Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-08
Capt Derby Urges a Large E1pendi-
ture at Once.
The PLAN OF The ENGINEERS
He Suggests That the City Own
Its Own Lighting Plant.
HIS ESTIMATES SUBMITTED.


mates for the fiscal year ending June 80
1885. urges the necessity for carrying out at
once the plans made by the board Of sani-
tary engineers. appointed to report on the
sewer system Of Washington. The esti-
mated cost Of this work il IS, 100000. Capt
Derby recommends also that provision be
made In case of failure to secure a salts
factory contract for a street lighting plant
to be operated by the city. The estimates
In detail follow:
For continuation and completing the sys-
tenn OF sewage disposal and protecting
against floods according to the project Of
the board of sanitary engineers, who sub
mitted a report in 1881. he asks for an ap-
preparation of A.1%.00O. and for extending
the system Of trunk sewers in the city and
suburbs. s. 100000
Sewer Loan Suggested.
In submitting these estimates for the
sewer department for the coming year,
Capt Derby says he is aware that it is not
practicable to supply these funds from the
annual revenues OF the District, nor in his
judgment In 1t desirable to do 40. He be-
heves that the District should provide its
nalf OF the necessary funds for the last
er bonds.
The most important part Of Capt. Der
sys estimates is the explanatory clause
relative to Carrying out Of the system OF
sewers proposed by the board of sanitary
engineers. In this connection, he SAYS:
The board Of sanitary engineers of 1891
made most exhaustive study OF the re-
quirements Of the District for sewage dis
an annual report recommending a project
estimated to cost S.59s 600, which must be
increased to s4.50000O on account of the
eight-hour law passed since the estimat e
cluded in the project, but not provided for
In t,ss estimates.
Congress has expressed its approval OF
TINS plan by appropriating the sum of $780,
~ 70 oesin the work, and this is probably
ABOUT as much as can well be spared from
tne annual revenues. But at the rate of
$So,oo q year ii would take fifty years to
complete the work.
Cannot He Constructed PfecemeaL.
Now, / submit that IT Is absolutely i'm
possible; we may stave on the construction
or this necessary work one year, two years
or ive years at the risk Of an epidemic and
OF having all the low district Of the city
Hooded again as IT was In 1889, but it re-
Quires no other argument than a single
visit to the James Creek canal at the foot
or South Capitol and @ streets or to the
head OF the 18th street outlet canal 18th
ana Virginia avenue, to convince the most
skeptical that IL Is absolutely impossible TO
continue to maintain these open cesspools
miles in extent, in the heart OF this grow
Ing city for any such period as fifty years;
and we must bear In mind that In all the
long chain Of works that the project of the
board OF sanitary engineers provides for
the closure OF these two open drains U.s. by
force OF circumstances, the very last link
Finally, as an economic question, II should
be observed that the work cannot be con-
structed piecemeal for the same amount of
money as IT could be built for II the money
were available, 30 as to admit Of the work
being undertaken in the most advantag eous
manner; and the circumstances Of the
problem are such that the required works
constitute one vast plant that cannot be
put in operation till all its parts are ready;
all the money invested In IL must lie idle
until the whole has been completed. No
In annual installments and get no return
on the investment for nifty years.
Other Estimates.
For the subsurface division So, go is ask
ed for salaries. In this department an ex-
ira inspector Of lamps at $500 per year is
asked. An additional chairman at $3.50. one
clerk at 500 and one stenographer at 500
are the additions asked in the service OF
the sewer division. the salaries Of which
will aggregate. he thinks. $&.62a.
For cleaning sewers he asks for $4,000.
This Is an increase Of 5000 over the appro-
priation Of last year.
For relief sewers $4,000 is asked. being IN
LuCTedSc Vi sloVV over last year
For main and pipe sewers $4,000 il ask
ed, being an increase OF $1,000 over the APP
preparation Of last year.
For suburban sewers an appropriation OF
800, 900 is asked, this being an increase over
the amount allowed last year.
For gauging sewers and rainfall s.. 900 is
100000 Is asked, this being an increase OF
$4,000 over the amount allowed last year
For condemnation of rights Of way. for
construction. maintenance and repair of
public sewers 1900 is asked He says in
explanation thereof that in the general
cases these rights OF way should be fur
pense to the District, and this item is SUBJ
mitted to cover cases where the right OF
way must be paid for and the construction
OK the sewer cannot be deferred.
The street Lighting.
Under the head OF street lighting Capt
Derby says:
For maintaining. operating and extend
ing the street-lighting service S25o.eoo: Pro-
vided that the Commissioners Of the Dis
trict Of Columbia shall invite proposals for
street lighting at reduced rates, and that
they be authorized to enter into contract
for such service for q period OF ten years or
less: Provided. further. that n no satisfac-
tory bid should be received the Commission
ers shall be authorized to construct and
operate the necessary plant for lighting the
streets Of the District
THE prices now paid for street lighting
dTe SACSSSNe. 4ueTe Is 8o8OlOIely no COM
petition between the existing gas and cleo
trio companies. When. pursuant to the re-
Qurements OF the act of March & lSsS pro-
posals were invited for public lighting, not
one OF the companies submitted q bid. No
outside company bid, because 1t was recos-
nized that the invitation for proposals was
only tentative, the Commissioners not being
authorized to enter into contract.
1T is Of primary importance that the
electric lighting appropriation should no
longer be made q separate item from the
other street lighting appropriations. To
separate these appropriations is to foster
the monopoly which the gas company and
the electric company now enjoy.
III the funds are all appropriated In one
item. as recommended. there viii lie at least
. possibility that the two companies may
be induced to compete with each other for
share OF the work.
THE greatest hope OF securing reasonable
prices. however. lies In the chance OF get
ting outside capital to establish q new cleo
trio lighting company to compete with exist
ing organizations. II the Commissioners
were authorized to enter into Q ten-years
contract for street lighting, believe that
such a company would be established.
greatly to the benefit OF private consumers
as well as to the street lighting Department
Finally, repeated experience with this
problem convfnces me that the only reliable
way Of fnsuring competition and holding IN
check the natural tendency OF contractors
to combine and make the most out OF the
public Is to make IL possible for the public
to do the work itself. dispensing with the
services OF the contractor when these ser
vices cease to be profitable.