Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-06-14

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14th street. and establish distributing reservoir
there by means OF which every portion OF the city
could be well supplied with water for many years
70 come. The conduit, reservoir, mains and Inn
provement OF the dam contemplated by that plan,
which is adopted by this BILL would supply eighty
million OF gallons of water every twenty-four
hours amount entirely SUFFICIENT for any pop
ulatton that may be found here in the next forty
or nifty years, or probably during longer period
Now, II we were only seeking to furnish sup
ply of water for the next ten or fifteen years. 1t
is provided for in this bill; but If we are legslat
ing for the future, should, 1t strikes me the
amount provided In the bill will not be improperly
expended, especially SO as in the end 1t will very
probably be necessary to adopt plan similar to
this, and the appropriation for the temporary sup
ply would be OF no advantage.
Mr.. Hoge.-Mr. Speaker, suppose that it will
hardly be possible to gather the loose threads Of
this debate in q compact form in the very few
minutes remaining to the discussion ! scarcely
apprehend, sir, the precise character of the oppo
sitiOt. that has been made TO this measure. I'M
to say that we wa MT no more water in Washing
ton. understand the gentleman from Texas
lMr Reagan to take the position that uadouot-
b. considered, put that must be paid for by both
the government and the District In equal proper
man, If do not misinterpret his position, is op-
posed to all Potomac water, and wants to 60 back
to the original spring that gushed forth in crystal
a4ueducts and great enterprises. Sir. II he could
be taken back
MI H0iman.-My lf1e0Q rom west virginia
misapprehends me altogether. 1 said that spring
furnished the supply of water for this building.
Mr.. Hoge-Then you want Potomac water.
Mr. HOlman.-That Is inevitable, presume.
Mr.. Hoge.-Sir, it was the first time ever knew
that there were poetry and Imagination in my
friend from Indiana: ! did not believe that he
dwelt In any domain OF fancy. / have heard him
Directing here, with conscientious and unwilling
economy. to appropriations from the Treasury.
caution and have often envied his : more than
Roman hrmness And now when he encounters
this question of an increased water supply by re-
gushing force OF the crystal spring whose spark
lung purity had fallen unoer the eye OF the great
Father OF his Country welcomed it as the
rigidly repressed. fancy that 1t must be from
the source OF that original crystal spring that the
Tor whenever the expenditures of this great gov
eminent are under consideration, nOtw outstanding
the country has increased far beyond the three
million OF people which constituted its pOpuia-
tion at the beginning OF its history to the fifty
million OF to-day, the gentleman brings to the
measure Of an economy which bears relation to
the present like that Of the crystal fountain OF
which he speaks to the great volume of the
the sea.
Mr.. Holman said that the people who get the
Dsnet Of 1t ought to pay the cost That the ex-
District, and not by the people OF the rest Of the
Mi. Hoge:-For what was the Capitol itself
erected7 Was it not for the benefit Of
the @e,t people Of the the whole country
By the government that was not professedly at
least designed for the benefit of the country at
gs When nan great Inc capital Is and
to landscape, and broad avenues fringed with
trees. and gardens bright with flowers, and ma
Je5tic edifices and splendid monuments make up
the measure of its attractions, is it not the repre-
sentative OF the whole country instead OF the
special possession OF the few whose lives chance
a M ire nfr,nJC
The point wish to make in the very few min
utes have Is simply this: have no personal
man from Georgia Orr. Blounp has spoken at
such length, mean the legislation by which the
Forty-fifth Congress committed the Federal gov
OF the District OF Columbia. That was a policy
entirely and absolutely distinct from that other
policy OF 1859, when the government deliberately
ttefinlned that the whole question OF the water
supply should belong to it and be under its con-
troll. The purpose as stated In the act Itself, the
ciared and followed out, was that the appropria-
ton made by Congress for the construction of the
Potomac Water-wOrks was for the supply OF the
and then, as has been said, as a matter OF grace
and favor the people Of Washington and George
town were allowed the use of the surplus supply
There are some statistics here showing to a very
striking degree the progress and Increase of this
city. At the outset, when the water-works went
and fiity-four persons only who took the water
thus supplied Now, more than &c, 900 people de-
tive tHclT supplies from CllS source Since that
day, under the provisions of the original act with
full submission to the control of the whole system
Dy Congress, there have been constructed one
hundred and Seventy-fve miles OF water mains,
excluding service pipes The facts showing the
proportions in which these have been constructed
are almost startling: 1 read from paper the
statements contained in which have taken Oc-
caSion to verify.
There have been laid in this city ITS miles of
water mains, excluding service pipes;) Of them
aH miles, e., $50 OF 3O-inch and 196 Of 20-inch
36-inch MAINS has been paid for by the fnhabi-
tants- YetDthese belong to the general govern
ment,: and are completely subject to the control
and disposition OF Congress. All new distributing
mains within the city are laid at the expense
solely OF private property owners, and yet when
La1d belong TO the government.
NOW, Sir, under the operation OF the law, not
outstanding this immense dtspropOrtion, 1t is in
the power OF the government as the sole owner Of
these Water-wOrks, whenever it may so determine
to cut on the supply which flows through these 1859
miles OF mains which have been constructed as I
have said, by the city authorities of Washington
and Georgetown. II 1t be the purpose of Congress
now to go back upon the principle which was
declared in 1852 In other words IL it be its policy
70 abandon the entire ownership and control OF the
water works, let that be made distinct measure
You cannot charge Washington and Georgetown
under the provisions OF the original act with one
half OF the Increased appropriation then made, or
any subsequent appropriation, unless you give
them co uitable rights and prOportionate control
OF this great enterprise.