Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-06
UNDER ONE CONTROL
~~~oetion Made Regarding
the Local Water Systems.
VIEW OF COMMISSIONERS
Request War Department to Aid in
Legislation Transferring
Plants to District.

Declaring that there should be one au-
thority in control of the entire water
supply and distribution system of the
District. the Commissioners today. in a
letter to the assistant secretary Of war
Robert Shaw Oliver. request that the
War Department join with them In an
effort to secure legislation which will
| lodge such authority in the District gov
| ernmcnt.
Recently the Commissioners received a
communication from Lieut. Col. w. G.
| Langfltt. Corps Of Engineers. L. S. a.. In
charge Of the Washington aqueduct,
recommending the transfer OF certain old
water mains from the Jurisdiction Of the
War Department to that OF the Commits
sioners.
In their letter to tho assistant secretary
OF war the District heads say they are
convinced that the proposed partial trans
fer will not result in any material adVen-
tage to the District. If entire Jurisdiction
and control of the water supply system
were lodged with the Commissioners. they
ga ava. "a es could be expected to re-
suit from such unity Of control.
Basis of Langftt Suggestion.
The recommendation of Lieut.. Col. Lang
fit was based on the fact that the mains
in question form very small part of the
distributing system of the District, and
the belief that the organization of the
District water department is able effi-
GENTLY to maintain these mains at a less
cost than separate organization under
the War Department.
In urging that there should be one
authority for the control OF the water
supply and distribution systems the
Commissioners state that II. as claimed
by Lieut.. Col. Langfitt, the organ1za-
ton of the Water department is able to
maintain the mains at a much less cost
than separate organization can, IL
must also be true in the case OF steam
plants and, more especially. In the mat
ter of general maintenance and repair
of equipment
The pumping plants of the filtration
works under the Washington aqueduct
office and of the distributing system
under the Commissioners are In close
proximity. but are under entlrely sepa-
rate control" state the Commissioners.
Comparison Made.
"The filtration pumping plant is much
the smaller and it's equipment much the
simpler. If they were combined under
one control one chief steam engineer
could supervise both plants at saving
In the cost OF operation.
Further, the water department OF the
District of Columbia is obliged to main
tain blacksmith, machine, woodworking,
paint and electric repair shops, ana the
economy OIL using this equipment IN d
combined system is obvious.
'.The Commissioners believe that the
placing of the water supply, filtration ano
distributing systems under one contr0l
would result in marked economy In al,
ministration and operation charges, ano
| would be clearly in the interests or gooo
government"
Not a New Proposition.
The recommendation Of the Commission
ers looking toward the placing of the en-
tire control Of the water supply and as
| tribution systems In the District Is not a
new one, as a bill intended to accomplish
such q transfer was passed by the Sen
ate January 10, 1907. 1t never became a
| law.
| A bill providing for the transfer OF
| jurisdiction Of a part of the Washington
auueduct to the Commissioners was in.
| troduced in the House May 4. 1908, but
| the Commissioners made an unfavorable
| report on it for reasons similar to those
| contained in their communication sent
| today to the Assistant Secretary OF war