Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-15
TRANSFER TO DISTRICT
Gen. Mackenzie's Recommen-
dalton for Water System.
CHANGE IN JURISDICTION
Includes Entire Conduit Service and
the Filtration Plant.
Unsatisfactory CONDITIONS
Matter Under Consideration Discussed
With District Commissioners
Will Go to Congress.
CHANGE IN JURISDICTION
Unsatisfactory CONDITIONS


army, in his annual report to the Secre-
tary of War recommends among other
things, that the entire water supply sys-
tenn of the District, including the aqueduct
from Great Falls, the distributing receiv-
ing and Washington city reservoirs and
the filtration plant be formally transferred
to the jurisdiction Of the Commissioners
of the District of Columbia. The affairs
Of the entire conduit system are now adj
ministered by the Engineer Corps of the
army as the representatives Of the gen.
eral government, leaving to the municipal
authorities simply the local distribution Of
the water from the filtration reservoir. In
other words the government agents bring
the water to the city, store it and filter 1t,
after which the agents Of the Commission
ers of the District distribute it to the
people.
Thfy division Of control and responsibility
has never been entirely satisfactory to
either party, 1t is declared, and has some
times resulted in official embarrassment.
To remedy that state of affairs Gen. Mac
kenzie has repeatedly recommended leg
islation giving the District authorities alb
solute control over the entire system, the
collection Of the water at Great Falls, its
transfer to the filtration plant and its final
distribution to the people. He advocated
such legislation mainly for adminiStrativ
reasons. as tending to the simplification Of
financial and business methods connected
with the entire system. Gen. Mackenzie
first presented this matter to the attention
Of Congress about five years ago, and he
has repeated the recommendation for the
transfer in each of his subsequent annual
reports, but so far without avail.
Conferences Held.
The District Commissioners rave had sew
eral conferences with Secretary Taft and
General Mackenzie in regard to the mat
ter, and there has been general ndorse-
ment of the transfer plan suggested by the
last named officer. The subject was con-
sidered by the District con1fndttees of the
Senate and House of Representatives at
the last session of Congress-, and 1t ap-
peared that several of the members ques-
toned the wisdom of taking the important
engineering work out Of the hands OF the
army engineers who have had control OF
it ever since it was originally constructed
by General Meigs before the 0vil war.
That objection was met, however, by the
statement that If the transfer were made.
the acqueduct system would naturally fall
to the control of the engineer commits
sioner, and as that official Is a member of
the Engineer Corps Of the army. the de-
partment would practically retain supers
vision of the work. That in itself Is re-
garded as an assurance that the care and
operation Of the entire system would con-
tinue in proper and competent hands.
When the measure was considered by the
congressional district committees last
spring, the transfer Of the Aqueduct sys-
tenn to the District was coupled with a
proposition that jurisdiction Of the public
parks and reservations in the District be
similarly transferred from the United
States engineers department to the Dis
trict Commissioners. 1t was argued that
II the latter had control of the appropri-
atoms for the parks they would De ex-
nended more In accordance with the gen.
eral system of street and other local i'm
provements.
object to Surrender Of Parks.
Although the army engineers were per-
fectly willing to relinquish supervision over
the aaueduct system, they openly expressed
their objection to the proposed surrender
of the public parks to the local authorities.
AS a consequence Of that opposition to the
park transfer, the congressional district
committees postponed Indefinitely the con-
sideration of the other proposition for the
transfer of the conduit system.
It will undoubtedly be taken up for con-
sheraton atathe coming session and stands
an excellent chance of adoption. provided
it is not coupled with the proposition for
the transfer of the parks.
AS the Conduit road is a part of the
general aqueduct system, 1t would naturally
be included in the proposed transfer.
Therefore If Congress acts favorably upon
Gen. MackenZies recommendation, the Dis
trict Commissioners will not only have con-
troll and supervision of the entire water
supply system, but will be able to carry
out their plans for lighting the Conduit road
and extending and improving the sewer
system in the vicinity of that important