Evening star., 1894-04-13
MORE WATERW WANTED
A Bill Discussed by the Senate Dis
trict Committee.
A POSSIBLE ELECTRIC LIGHT PLANT
No Mention Made Today of the
Taylor Nomination.
OTHER LOCAL MEASURES

The Senate District committee spent
nearly an hour and a half this morning an
discussion Of the bill that Senator Proctor
introduced by request on the Dist of Decem-
Der last, providing for an increase of The
water supply of this city. This bill amends
the act Of July Is. 1882 so as to enable the
Attorney General and the Secretary of War
to obtain title to such land and water
rights at and above Great Falls as they
may deem necessary for the present and
future supply for the District. Within
ninety days after the approval Of the act
these officials are to make a written state
nent, specifying particularly the lands
which they may deem necessary for this
/ purpose and also the quantity of water
per day that may be necessary, and shall
hle this statement in the District in Fair
lax county, Va, and in Montgomery
county, Nd, with the registrars or re-
corders OF deeds in those places. This act
I of filing shall be the taking for the United
States Of the lands and waters by right Of
eminent domain, and shall vest the title
absolutely in the United States.
| Looking to n Partnership.
! section 2 of the act provided that IL the
Secretary of War and the Attorney Gen
eral shall agree with any Of the owners OF
the land and water rights taken or with
the owners of lands damaged by such TAX
ing or by the maintenance Of the govern
ment dam at Great Falls at its present
! height these officials shall have authority
to enter into contracts with the owners OF
the lands adjacent to the Great Falls to
secure TO the latter the right 70 use and
faculties for using so much of the water
OF the Potomac as may not be taken by the
/ United States. And to this end they NAV
authorlZe or permit such structures to be
maoe as may be necessary, and the value
! OF any nights thus granted shall be re-
| ceiVed in part payment of the land and
water rights taken by the government
The Appraisement Of Property.
Sections 3 and Of the bill provide for
the appraisement Of the property by three
commits sioners and section provides that
II any claimant has a suit pending now in
! the Court of Claims for compensation for
rights heretofore taken by the government
he may join this suit with any claim
which may result from carrying out the
provisions Of the act Section authorizes
/ the Court of Claims 10 appoint a commits
sion of three, one or more of whom shall be
/ skilled in hydraulic engineering, to act as
board OF reference TO settle controverted
questions OF fact that may be formulated
and submitted by the court. Section
gives the right of appeal TO the Supreme
Court of the United States from the Court
Of Claims.
The Payments of Judgments.
Section provides that all judgments ana
claims against the government arising un-
der this act shall be paid by the Secretary
Of the Treasury as judgments rendered by
/ the Court Of Claims against the District
are now paid. Section enables persons
now under disability such as described I'm
section 1869 OF the Revised Statutes 10
bring suit at any time within six months
| Three Owners of Water Rights.
| Senator Proctor introduced this bill at the
| request OF the representatives of the Butler
estate. which is a considerable owner in the
water rights of the falls. The bill was
drawn by them, and on being referred to
the War Department it was discovered that
In order to protect the interests of the gov
ernment fully il would be necessary to
amend the bill in several particulars At
present there are three owners of water
/ rights at Great Falls-the government. the
Chesapeake and Ohio canal and the Butler
estate. The main difficulty with the bill as
drawn is in the second section W hich provides
practically for a possible partnership be
tween the government and one of the other
owners. The heirs OF the Butler property
are largely Interested in a corporation which
has recently been granted privileges by the
virginia legislature. and has more lately
applied to the Maryland legislature for the
passage of a similar bill This company
3 evidently proposes to establish a power
plant at the falls for general commercial
purposes. and in view Of their intentions IL
d has been represented TO the District COM
mittee by the officials of the government
| that IL Will be well to modify the pending
I bill so carefully that the governments in
! terests may not become involved with the
/ new project.
| Points Discussed i'm Committee.
In the committee this morning the bin
was discussed at some length, Senator
Proctor presenting a long and careful re-
port from Col George II. Elliot the army
engineer in charge Of the water supply OF
the District. There were two main points
discussed by the committee. First was
the question Of increasing the water supply
which was conceded 10 be important and
necessary, and which was recommended by
the District Commissioners in their report
on the bill. The second was the matter Of
partnership relations between the govern
ment ard the private owners of the water
J rights at the falls. AS TO the 6rst point
there were two opinions, one being that
sufncient land be acquired for increasing
the supply of water 10 provide for the pres
ent needs only, and another that the in
crease in the supply should he with a view
TO a long term Of years. Nothing definite
was decided as to the extent of the in
crease, although the committee seemed to
favor n more permanent improvement than
that which would be accomplished by q
compare lively small increase of the gov-
ernments interest and plant at the falls
Against Involving the Government.
1t was the general opinion also that the
government should not involve itself
in any possible partnership arrangements.
and an amendment was informally agreed
upon modifying the second section OF the
bill as TO preclude this possibility. IL
was also suggested that the committee
should discuss i'm this connection the
project recently broached by the committee
on rules Of the Senate in a report upon
the question OF better lighting for the
Capitol and the new library building. In
this connection, Senator Manderson, from
the committee on rules. introduced a reso-
luton, which was adopted, calling upon the
Secretary of War for an estimate of the
cost of a plant at Great Falls to furnish
electric power for lighting not only the
Capitol, but all the other public build
ings OF the city and possibly furnishing
light for the streets and avenues, and for
private consumers.
An Electric Light Plant at Great Falls
No report has been received from the
War Department on this subject and the
District committee will probably withhold
acLon on the water supply bill until this
secondary matter has been in a measure
decided. Should IL be determined that the
government profitably establish an
electric plant at the falls for lighting pur-
poses, the present bill for increasing the