deal has been said about voting money
Tor the benent OF the people of this District 1
have 70 say, Mr.. Speaker, that the entire control
or THIS District Is In the national government and
congress The people OF the District have not
even voice in the appointment OF their Commits
sionerS who govern them; they have not vote
on any public question; the right OF suffrage is
mere abolished; there Is nobody they can hold re-
sponSiDle for the improper management OF their
affairs, and II IL be true the government assumes
one~han OF the public debt OF the District WHY Is
II truef Because, sir, In times past the govern
mens OF this country thought fit by legislation to
put upon this District a District government
which involved them In debt-a government which
they were powerleSs TO resist and O debt which
they were powerleSs TO pay.
Mr.. Reagan--And which they asked for by
petition and sought themselves from the hands
OF the government
Mr.. Speer.-I do not know how it was obtained
but do know that the Shepherd government and
those that preceded 1t were put here by acts OF