Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-29

me Water Meier bbJoStftt.
The House of Representatives should by
all means amend the District appropria-
ton bill by striking out the provision tina
was added u the ordinary paragraph about
the water department. in the following
language:
- and for the purchase. erection.
maintenance AMI inspection of water meters
for the gradual extension of the meter
system to all classes of consumers. so much
may be available in the water fund.
during the fiscal year 1899. after providing
for the expenditures hereinbefore author
lied, is hereby appropriated
The widest possible latitude is hereby
given to the Commissioners for the fulfill
ment of their project of making the do
mestic users of the Potomac water pay for
their supply by the gallon. The wrong TO
the individual consumer that is possible
under such a system has been pointed out
fully in The Star recently. 1t remains to
Indicate a source of evil in this provision
that bears upon the manner in which the
Districts money is to be spent. This meter
service IS TO be installed. according to the
quoted provision. wholly out of the surplus
water funds, which come exclusively from
the water users of the District. who pay
rents. In other words, ii Is solely the
money of citizens of the District and in
its expenditure fer the purpose named it
will not be accompanied by equivalent
amounts from the general government, as
are other sums taken from the taxpayers
OF the District for local improvements.
This surplus fund. which it is now pro-
posed TO use for the gradual installa ton
oI water meters. amounted at the end of
the last fiscal year, in round numbers, to
siS.Ev- In former years it has been used
to pay the Districts half of the debt in
CURED by the partial construction of the
abandoned tunnel and reservoir. for which
the government first paid in full and then
reimbursed itself by appropriating the
proper proportion from the local revenues
This Use of the surplus suggests q similar
use now. when there is need for one if
not both of two betterments in the water
supply service of the capital. One of these
is the publication of the supply by fiitra-
ton: the other is the Increase of the sup
ply-the unmistakable increase-by the
completion of the tunnel and reservoir, for
which the District and the nation have each
paid half the cost without enjoying one
penny'S worth of benefit. Expenditure upon
the tunnel project. which would make it of
PRACTICAL use. would render productive the
previous outlay of some two millions,
which. as matters now stand. is dead loss
TO the District and the nation.
There would not be the least protest from
the District citizens if the available sur
plus to be utilized hereafter as the
Districts half of the necessary fund for
the accomplishment of either or both of
these needful betterments. In view of the
fact that such has been the use of the sur
plus in the past, it would seem at least
logical. and II appears to be certainly eco
nomicdl To use ii in the same way now.
when there is far greater need for an I'M
mistakable increase in the supply and for
clearer. purer water. than for the begin
ming or an expensive experimental installa-
ton that will. at best. serve only to in
crease the available supply by a minimum
in annual drlblets.
The disproportion between the amount
required for water meter equipment and
the benefits to be expected therefrom Is
apparent upon the least survey of the sit
uation- Ii is calculated that at least one
million dollars will be required to extend
the meter service to all domestic users
and that the process will, under the pres
ent plans. cover period of twelve years
BY using the surplus from year to year for
this purpose. 1t is plain that at no time In
the interim will the District be in a posi-
ton to pay heavily in liquidation of its
share of the cost of either of the two
enumerated essentials concerning the water
supply.
The meter proposition Is consequently
antagonistic both to the completion of the
tunnel and to the suggestion as to filtra-
ton. which Is now recommended by the
surg >on general of the army and by other
authorities as advisable. if not absolutely
necessary. for the preservation of the
health of the residents of the District No
amount of dribiet measurement will serve
to purify the supply that passes through
the meters The water will continue to be a
possible menace TO health and as much a
cause of suspicion against the wholesome
ness of local conditions at the end of the
twelve years of meter installation as il Is
today.
The million TO be taken from the water
fund for water meters would mean of
course, with the corresponding national
contribution. two millions. if expended upon
The tunnel or upon filtration ard the propo-
sition. in short. is to prevent these two
millions Of available resources from giving
US TO certainty either more water or
purer water. to forfeit one-half of the
amount TO the national treasury, and 10
spend the remaining million for the benefit
not 50 much of the community as of some
water meter company