Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-12
MAY APPEAL 10 COURT
Chevy Chase to Lose CAPITAL
Railway Freight Service.
AND PAY MORE WATER TAX
Meeting Held Last Night to Discuss
the Situation.
COMMITTEE HAS POWER TO ACT
Citizens Incensed Over Failure of
the Companies Interested to Be
Represented at Conference.
HAS POWER TO ACT

A protest was made last night by the
Chevy Chase Citizens Ass ISOLATION aga INST
| he proposed di continuance of ght
service on the Chevy Chase branch of the
Capital Traction railway and against the
1 increased water rates of the Chevy Chase
Land Company.
| William T. 8. Curtis, who pres ded
stated that both corporations had been
notified of the nice ing and its purpose
and had been requested to have their rep
resentatives pre- ent. He added that ne
observed neither company had compi co
with the request.
The announced discontinuance of the
reight service on October ! was discussed
by DIR. James Dudley Morgan. Charles
L. Frailey and Robert b. Brown. all o
whom protested aga INST the proposeu
change. The speaker said the 1relemt
service had been in operation nee l. o.
and had been che of the inducene ntS hsid
out to influence llomeseeke to i,cate al
Chevy Chase, and that its discontlnuance
would affeet every resident between the
loop and kensington. 1t the c an e
should be made it W uid be impoSs BIZ 20
telephone to the city tor bottle o. medl-
cine and have it delive red on car. ana
person w tn market basket would be re-
flu ed admittance to the company's cas-
Talk of Injunction.
There was some talk of an injunction
to prevent the company from carrying
it's nIan into effect The matter was
finally placed in the hands of a commit
tee with power to act. The committee
consists of William T. S. Curtis. chair
man. president of the Chevy Chase Citi-
zens' Association: Harry GiOvannoll. pres
ident of the Citizens Association OF
Chevy Chase. No. 8: John ]. Hemphil.
president of Chevy Chase Club; John p:
Wilkie, president of the Columbia Golf
Club: e l.. Pugh of North Chevy Chase.
George B. Sudworth of Chevy Chase
District of Columbia Association. and Dr.
James Dudley Morgan Of the Chevy
Chase Association m, .,.,, .. 49,
meeting to finance the work of the COM
mittee.
Water Rate Increase.
The projected increase in the water rate
by the Chevy Chase Land Company was
discussed by President Curtis, who said
either of the propositions of the corpora
tons would be hard to bear. but they
were worse coming together in one fell
swoop. The proposed increase in water
rates, he said amounted to $50 per cent.
Notice. he sad, was served August or
t; that the rates would be increased. and
the order was made retroactive from
August. A reasonable increase. he said.
would not be excepted to. but he char
acterized the new rate as exorhitant and
excessive.
Resolutions of protest were adopted
and ordered forwarded to the water
ompan'. These resolutions declare
that the Chevy Chase Land Company's
supply of water has been extensively
advertised as one of the distinctive adj
vantages of Chevy Chase as a place in
which to locate, and those who had To-
Gated there had received assurance that
any increase in rates would be reason
able. The resolutions further recorded
the notice of an increase of about 800
per cent, which the citizens view with
alarm as excessive, unexpected, unsaris
factory and unnecessary. A reasonable
increase, they say, would not meet with
objection.
Committee Appointed.
President Curtis named a committee
consisting of Vernon E. Hodges. w. T.
S. Curtis. G. W. F. Swartzell Charles l..
FraiIey and John l.. Ridgway, to in
yestigate>the increased rates and report
back to the association. In the discus
sion which preceded the appointment
of the committee the possibility of the
purchase of the water system was men,
toned. as well as the advisability of
experimenting with artesian wells.
Statement by Land Companq.
An official of the Chevy Chase Land
Company said today that when the land
in the vicinity OF Chevy Chase was first
subdivided in 1889 or 1890 the water rates
were ) cents per 600 gallons for the first
9C00 gallons and 10 cents per gallon
above that amount.
I'VE found, the official added. tina.
the company was losing between $40 o
and So, 600 per year. Some Of our patrons
were paying but 5 and 10 cents Pc
month, as there was no minimum charge.
Now that the town is established, the
company believes the plant should pay
for itself. The present rates were fixed
after examining those of other suburban
places. For instance, the residents of
Roland Park, near Baltimore. have to
pay ~ cents per 1000 gallons for their
water.
Our increased rate is 90 cents per 100
cubic feet, or about 2jia cents per 1000
for the first 10 900 gallons, and 30 cents
for every 100 cubic feet above that
amount This rate just maintains our
plant without profit