Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-31
Effect of the Use of the Great
Falls Water Rights.
REPORTS OF ENGINEER OFFICERS
Attempt of the Government to
Acquire All Territory
COLONEL MILLER's OPINION

| The report that the new electric railroad
| syndicate which has succeeded TO the pri-
| vate water rights at the Great Falls of the
| Potomac proposes to utilize them for gen.
| Grating electric power brings up again tho
| question of the governments proposed ac-
| QUESTION of all the water rights at that
| point.
| If this corporation, successor of the Great
| Falls Manufacturing Company, which has
| lain dormant many years waiting for
| the government TO move means to begin
| active operations the case viii be presented
| to Congress in a new light. II the COM
| pany proposes to utilize all its water powet
| it will necessltate the construction Of an
| other dam at Great Fails, and this VIII
| raise the question whether such construc-
ton would interfere with future increase
| Of WaShington's water supply.
| one result might be the enactment &C
| legislation by Congress for the acquisitiou
| of all the rights for the government, Icy thd
| power Of eminent domain. Such q proposi-
| ton is by no means new one but on ina
| contrary, has been urged for several years.
| although Congress has failed 10 adopt 1t up
| TO this time.
| Efforts in Congress.
In the Fifty-third and Fifty-fourth Cons
| crosses the question of acquiring for mo
United States all the water rights at the
| Great Falls of the Potomac made tho
| subject of exhaustive research and study.
Reports were made by Captain Burr, CoI-
| oneI George II. Elliott. General Casey and
CAPTAIN GailIard, United States engineers,
| all of whom had been in charge of the wa
| ter works of the District. Bills passed one
| house Of Congress or the other from time 10
| time, but no final action was taken.
| In the Fifty-iifth Congress the subject
came up again. Senator Proctor, from ths
| committee on the Districs of Columbia, re-
| ported a bill January -, 1895 to acquire
the water rights for the United States. 1t
passed the Senate February u. and went to
| the House, where it referred to the
| District committee. May 10 following a
substitute for the Senate bill was reported
and placed upon the calendar.
7 1t was brought up In the House, as In
| committee OF the whole, December l., and
debated at length. Strong opposition was
developed to the bill, and the day drag
| ged on the attendance in the House dimin-
| ished, many Of the friends Of the bill being
| absent when Il vote was reached. Mr..
Dockery of Missouri brought q considere-
| tion of the bill TO an end by moving to
strike out the enactiLg clause This was
agreed 10 in committee of the whole by
vote Of q to Is, and when the committee
rose the House sustained the action. Thus
ended the efforts at the last session OF
| Congress to pass the bin.
1t is considered certain, however, that
efforts Will be renewed in the next Con-
| gress. So many reports have been made
upon the desirabiity OF the government
obtaining the water rights and such an
increasing interest mas been manifested IN
Congress, that it is deemed unlikely that
the project will be abandoned.
Senator Proctor's Report.
Senator Proctor's report, made to tho
last Congress upon bill to acquire for the
government the water rights at Great
Falls set forth in detail the reasons for
the proposed action. That report said, in
part:
There can be no question of greater inn
portance to the people OF any large city
than that OF securing a sufficient supply Of
water, pure in quality and with a reserve
In quantity ample for the demands Of the
future. Here it is not merely a local ques-
tion, but one of Importance TO the whole
country we'll Washington is the tenn
p0rary residence of thousands, and is visit
ed annually by millions, coming from all
parts of the country. The United States
owns a large share Of the property. This
public buildings, parks and grounds.
whole are the finest in the world. The de-
mand for new buildings and other i'm
provements will be frequent and impera-
tive. the machinery of government must
continually and steadily increase with the
increase of population of the whole coun-
try. Whatever concerns the welfare Of
this city, therefore, will become more and
more of general interest.
Water supply Insufficient.
The present supply of water is not sufti-
cient in quantity or force for present needs;
some action must, therefore, be taken az
once. The situation is fully stated in. ths
able report of Col. Elliot Of the corps OF
engineers, who is now in local charge OF
the aqueduct and wacer supply, that little
need be said in way OF detail. The riparian
and water rights at Great Falls now
owned by the Great Falls Manufacturing
Company, the Chesapeak and Ohio Canal
Company and the United States The ex-
tent of the governments present interest is
in dispute. The main question presenting
itself to the committee is whether to rec
Ommend the taking under the right of ennis
nent domain, Of a supply for ordinary purs
poses sufficient for many years to come. or
whether to acquire at once all the rights to
the water at that point, settle the existing
differences and all danger Of future contro-
versies about title, and end forever any
danger of a short supply and the continual
trouble and risk of a divided ownership. Il
If an individual or a business coIpora-
ton was in the precise situation of the
government, owning part Of the water
rights under the necessity of adding
thereto at once, and with the certainty or
needing further additions from time TO
time, there can be no doubt that the party
would seek, d matter OF prudence and
common business foresight, to acquire the
entire water right before extensive Improves
ments were made by the other owners
which would greatly enhance the cost. And
in this case what would be good policy for
an individual or private corporation would
be the more for the government by rea-
son of the certainty Of continuing and in-
creasing requirements. The supply, to be
for aqueduct purposes, far as can b4
foreseen, but even for this purpose alone
your committee believe that IT would be
wise to control it ALL
Contingency Of EntanaTements.
The committee also took into considera-
ton the question of possible future
tanglements with private corporations and
upon this point the report saidI
IF the government is ever to acquire cop+
troll it should be done before any outlay IS
made by the other owners. Such outlay
must be to them questionable investment!
in view of the fact that the government is
sure to require an increased supply from
time to time in the future, thus endanger-
ing the business of the power company and
destroying or greatly lessening the value
of their improvements, with the risk that
they may not be sufficiently recompensed-
Your committee are therefore of tho
opinion that all of the water and riparian
rights at Great Falls necessary for the con-
troll and use of the entire power should be
acquired at this time: that IL will be a wise