The Washington times., 1909-08-12
Chevy Chase Company Re-
fuses to Lower New
Water Rates.
HAVE BEEN LOSING
FURNISHING HOUSES
Citizens Appoint Committee to
Consider Proposition to Run
Plant Themselves.

That the residents of Chevy Chase
may have the water plant for the ask
ing and taking was the statement made
this morning by Harold Z. Doyle, sales
manager of the Chevy Chase Land Com
pany. The protests Of the residents
of this suburb may result in their
being made a present of the whole
works. For years. the Chevy Chase
Land Company has been running the
water works AZ a loss and the increase
in rates was made to prevent further
loss.
IF the residents out there want TO
try their hand at running the water
plant themselves, they can easily do
business with US" said Mr., Doyle, to
day.
Il thing the company would be will
ing TO give 1t to them free of charge
II they viii take it of our hands" he
replied. "They do not want it. They
will not take it as long as they are
getting their water at less than cost"
Loses $4,000 a Year.
Mr.. Doyle stated today that the GEM
pany has lost about 5000 per year on
the water plant ever since the division
denee with the managers Of suburbs Cf
other cities. it was decided to increase
The price Of water from cents per / .0Oj
gallons to about &c cents per LOCO gal
ions. This new schedule went into ef-
feet August !. and is declared to be an
increase of about 600 per cent by the
water users. The management Of the
company insists that, taking into con-
lie
furnished, the present price is much less
than that Of other suburban plaTftS.
They cite the Roland Park plant just
outside Of Baltimore. where the charge
Of 90 cents per 1000 gallons pays eX-
penses and a dividend OF less than 3
per cent
The new rates of the company against
which the citizens association has MED
protests are as follows:
Twenty cents per 100 cubic feet Tor
the first 200 cubic feet used and 80
cents per 100 cubic feet for water used
in excess Of 1000 cubic feet As there
are seven and a half gallons OF water
In cubic foot, these rates amount n
about p cents per 1,e1 gallons Tor the
first 1880 gallons and 80 cents per l,o5o
gallons for the surplus used.
Citizens Association Meets.
The officers of the land company say
that under the old rates many families
managed to get along with a monthly
bill OF from TO 10 cents. an amount
hardly worth collecting.
At a meeting of the Chevy Chase Citi-
Eens' Association last night a committee
consisting Of V F. Hodges. G. w. Bray
lev. c. ". r Swartzer, ". T. S. Cur
us. and John L. Ridgway was appointed
TO consider the ACCESSIBILITY Of taking
over the water plant in case the COM
pany will not agree to scale down the
present prices. This, the company
stated today. Il will not do. and the
committee viii nave to recommend &C
oepting the offer Of the plant as made
today by Mr. Doyle, or else the swal-
lowing OF the new advanced rates. As
Y E Hodges. chairman Of the commit
tee IS out Of the city, and viii not Te-
turn for several weeks nothing VIII be
The meeting last night was the cul-
mlnation Of dispute between the land
company and the residents.
The action Of the traction company in
announcing that freight service viii be
discontinued after October ] has also
aroused the ire Of the Chevy Chase
people. At the meeting last night. this
action was denounced as an outrage.
Difficult to Deliver.
President w. T. S Curtis Of the as
ISOLATION said they had been given this
privilege for the past seventeen years
by the traction company. After the new
rule goes into effect, it will be difficult
10 get anything delivered, he said. On
motion made by ]. J. Hemphil. presi-
dent Of the Chevy Chase Club. the fol-
loving committee was appointed TO pre-
sent the grievance 10 the officials of
the club. l.. GiOvoniii secretary Of the
citizens association, J. J. Hemphill,
president Of the Chevy Chase Club;
John Wilkie, chief Of the Secret Serv-
ice. and president Of the Columbia Golf
Club; i. !. Pugh, a resident Of North
Chevy Chase; DR.. James y. Morgan. OF
Chevy Chase ., c., George b Sud
worth, Of the Forest Service, and ". Il.
s Curtis. president OF the Chevy Chase
Citizens Association.
This committee viii report on the sec
Ond Tuesday in September