Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-16
RELATIVE TO TAX RATES
Interesting Facts a Sequence to Tax
payers Protest.
PERTINENT TO DISTRICT CITIZE
Maintained by Figures in Comparisons
That Washington Charges Are
Not at All Exorbitant.

+ The Commissioners cannot understand
why so many persons profess to be ignorant
of the fact that the water rates in the Dis
trict have been increased after all the ad-
vertising and publicity given to 1t within
the last six months. Edward j. Stellwagen
president of the Willard Hotel Company in
a letter to the Commissioners several days
ago, In which he protested against the
water bill for that hotel, claiming it was
irregular, stated that he did not know the
water rates had been increased He said
he could see no reason why the rates should
have been increased and asked the Commits
sioners to enlighten him upon that point
Mr.. Stellwagen is not the first person who
has asked for this information, although
the general public have appeared to be sat
ished and many have openly declared that
the citizens of Washington were fortunate
in their cheap water supply.
The Willard Hotel has two water meters
Last October one Of them became IMPAIRED
and was taken out and sent away for re-
adjustment. During the three months 1t
was out of commission the water depart
ment officials of the District in making
out bill for the hotel during that quar-
ter, took an average of the water used dur
ing a previous quarter. The bill was 500.
ana Mr.. Stellwagen stated that the quar-
ter taken by the water department COW
cred the busiest time in the hotel season
and that it was eminently unfair in that
1t made the bill at least 5000 more than II
should have been had the water meter
been In operation. The District officials
admitted that the quarter taken by them
Tor an average was a busy one for the
MOTEL but they did not select it intention
ally, and upon the recommendation of Col
Biddle, Engineer Commissioner, the bill
rpHnrp6 i1x-
However, in reducing this bill and in
answering Mr.. Stellwagen, Commissioner
Blddle stated that the Importance to the
citizens of the District as represented by
Mr. Stellwagen, of understanding thorough
ly the water situation in the District war
rants a lengthy answer In his lengthy
answer Col Biddle brings out some i'm
portant and interesting facts concerning
the water supply and meter system of the
District. He said:
Comparison With Other Cities.
AS to the actual rates charged, attention
Is invited to the fact that the water rate
per thousand gallons of four cents is much
less than that in the large cities Of the
United States, excepting Philadelphia, where
1t Is the same and where the conditions are
temporarily exceptional. In other cities 1t
increases up to 10 cents Ill Boston, 20 cents
in Cincinnati and Pittsburg 30 cents in ST
Louis, 80 cents in San Francisco and Ii
cents in New York city. In some of these
cities special allowance Is made for the
consumers of large amounts, but in the
District of Columbia the law requires the
rates to all consumers to be uniform in
dependent of the amount used
For unmetered houses, such as six-room
frame dwellings. the cost per year. accord
ing to the water rates, Is $3.50, while for
similar sized dwelling in other cities, such
as st. Louis, Boston, Philadelphia and
PittSburR the Cost is nearly 900
1t is evident. therefore, that the rates
charged in the District of Columbia are not
exorbitant and, moreover, 1t must be re-
membered that in the District all expenses
the current revenues, while in most, II not
all of the other places, bonds are issued
and the interest is simply paid upon these
bonds from current revenues.
Authorized by Congress.
Congress has authorized the Commits
sioners to charge not exceeding 3 cents a
hundred gallons. while, as a matter Of fact,
only mills hundred gallons is the rate
The water revenues of the District Of Co.
lumbia have not been sufficient in the past
to improve the service properly and make
extensions as the population warranted
The situation few years ago was very
unsatisfactory. For example. consider
able part of the District, practically all
north of Florida avenue, was dependent
upon one pumping engine and no reservoir
in reserve. If anything had happened a
great part of the city would have been
without water.
The pressure throughout the city was
very different in the different sections, and
in many cases inadequate. Since that time
reservoirs have been built, new pumps in
stalled, so that at present the greater part
Of the city to which water is furnished is
at a fairly uniform and sufficient pressure.
This, however, necessitates pumping much
more of the water than was pumped pre-
viously and necessarily at greater cost.
Cost of Water Meters.
The installation of water meters will also
be at a considerable cost Congress ap-
propriated 100000 last ear, to be paid
back from revenues of the water depart
ment at the rate of $4,000 year 1t
will probably authorize this year the ex-
penditure of such funds as are practicable
for continuing the extension of water
meters. The necessity of meters is self
evident, as the use and abuse of water has
caused the capacity of the conduit to be
nearly reached, as well as the filtration
plant and at certain times of the year has
caused almost water famine. For instance
during the winter of 1904 the reservoirs
were drawn down with the use of water
during several days of cold weather so
that had the cold weather kept up few
more days there would have been a short
age. This was due to an abnormal in
crease in the use by citizens who allowed
their faucets TO run during the night time
to prevent freezing.
Congress has not seen proper to authorize
the construction of an additional conduit
even to the extent of appropriating for a
survey for that purpose. Even if this were
allowed it would take several years to
construct a conduit and an extra filtration
plant, which would be very costly, and this
can be delayed by the use of water meters,
as has already been established by the
short experience with them in residences
l believe, therefore, that the increase in
the water rates was an absolute necessity
to give the citizens of the District of Co.
lumbia a proper water service.
NOT HEAD OF FIRM.