The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-19
WASHINGTON WAILSALOUD
BITTER ooNPLAINTFRoMT HE~ BEST
GOVERNED OITY."

ClJI.D
Ietousse river NEE te Drink, wretchsa 0ss
ae Verse PrIee. Sidewalks Fui or BunPS
sna Hleisn. ana Heavy Taxes All the Tiuas.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 19.-Former Senator John
James Ingalls, Of Kansas, who 10 at present al
washington revisiting the scenes Of his former
glory, is largely responsible for tho world
wide belief that washington 10 tho best
governed city In tho world" Mr.. Ingalls,
made this Important announcement either
IN the course of n speech in tho Senate or
IN an article published over his sigma
ture at q time when he was Chairman Of the
Senate Committee on the District Of Columbia,
and, therefore. especially well Informed on mat
ters Of municipal government at the national
capital. In some respects his words were true;
IN others they were not. And II he will cast his
eagle eye over matters and things In the Wash
inston OF to-day he will undoubtedly find many
reasons for believing that his now famous re-
mark is open to amendment.
There Is no gainsaying that the streets Of
Washington are broad. wen paved, we'll shaded.
and generally clean, or that Its public parks are
models Of beautiful breathing spaces. well cared
for by the Government, but II Nj. Ingalls, or any
other k~eeu-wittod. fa,r.minded man will ex-
anime the matters Of street lighting. telephone
rates, water supply, gas and electric lighting.
and sidewalks he will admit that the three
solons lone o Republican. ono q Democrat. and
tho third an army officer supposedly without
any political blast who, under tho direction OF
Congress, manage tho municipal AFFAIRS OF tho
District Of Columbia. might probably take les
sons from the Common Council Of many an in
significant village.
1t 10 . common thing nowadays for one Wash
ingtonian to say to another, win you have q
glass Of Potomac mud r. instead of asking him
to take Q drink of water. and Notwithstanding
all the Government reports piled desk high in
the engineers offices, the fact 10 that the water
which the citlzens Of Washington have been
compelled TO drink for moro than o month II
such a. would cause even o citizen OF st. Louis,
who has swallowed Mississippi River water all
of ms life without o qualm. to turn up his nose
In disgust. When Potomac water gets real
muddy, as It IL ct present. 1t defes the cleansing
powers OF even tho most modern Al.
ters. and must be taken solid IL at
all. The water supplied to WashinGto-
mans 10 obtained from the Great Falls Of the
Potomac. eighteen or twenty miles north Of tho
city. and brought down BY the aqueduot across
historic and popular !" aqueduot road" to tho
distributing reservoirs above Georgetown, and
saSP S SdRsS %iSr not b :. t iSpu Sasy md ah ro %GsSy Il L
posed about Ons;;hsii q mud any ons can plainly
as 70 why this il 90. but in spite OF them tho
mTS remains; hal, ,,., ,.,..., ,n wo,,.
ingIon and the business thqroughfares which
are lighted by electricity. and 1t q only within
have revoked The ancient srdsr that required
tho nights when, according to the almanao. the
to be wrong several nights. in each month tho
citizens were loft to grope their way about the
'' Having as G rsae he'd i the point ae' o. aAf lighting the
streets after o fashion every night. regardless Of
sisasy Or the : slo :ln ssg. Z. h %lRsss 6 ss IL s.ssaissss e.. {
tho Commissioners would 20. q step Further and
n nss,Ioh sh Si t flS cl STis sss f,ssSs %lis N Rs sRs e s. Z %ess
durable, slightly and smooth material. But they
appear to believe that the humble citizen return
s% srs I eHns Tor sst Tie 81 sie Risns yellow ieSVi CLEAN an ' Of Tie ras
lamps. and not ask pfotssotion from The bnmPs
one place By tree roots n followed out in an.
passr ssss so III liz sA :S s1S s I III IL = o sa' t AZ,
course, i always open to him. There e
q sa esSslAs aSa sSs : Rsdppfio oss s sSaf keep 81 0s sse
sidewalks in front Of them clear Of snow and
forced. During the occasional snowstorms the
washington pedestrian must wade through the
s WssS;.S aa U1a In t f",H 1las wsifso frJ$@ hf S 2 tie esrr %ss
in The best governed city in The world" u,,,.
n tOiCpnohO ~ q "a ~ OoNANANS IA
500. both being In advance. -
muddy water. unswept snow. unshovelled mud.
S Sasn high aar tfs o Pho S. sssE5Fes f Are az tb mie w on =
ington taxpayer suffers at the hands OF the
company, that owns and, controls tho gas
plant lS' b Ss t hes Si y ,b The Sd lighting e Of %o the 't Tss sd !;
body q, more Eeenly aware Of that fact thar
S house. f II s I District lSss sh" Of Z oo RSf iSa, i 0s 1at
ing Washington. Ge9rgetowH and tho many MSf'
ii e mort because s 3 HT ass' i. y Sep siiSs!F, sna eh sa1'
but rather hat electricity 4 not With
In reach OF the general householder. Unit
had as complete q monopoly in the electrical
line as The gas company enjoys. Il had No
that eoimPels Il hereafter to lay wires pnde
It desired for tearing up the streets and so a
a rule only the streets In the. business part o
w pyiSa.l So%a1 are n Lighted saoS BY ot SlsStf asnditlo As q ::
tho company could control 1t had q "cinch'
completes and unquestioned.
ness It found Itself confronted By an Opposition
foot 70 the old company. On getting permission
from the District Commissioner to lay certail
SGaSStss ss' i ns% fSS%pSnS q % sSS T ssns sss e sasinsl
Of business by assuming the questionable e
"a btpuiobAh4 Ant ~
lighting should be made only with the old com
pany. Nothing daunted, the new concern CON
menced the work OF laying conduits across tn
city east and west from GEORGETOWN to Wast
ington. A resolution was introduced into tn
Senate Immediately to stop the work. 1t wa
about to pass whom David B. Hill came fort
as the champion Of competition In tho interes
Of the taxpayers. Day by day he fought, BY q I
10 q master, to keep the resolution from comm
TO a vote. In the mean time tho work OF layinI
the conduits was conducted day and night. Th
Senator fought till the wires were laid. and wol
his fight. Tho new company Immediately bega'
supplying light to private consumers, and q
once the price OF electricity was reduced almos
II not quite one half. BUTT H. still beyond tn
reach OF the average householder, because N
small number OF ~conduits makes Its transmit
sion too expensive and because comparativel
few houses IN Washington. except the ne'
A fcw years ago Congress showed a disposition
to listen TO the petitions of the citizens. q
Washington for relief from the burden of payip
$l.25 per thousand feet vi. so without The di'
count allowed for payment on or before tn
10th o., each monthly for a very poor quality z
gas, with the result that in the spring OF 1906
protracted Congress investigation into the ga
system In the District OF Columbia took place