Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-12
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
The Reason Given for the InadeQuacy
ofthe Water Supply.
TIE NEEDS OF THE SUBURBS
Revision of the Realty Assessment
Just Completed.
SOME IMPROV YEMEN

One of the reasons assigned for the in
| adequacy Of the city water supply is the
| large increase in the number of mains.
| While the work of laying water mains
throughout the city is constantly going on,
| either for the purpose of. furnishing water
| facilities in places where they have not
| existed before or to replace small pipes
with those of larger diameter. in order to
| meet the needs of an increased population,
| 1t is not the extension of the water system
| in the city that is looked upon the
| main reason why the supply Of water is
| less than the demand. 1t is stated by the
! officials of the District that recently there
| has been quite All extension of the water
| mains beyond the bounds Of the city and
| throughout the suburbs.
In some sections they have been laid for
! miles and miles, and while it is not claimed
that the population has extended through
out the entire region, still there has been
| such an increase in the number of residents
as has led to the introduction of the water
pipes into the suburbs, mainly at private
| expense. The size of the pipes that are
laid it is said, is determined rather by the
demand of the future than of the present,
and as it is nearly as cheap to put down a
large pipe as q small one, ii Was thought
wise to make ample provision.
water must run through them. Each adj
ditional new water way that is thus opened
tends to distribute the water supply over
a larger area, and in consequence the
quantity. as wei as the pressure through
out the city, is considerably lessened.
Appeals to Civic Pride.
While it is announcement as well as I'M
pleasant for citizens to he unable to have
| water throughout their houses as they
have been accustomed to, still such an
explanation of the deficiency is an appeal
to civic pride which, perhaps, would in
many cases reconcile The citizen 10 endure
the discomforts of the situation. 1t is GER
tainlv a striking evidence of the growth
of the city in population as Wei as of the
progress that is being made in the direc-
ton of realizing the greater Washington
which is in the near future
However, the city can continue to grow
and the extension of the water system can
be continued without citizens being de-
prived OF such q necessity as water. Col
onel Elliot has suggested easy and
cheap method Of increasing the water sup
ply by raising the dam at Great Falls, and
Congress has thought so well of it that
provision was made for the necessary
money in the appropriation bill, which has
been reported to the House. As this bill
has been vigorously pruned down by the
committee it may be concluded that items
which We're allowed to remain possess
considerable merit There can, however,
be question in regard to the import
as the amount required is very small it
is highly probable that the money will
soon be available and the needed improve
ment begun.
Tax Revision.
The revision of the assessment ot taxes
on real estate, which has just been COM
pletcd by the permanent board of asses
scrs, marks only the beginning of the work
which devolves upon the board. They
now enter upOn the Qutv of making the
regular triennial assessment AS the pay
ment of the taxes in accordance with the
revised assessment will not be made until
rext May it is likely that the majority
of the taxpayers will not become aware
until that time exactly how their individual
holdings have been affected by the work Of
revision.
As has been stated in The Star there
has been in general reduction, although
in some sections of the city the assessed
values were increased. The revision, it is
believed, will bring the assessed values OF
property more nearly down to the basis OF
the true value than was the case with the
old assessment. The difficulty in that as
sessnlent, which. it is believed, has now
been finally remedied by the revision.
arose from making an assessment at a
period of booming market, and regarding
the prevailing prices at that time as the
permanent valuation. The result was the
Imposition of a heavy burden upon the
taxpayers which was not accompanied with
the usual alternating circumstance that
this increased revenue was being expended
for current improvements.
The building inspectors record for the
past week, ending yesterday, shows that
one permit was issued for the erection of
new building to cost $500 This was
ir the northwestern section of the city.
D. B. GottwalS has planned the erection
of three brick dwellings, at numbers 337,
::i9 and 341 street southwest. They will
be two stories in height, ID by 80 feet, and
built by d. b. Gottwals. r. J. Bell is the
architect.