The times., 1898-02-03
THE DISTRICT BILL PASSES
Appropriation Measure is Dis
posed of in the House.
THE B STREET PROVISION
1t Prevails. After a Lively Debate
An Effort to Bring Up the ROCK
Greek Bridge Item Fnils-Tie
Water Meter Matter Is Rejected
After n Spirited Discussion.

After 81 Spirited Discussion.
TIE House passed the District appropria-
ton bill late yesterday afternoon, but be-
fore th.s acsioa was taken q lively discussion
was created ~ the item in the bin providing
for water sEieters. The debate on this
generally indulged in
The first to object TO the paragraph
! providing that the Commissioners should
place water meters In eacn house in the
| District and pay for the same from the sur
! plus funds=i the water department was
! Mr.. Richardson, OF Tennessee, who raised a
point of order thasit was new legislation.
! This was denied by Mr.. Pitney. of New
/. Jersey, who explained the item to the
satisfaction Of Mr.. Payne, of New York,
chairman OF the Committee of the Wholc,
who overruled the objections OF Mr.. Rich
ardson.
Gen. Henderson OF Iowa Immediately Of
fered an amendment 10 strike out the item
Z
fund or the district. The general read a
letter from Mr.. Dodge, well-known citi-
zen, in whicn lie made an earnest protest
against the scheme. He showed by figures
that 500 meters had already been put in
itutci>. i:Ncr, ota.JicS ,i,N, h,I- ,-iolu
the proposition now is TO place Il meter in
each OF the 46 900 houses In the District
at an average cost OF $50, or a total cost of
more than $500 goo.
Gen. Henderson, after reading this, made
an earnest plea that the amendment pre-
vail. He sand the water fund should not
be disturbed and that the Board OF Trade
OF the District is opposed 10 the measure.
The general added that very soon the
water supply of the District must hc in
FeaseG, aud hat the cbSt for the increa sc
should come from the surplus funds in the
water department. He insisted that unless
the water supply is soon Increased the
city viii souIe day have water famine
Mr.. Piine5. in replying. said that the en-
S!neering d-partment had reported that
the meter system is the only method To
prevent the eX1ravagant waste of water.
The city now uses $4,000 600 gallons a
day, which shows a frightfuI waste. He
denied that the water is short, and said
that surply of 10000. 900 gallons a day
can he furnished. He denied that meters
can be supplied aud pu; In houses for $50
each, as has been asserted.
he said The commissioners had cNneri-
nIenred wita the Nater question, and had
found that Between / a. M. and 4 a. IN.
when there is but a very small legitimate
use OF water from 30 10 so per cent OF
the total aiGDunt used during the twenty
four hours is consumed. or wasted; in other
words nearly thrcefour hs of the water
supplied the District is wasted. He de-
clared thaa S1oOo.o0o would he suffi-
cient topay for the meters, and that it was
not intended TO eXpehd all this money in
one year: The COMMITTEES proposed TO
eNpend ahoGt per cent of the SUM an
nuaily. and - complete the whole in ;ihou;
twelve years.
MI Pltney quoted Boston a an eNampIe
of the successful opera ton OF the meter
system ani then declared that right here
In the Capitol building 1000, 600 gallons
of wa ter ale waste daily.
what has the committee done in The
direction of giving pure water this
year," inquired a Member
Nothing" replied MIR Pitnav; lit
priati0n.'
Continuing, he said that il was proposel |
to charge minimum late of So a wear.
or 30 cents less than the amount now
charged. The cost would be based on an |
estimate oI al abunda MT supply of wate.
without waste.
MI Hepb irn said that according TO Mfr.
Plthey It Hnuld cost $1,000 600 ana ac-
cordlne To ten. Henderson s., 500 900 He /
He said That the District had already ex- |
pendedS3,op0 900 for an unfinished tunnel.
ana in his Judgment il would be better Il, /
drpiy The expenditure proposed for meters !
10 the comp'Stion OF the tunnel and reservoir
AMI the iuhfication OF the water. thera
would vet he left half q million of dollars,
and such an abundance OF water tina there
never would be any need for water tpeters
Mr. shafroth Of Colorado luade an earn
est plea for the meter system. decIarino
that IL was III the interest OF ecopo,tv. a,,o
step iowar iobtaining pure water.
Mr.. Bennett, OF New York, obsected I'm
the meter system, and aid that if the ni,
tfict would accept the inspection sys,om
adopted I'm 3rooklyn. il would he found ,o
give Just as gO1d results. He favored ti,a
completion "f the unfinished tunnel and an
unlimited supply OF water He heIievad
that ths meter system wouidpreyen, cIaan-
illness in the city
MI Pitney of New jersey said il w,s
the intention to supply forty gallons a day
TO a 1amily pf eight persons. and that nn
1aIniiy or that size used more han twenty
fiYe gallons Gay without wasting !, mo
water. e
1en. Her .erson asked that the water
he iilade as free. Il S the air. Provide fo.
getting NOR" ana purer water from the
fotoiilac- ana let every one have as Inuch
as ne pieases: unlestrtined. by the meter.
After some further important Jisc,,s.
sion the proposition 10 introduce water
meters in the houses in the District wasd..
Ieated by a ote of 73 10 30.
immediately afterward Mr.. Babcocp
OF Wisconsin,. chairman of the District
committee, Jffered an amendment IA III.
'hh' WIilch provides for the pavement ar
IL street northwest. between First street
and Delaware Venue.
Mr.. Grout OF Vermont, Objected to tba
He said that the District
Committee had discussed the measure
and had bean unable To agree to il. for il
'ioiated one oil the rules of the committee,
which was hot to interfere with the scbc
uuie Oh street improvements prepared hy
lhe District Commissioners. He said that
III the schedule prepared this year the i'm
ToFement II b street had been inserted
puS tnat it was near the bottom of
the list, He added that the committee
ielt thai it could not break the esta hIished
RUE ana had agreed to leave il to the