Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-07
paratory to receiving bids for the build
ing.
Repair Work.


The work Of keeping in repair the num-
erous buildings owned by the District OF
Columbia is growing larger and more i'm
portant each year The older q building
gets of course the more repairs 1t needs.
and new buildings are annually added to
the list of those that have to be cared for.
There are now more than 200 buildings to
be looked after and more than 100000 is
spent year in repairs and betterments.
1t is believed to be the part OF wisdom
to keep the buildings under close super
vision, making needed repairs as soon as
possible after the necessity arises. instead
or waiting until time and wind and wealth
er have increased the damage and the cost
or repair. The repair shop has never
been provided with the facilities that its
Importance deserves. The shop occupies
rented quarters. for which a rent of $50
month is paid: the building is an old and
diiapidated one. without room or provision
Tor carrying the necessary stock of lum-
Der, hardware, paints. castings, etc, as
should be done to insure prompt and eff
cient work. The regular force consists of
l superintendent, clerks, and 3 foremen
Carpenters. timers. painters, etc, are TAX
| en- on from time to time as their services
are needed. The largest work Of repair
Is that on school buildings, which has to
be done during the summer holidays.
1t is believed that the District should nave
a properly fitted up repair shop OF Its own.
as without such a plant the repairs cannot
| as they should be, and promptness and EN-
cheney in work of this character means
money saved in the long run. The Com
missioners have included an item of $3O.OOO
in their estimates for such a shop. An addl-
tional argument in FAVOR of the item at TINS
particular time is the fact that new quar-
| ters of some kind will have to be provided
within the course of a year or two. as the
shop building. No. ID d street northwest.
is within the area affected by changes in
connection with the new railway terminal
improvements.
Sewer Construction.
During the year about 1914 miles of sew
ers were constructed. of which 2.S miles
were main sewers
Work upon the Sewage-disposal project
| has progressed at reasonable rate. The
expenditures to date on account of conf
pleted work amount to 81 ,233,o 92 "A The
appropriations to date on account of work
in progress aggregate 81 $4,000. The estl-
| mated cost of completing the system is 81
729 600. This is asked for in the estimates
for the coming year II the necessary
money is appropriated, the system shouio
be completed by the end of 1903
Water Service.
During the year II miles of new water
mains were laid and 80 new fire hydrsnts
erected Plans have been completed for
water tower and watchman's lodge ada
cent to the Reno reservoir, and it is ex-
pected that the work will be completed dur
ing the present year. The water tower is
intended to supply water to premises above
the 350-foot level, the present reservoir not
having a sufficient elevation for this pur-
pose.
During the year 1. 44s additional buildings
were connected with the public water sys-
| tenn, making the present number 40, 249.
Two hundred and fifty-five new meters
| were installed. the present number being
LAS
The District Of Columbia appropriation
act approved March 3 last contained an
| item OF $1,000 for introducing the card
record system in the Office of the water reg
istrar. This work. which involved the
writing Of between $4,000 and 60 900 cards,
and indexing the same, was completed in
| time for the system to be used at the be-
ginning Of the fiscal year, July 1. 1903, and
has been working smoothly. The work was
done at cost of about 81 300.
Details OF the operations of the water de-
partment are given In the reports of the
superintendent and the water registrar.
Water Revenues.
The law provides that the water rates
| shall never be a source of revenue other
| than as a means of keeping up a supply of
water. but shall constitute a fund exclu-
| slvely for the maintenance, MANAGEMENT
| and repair of the system of water distribu-
| ton. This system of distribution is MAIN
water department: the United States does
| not pay any part of the cost of keeping I'D
this branch of the service. The sources of
revenue are water rents. Waterman taxes
"a special assessment of LIS per front foot
against property abutting a street In which
| a main is laid and fees for taps and per
m1ts. The average water rent in the Dis
trict OF Columbia is about 81 per house per
year. which average includes large water
takers served through meters. The rent Is
calculated on the width and height of the
| house where the water is used for domestic
purposes: in the case of hotels. business
| houses and other establishments where the
amount used is large the supply Is by meter.
| at the rate of cents per thousand gallons.
The law requires that the water rates
| shall be uniform throughout the District.
| and authorizes the establishment of scale
of rates for the different classes of build
ings according to their size dimensions,
assessed values, exposures to fires, uses for
dwellings, stores. shops. stables manufac-
tories or other purposes, number of occu-
pants or consumption of water. measured
by meter otherwise" For over forty
years water rents charged dwellings have
been calculated on the basis of the width
and height of the house. This basis has
therefore become established by long usage,
and is generally known throughout the Dis
trict.
Recently complaints have been made that
the rates are not uniform and that they are
excessive, as evidenced by the balance to
the credit of the water fund.
Decrease of Balance.
This balance has been decreased $4,000
during the past year on account of laying
new trunk mains, work on the new pump
ing station, etc. The current revenues are
inadequate to provide for these better
ments, and were ii not for the surplus &C.
cumulated, this necessary work could not
be done without creating deficit in the
water fund. The balance on hand, to-
gether with the surplus OF each year, IL
not more than S. fficient to cover improve
ments projected. 1t would therefore be in
advisable to fix the rates even If possible, SO
that the collections of year, including
assessments, should exactly meet the ordi-
nary expenses, without making any pro-
vision for emergencies or to enlarge and
improve the system.
AS to a change in the basis of calcu-
Iating water rents. it would probably
be possible to devise a more intri-
cate and costly system that would make
nicer distinctions between houses of diff
erent dimensions. assessed yalues exno-