Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-09
DO NOT AP P ROW E
Commissioners Oppose the Water Assess
. ment Bill.
Relieve I'm Area Assessment Rather
Than FrontaEe-A Probable MI
nOrity Report to he Made.

The Commissioners have forwarded to
the President, with an Oppression OF their
main go S'' regulate wafer
am -.nents in the District of Column
I pia, which was referred to them for their
report whether they find any objections 20
It's approval. The majority of the Commits
sloners DO not recommend favorable ex-
ecutive action. Commissioner Truesdell IA
vored the bill and it is expected he will
submit minority report The report SAYS:
THE bill would give no power to assess
The present power to assess comes from an
act approved June %, 1873. The bin is TO
regulate assessments levied for water
mains only. The present law fixes a Ger
tain tax for water mains and fire plugs
Therefore if the new act obtained there
Would be no assessment for fire hydrants
which by law the water department must
erect ard maintain. The water depart-
ment is operated wholly by revenues from
water main and fire hydrant assessments
ana water rents. A question is thus raised
whether the Commissioners would have
the power to assess for cost of fire-plugs
ana whether the power to erect those appli-
ances requisite for the public proteetion
from fire, would not by necessary implica-
ton. be revoked.
fhe present law levies tax for wate-
mains and freplugs of I Ia cents psr
square foot which abuts on an avenue
street. or Hiiey In which a water pipe may
De fald and fire plugs erected A reeulat;on
IN conformity with the act of June 10. 1873
applies such rate of tax for depth Of lUl
feet on agricultural land. or other tracts
not subdivided into building lots When
suDdivlded. OF main be laid IN another
.oad through. Or ALONGSIDE the tract, an ad-
uitional asss ssment applies for the ground
not included in the former assessment So
IL results. under the present law that every
square loot OF private ground, first or last
PAYS an equal tax for the main and n.y.
Grant This secures uniformity of tax ana
Is believed to be the only practicable way
oil doins so. The act of June 10 I'M. re-
quirss that water main taxes and water
rents shall be uniform
The principle of the area basis for ,he
TAX rather than the frontage basis Is no
neved to be more Just and equitable The
W,oie water ervice is proportional, as
RUE. upon the size of the lot. Under the es-
tablished schedule of water rents ~
charge Is made for hose washers where po
tomac water is used i'm the house: no che roe
Is made for bath tub. neither for a faucet
nor water closet nor for any single use
OF water at dwellings except for fountains
Inc Larger the lot the larger the house
anu the more occupants 1t win contain and
the more water will be used. The larger
MIGRANTS. The humber of rooms does not
enter into the schedule of water rates ex-
ceept for hotels and boarding and tenement
houses.
the schedule and charge BY volume IN Wa
ter used for domestic purposes.
II the bill obtain ar. owner of a lot deem
er than 100 feet viii have his water main
taA ,eoueeo whereas the large number of
small owners throughout the cities ana
parity IL the county. whose lots are gem
erany less than 100 feet ina depth frequent
my feet and sometimes less. would have
TER taxes largely increased and often
DOUBLED. The larger lots, which this bill, II
approved. would almost exclusively benefit,
are located in suburban subdivisions and
In consequence of their comparative re-
moteness and higher elevat ion can only be
reached by the municipal water supply
from the Potomac at an extra expense for
pumping and delivery.
In fine, II is believed that the present
law of Assessments for water mains and
fire plugs is more equitable and just than
the proposed law, and that any necessary
reduction of assessment should be secured
by reducing present rates rather than by a
change of principle Of assessment