The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-05
WASH FOR WASHINGTON
CAPITAL USES I72 GALLONS OF
WATER PER CAPITA
Movement on Foot to Place Meters
INTO the Residences of the Dis
trfct of Co1um bfa-Wastefulne ss
Now Running RiOt-Signiacant
Figures From Other Cities.
Washing ton Bureau st. Paul Globe, !
COrcoYan BuiIdinq.
Special to the St. Paul Globe.

Special to the St. Paul Globe.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 4.-Represent-
alive Mahlon Pitney, of New Jersey.
a member Of the subcommittee of the
mousse having in charge the appropria-
ions for the District Of Columbia, has
oeen conducting some Investigations
relative to the water consumption in
Washington, which may be of interest
10 residents of other cities. Perhaps
IN an endeavor to live up to the name
or the city, as the town of washing.
the people here have come to use III
gallons per capita daily
IL Is somewhat expensive under
taxing to supply water for the As, 600
taps, or consumers of this district
ana since the householder pays accord
ing to the size and frontage of his
residence, and not by the amount used
Wastefulness and carelessness have ap-
parently run riot. This is an interest
ing commentary on human nature, and
douptleSs applies as we'll to other
articles. Mr. Pitney says that Morris
town, N. j., where he lives, is compos-
ed in considerable part of wealthy New
Workers, with lawns to sprinkle, houses
and carriages to care for, etc, and
would normally use more water per
capita than Washington, but as a mat
ter or fact, 1t uses less than one fourth
as mucti. The water is metered in
Morristown, and that is what the Dis
tTlct committee is attempting to in
augurate here
1t would obviously be contrary to
public policy to offer any inducement
TO n1ggardliness in the use of water
ana so the committee have devised a
pan by which a minimum charge Of
80 a year Will give a householder 100
OoO gallons of water. This is 1000 gal
IONS a Week-about 300 day, or sixty
gallons for each person in a family of
nEe Such scheme as this plainly
offers no premium on dirt" and yet
a part of the local public continue so
to regard it, and inveigh bitterly
against 1t. They assert that water is
something in which people ought not
to be stinted and that it is a disgrace
IT the national capital to attempt to
limit the per capita consumption of
so necessary and useful an article. Ar
garments Of this sort, which are more
than usually effective here where only
half the taxes are paid by local prop
erty owners, have heretofore prevent
ed the general introduction of the
meter system. But, as Mr. Pitney
points out, filtered water" for which
the district is constantly asking. is
expensive water and no city can afford
to filter 172 gallons per capita a day.
The movement for the meters Is not
illeHoeu 10 make any more expensive
the fullest legitimate use of water, but
it will enlist the argument of self-in-
terest in the prevention of needless
waste and the correction of bad plumb
ing and leaky pipes.
Mr.. Pitney has prepared a table
showing the per capita consumption of
water in various cities, in relation of
the meter system. The subjoined per-
cottages are on the basis of total num-
Der OF taps" and In most places a
certain reasonably sufficient quantity
IS furnished at a minimum cost as pro-
posed for Washington.