National Republican., 1888-05-07

District But short a. the time was left tho
office thoroughly equipped for business, with
n cash balance 70 It's credit In bank.
find nothing IN your report concerning the
assessments made about one year ago for
water mains laid by citizens at their own ex-
persc, which assessments, after many Of them
had been collected, wcrr pronounced Illegal
by the attorney Of the District. The colloc-
tons on account of these Illegal assessments,
presume, are included IN the statements of
receipts for water main faxes. observe that
only Sj0.iI was refunded on account Of water
main taxes last year.
Parties who have paid these illegal taxes
tell me that they have applied In vain for u
refund of their money.
II seems to me II l. due to citizens from
whom this illegal tax was cXtortcd, by threats
that they would be deprived of water In case
of failure to pay, that they be notified when
and where they can get their money back
Interviews with Capt. Symuns, rs published
IN our city papeIrs,, put the amount Of these
SiOOCOO. cant. SymOns nuts the total amount
received FOR water taxes last year at S3I.SiI.5D.
How much of this amount will have to be re.
funded for this illegal taS he fails TO state.
Every dollar OF u, 50 far as his report throws
any light upon the subject, may have been oh.
i fail 10 lind any reference in your report to
the charge mado for the first time, last year
for water IN small stores and shops that have
no water fixtures, or any use for water the
parties occupying such shops and living over
them raging the regular water rent for do
nestle purposes and having no use for II for
any other purpose. The practice Of the office
for nearly thirty yenrs has been TO make no
charge for water, when not used The depriv,
ing of such people of water they needed and
were willing to ray for because they would
not Jay for water not needed or used was In
my Judgment, not only an unwarrantcd con.
structiOn of the aw,against all precedent, but
an outrageous usurpation Of authority.
Take the case Of barbara Kropp, for in
stance. She resides In n small twostory
house, thirteen foot front. containing four
small rooms, Her family consists of herself
and two children, with no servant, She keeps
little toy shop, In which she uses no water.
You charged her, first, $3.50 for domestic pur-
poses, and then 50 more for this little toy
shop, a charge never made against her before.
She refused 10 pay this unjust demand. but
rendered you the regular domestic. rates,
which you refused, and then deprived her of
the use of water.
You say the law required YOU TO make this
unjust demand or charge. ldeny II; but even
If II did, Congress has given you the power to
change the law. which you could do in five
minutes. Why do you persist In such inius.
ticc. Barbara kropp's. case Is only one Of
many might cite, equally unjust.
observe that the chief clerk In the water
department, in his report, iustifcs the dcpar.
ture from the usual custom of delivering
water rent bills ON the premises of water
takers, though the law, that has never been
repealed, says: "rhc water registrar shall
make out and deliver all bills for watcrrcnts.' "
To say that requiring u man TO come to the
office and get his bill is delivering II Is to trifc
with common sense,
The office has six inspectors with salary of
sl,0CO year each, and one chief inspector
than the superintendent over him rcceiveS)
What Is there to prevent these inspectors
from delivering the water, rent billsE They
9n Gn d9 i az We Has a. n3t without interfering IN
one inspector, and he found time to deliver all
the wafer rent bills.
If one could do this work then, why cannot
seven do II tnowy
Why require 10000 watertakcrs to make
two Journeys to the water Office to settle
their bills; All good business men and women
like to examine their bills at home at their
leisure, to be satisfied that they are right, be.
fore paying them,
Last summer, the District government had
Inc arrested and brought before the police
court as a criminal for lifting one side of u
stopvalve cover u few inches, though II was
instantly placed back exactly as found H.
=, The. charge was, 50 utterly frivolous that
of the government witnesses.
| called the attention of the court to the
fact that large numbers OF covers to stop'cock
and filled with sand all over the city, and that
lcould count upm more than 600 within half u
mile of the police court. ! supposed, after this
exposure of the. inefticiency of the water de-
In putting those defective boxes In order, but
superintendent llayden's report shows
that nothing has been done TO remedy the
evil. copy from his report as follows CSce
boxes are in condition for free access to'the
stop cocks and water service pipes to
premises. A large number of them are either
above or below the established grade. Many
tops are broken or removed and the boxes
filed with earth and gravel In such cases
excavations have to be made before the water
can be turned on or off. ~
Many tops" says the superintendent, are
broken or removed and the boxes filed with
earth and gravel" What an admission Is this.
and yet he has no suggestion to make
These boxes have been In this diSgraceful
condition for years, and he allows them to
continue so, though lie could go before the
police court and try to have me fined merely
for raising one side of u cover A more pitt
able confession of weakness and ineiliciency
u would be hard to find. A few hundred dol
lars. say, the value of Capt. Symons's mneccs.
sary horse and outfit that he has been sport.
ing at the governments expense, while
the superintendent who needs one has
none, would pay the cost of restoring
these missing covers, and would put the
broken boxes in perfect order, and vet moth
ing is done or proposed. Every hour of this
neglect enlangers the corporation to a suit
for heavy damages, in consequence of injury
some citizen may receive on account of those
broken boxes and missing covers.
Not an hour should be lost before the work
OF putting them In order is commenced.