Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-06-12

The subcommittee (of which MT. C. j. Hillyer Is
the energetic chairman,) OF the Citizens committee
Of One Hundred have compiled for submission to
Congress, some impressive figures In relation to
the water works and the water supply. These
statements not only answer all objections to the
pending bill, but present unanswerable reasons
why 1t should be speedily passed Such objec-
tions as have been made to the bill are super.
ncial IN character. The important and funda-
mental fact that the present supply does not meet
the demand Is conceded. 1t has been charged that
this fnadequacy OF supply was due to waste on the
part OF citizens, but Mr. Hi1lyer's committee en-
tirely refute this proposition. In the first place
the subcommittee take up the question OF owner
ship OF the works The law authorizing the con-
structon OF the works provided that the needs OF
the government should first be supplied; then, II
there was any surplus the citizens might have it,
under regulations prescribed by government
At the completion OF the work in 1859
S54 citizens took the water 90 900 take it. The
government has paid out for the works and its
water supply total of s. s4 SAG r. land the c1ti-
Gems up to 1879 have paid 81 353 II. In the year
OF 1880, alone, the citizens paid for water supply
$196, 459.O9
The committee point out the imperative neces-
sity for an increase of supply. In order to supply
the departments and Capitol, expensive steam
pumps are required, and last season it was with
great difficulty that sufficient water was procured
70 keep alive the plants and grass in the parks In
scores OF houses water cannot be obtained halt the
time on the first floor. Last summer public foun-
tains had to be shut or In order that the school
buildings might get water and even after that was
resorted to the supply was far short OF what was
needed. II Ia stated that the report OF Col Casey
demonstrates that the waste there is any, is not
chargeable to the citizens His measurement
showed that from 12 O'Clock (mdnight), until
am. on the 18th OF June, hours, during which the
citizens were asleep and not using water, 970, 9o9
Hon
Ions per day. leaving but an excess OF 43S, 3 gal
Ions he total capacity being 25 1873 gallons, or
134 gallons per capita for the citizens.
The pending bill, which has passed the Senate
and Is now before the House, is heartily COM
mended as an all-suf1icient remedy, not only for
the present. but for the future. 1t will provide an
ample supply Of water for the citizens as well as
for the government for all time The entire cost
OF the works up to the present has been something
over 100000, and in round numbers they afford
daily supply of %, 100000 gallons By expanding
the 81, 10000 proposed In the bill, in accordance
with the provisions Of that measure, the supply
will be increased to 100000 gallons per day.
There have been laid It's miles OF water mains lex
elusive OF service pipes, of which the government
has paid for but 17-100 miles, yet all of them,
under the law, belong to the general government
and are subject TO its control fully If it had
paid every dollar OF the cost The annual water
rent paid by the citizens for the past years has
averaged s13S,0CO, an amount equal, at 1865 per
cent TO interest upon So 500 and yet 1t is pro-
posed that the government shall expend only
G,5OO,OO to provide an abundant supply OF water.
An important consideration also is the sanitary
benefit thatwould follow the daily passage through
the sewers OF 81, oc0o 900 gallons of water making
current that would carry the sewage out clean.
1t Is manifest that the present water supply, no
matter how economically used Is not sufficient for
the purposes of the national capital with its
rapidly increasing population and with all its
large buildings, parks reservations, fsh-breeding
ponds. etc.