Evening star., 1896-02-24
A Joint Resolution to Complete the
Lydecker Tunnel.
DISTRICT TO PAY HALF TIE EXPENSE
Unexpended Balance Of Appropria.
ton to Be Available.
OTHER DISTRICT MATTERS

Joint resolution recently prepared provid
ing for the resumption Of work on the
aqueduct tunnel and Howard University
reservoir. The resolution as 1t now appears
is amended by the insertion Of the follow
ing p1 oviso: Provided that the sums here
by approl rated shall be subject to all the
provisions and restrictions of an act to In
crease the water supply of Washington
city, and for other purposes, approved July
10, 1882, and of the act approved July 5,
1881, making appropriations for the ex
penses Of the government of the District
of Columbia as to its apportionment and set
tiement between the United States and the
District Of Columbia and the refunding
thereof"
This places one-half of the burden of
paying for the Improvement upon the
water takers of the District, as will be
seen by reference to the report which ac-
companied the joint resolution in it's pre-
sentation today. The resolution as origi-
nally drawn made no reference to the d.
vision OF the cost, placing 1t all on the
United States. 1t makes Immediately avail
able the $266, 746.3S now remaining unex-
pended from former appropriations and
further appropriates the sum of 1891 ,267 30
for the completion of the work, Of which
s6S3.2254 shall be applied to the completion
OF the tunnel and accessories and $1:S,-
O13.3O to the completion of the reservoir.
1t directs that 1.-The work shall be carried
Or by contract or otherwise, as the Secre-
tary of War may deem best for the public
interests"
The report reviews the legislation of
July Is, lSS2, and explains tho financial
provisions of that act follows: 1T was
provided that cne-half the cost of the said
improvement shall be annually computed
and charged to a capital account on the
books Of the treasury, and that interest at
q n To nf
shall he charged to said account, and that
any surplus of water rents over and above
the cost of maintaining the works and
paying the charges for interest and sink
ing fund for the REDEMPTION of outstand-
ing bonds Heretofore issued for the eX-
tension of the SAID water works shall be
paid into the treasury. credited to the ac-
count thus created, until the same be final
~ eXtinSuished. The water rents were to
be fixed at such rates as should bay the
interest charges and the new charges ere
ateu. Subsequently 1t was provided that
at the close of the fiscal year 1898 and of
each fiscal year thereafter, the treasurer
or the United States should apply such
portion as may be deemed exledient Of any
surplus ir the District revenues (after pay
Ing one-half of the approprfa ton for the
support of the District governmenD to the
eXtinguishment of the water debt. This
legislation marks the change from the
system previously in vogue, by which the
United States paid the whole cost Of the
Washington aqueduct, to the system of
dividing the expense between the District
and the government.
by virtue Of the foregoing legislation"
the report continues, 1.-The reservoir was
constructed, and tunnel was built between
the new reservoir and the distributing res
ervoir near Georgetown, but in 1889, as the
work was nearing completion, grave defects
were found in the tunnel, and work was
stopped The very large outlay thus &C.
casoned was, therefore. rendered useless
Meantime, the needs of an increased water
how hno
in answer to this imperative demand that
Congress provided for an expert commits
sion to report upon the feasibility of COM
pleting the aqueduct tunnel and the Other
crease in the water supply. This report IS
now before the Congress"
The committees report summarizes the
findings of the expert engineers, Gen. Craig
hill, maj Knight and Col. Elliot and con-
cludes: THE question of expense remains
to be considered. On this point the com
mission report that. in their Judgment,
the tunnel can be completed in a f1rst-class
manner, with all accessories, and ready for
operation, for sSI, ,S37. The estimates do
not include the cost Of the link connecting
the tunnel with the new reservoir and put
ting that reservoir in order The cost OF
the entire work Gen. Craighill estimates to
be S1,2G7.3O in excess of the amount (S266-
1859 OF the unexpended balance already
appropriately. OF this sum $633, ,254 is to be
applied to the completion of the tunnel and
voir."
Appended to the report are letters from
Gen Craighill and Commissioners Ross and
Powell, previously noted in The Star
The joint resolution was placed on the
calendar, and Is now subject to be called
up any day in the morning hour or may
De taken en- up by unanimous consent at any
time. There is no definite purpose on the
part OF those in charge of it to call it up
Immediately, but it is liable to be passed
within fortnight. The prior joint resolu-
yyhi in1 o1ry
for the completion Of the tunnel, aggregat-
Ing, together with the funds now available.
less than 100000 was on recommendation
Of the committee this morning Indefinitely
postponed
AnncOstia Wants Rapid Transit.
A letter was received thi9 morning by
Chairman Mcmillan Of the Senate District
committee from a rumber Of citizens of
Anacostia. assuring him of their support
In any effort made to secure rapid transit
for that suburb. They say: Permit us to
invite your. attention to the fact that the
heavy one-horse cars in use on our local
road are uncertain when the track is heavy
with mud, sand or snow, or from any
cause, and we are. therefore, frequently
unable to reach our places Of business on
time; and to the further fact that we are
compelled to pay two fares to reach any of
the departments. except the Interior and
Post Office.''
Inc letter IS signed by j. NJ. Keating,
VIM. II. Peck, r. B. Buckley, W. c. Van
Hoy, Frank c. Haines, A. B. Frisbie, ]. A.
Watson. c. H. Weiss, D. E. Haines, W. T.
Anderson, Barnabas Bryan. Henry johnson
and Geo. B. Bury.
Pay for Pressmen's Helpers.
Mr.. Phillips of Pennsylvania, chairman
of tho committee on labor, has introduced
the following bill in the House: '"That the
amount paid pressmen's helpers for day
labor in the government printing office shall
be at the rate Of thirty-f1ve cents per hour
for time actually employed.
"Sec. 2 That this act shall take effect
from and after its passage"
District Day Deferred.
This was District day in the House un-
der the rules, but Chairman Babcock con-
sented to allow the Indian appropriation
bill to proceed, with the understanding
that when that bill is concluded, this even
Ing or tomorrow, as the case may be. Dis
trict business may be considered.
The bills to be calle1 up are as follows:
For the incorporation of the Protestant
Episcopal diocese; authorizing the sale of
certain tracts of land to Margaret Shugrue
and Caroline Lochboehler; to regulate the