The Washington herald., 1911-10-01

amazed ana indignant al the action
OF the Commissioners in adopting with
ont public hearing the Judson rec
ommendation to increase the water
taxes in the District, members of a
special committee Of the Chamber of
Commerce, appointed to consider tn.
proposed increase, are framing a pro-
test against what they characterize as
the doubtful propriety of the undue
haste exercised by the Commissioners"
SNUB TO PUBLIC BODY.
Members OF the comTcittee feel that the !
action of the Commissioners was in the
nature Of an open snub, as no oppor- |
tunity was given for a public hearing
in a matter that concerns all the tax !
payers OF tho District. The Commission |
"rs were aware, SO the committee be- !
lirvcs, that am adverse report, in which !
, tuch a public hearing Is suggested. was
about to be- submitted by that committee
t, the board OF directors Of the Cham !
her
To Offset the unexpected development, |
the committee will ask authority from !,
N''N-'''SNA
Commissioners action with mandamus !
proceedings Chaplin Brown. chairman of |
the committee. will be asked TO make a |
areful study OF the organic law of the |
district and ascertain whether the Com
missioners are empowered thereby 10
7a>s without public hearings and with !
'ut notice measures tnat concern every |
property holder in the District
May Appeal to Congress.
4 meeting OF the committee probably
Will he called this week to add more
forcefuI terms to the adverse report
adopted YESTERDAY There is small doubt
that the Chamber will allow the COM
mittec practically a free hand in the
light. which will be carried direct to the
District committees of Congress if nee
eSSary. Taken in conjunction with the
fight now on against the arbitrary |
changing of building regulations without
notice, the water rate question bids fair
to overshadow all other legislative mat
terS of the District al the coming ses-
sion of Congress.
The action of the Commissioners came
like bolt from a clear sky to the
members of the Chambers special COM {
mittee. who were hurrying matters in
order to obtain public hearings at the s
earliest possible moment. 1t was the
understanding of the members that no
positive action would be taken by the
commissioners before January / {
Committee Feels Afront. (
Members of the Chambers committee I
who were seen last night made it evil 7
dent that they considered themselves t
afTrOnted by the Commissioners and were {
ready to act accordingly. {
Il do not care to say anything at Z
this time" said Chaplin Brown Il have ,,
not studied the figures carefully or
compared them with ours as vet :
Il do not care to criticise the Com :
missiOners in the case. said George Y. :
WorthingtOn. hut think a public
hearing should be granted on all public
matters. !
The action Of tho Commissioners was
not just or fair to the committee of the
civic and commercial interests it repre-
sented." said NJ. \. Leese. We didn't
know the matter being considered
officially by the Commissioners We un-
Gerstood VIC had plenty of time to pro-
cure the necessary authorization from the
Chamber to go before the Commissioners
and present our arguments. We will
now get from the Chamber authority to
take up the matter from every angle.
Mr. Brown probably will make study
of the organic law and ascertain, if posi-
bIe, whether the authority therein vested
in the Commissioners extends to such a =
contingency as the present"
Advocates n Protest. =
II. Albert SchuIteis was equally con- c
ccrned over the action Of the Commits II
sioners. a
Il feel that there was absolutely no p
necessity for the action. and shall advo- II
cate a protest against it." said Mr.. :,
Schulteis. In the meantime We may ask a.
the Commissioners for hearing; at IL
least I will make that recommendation.
We probably will have another meeting 81
next week. The Commissioners knew that in
committee OF the Chamber has been Ct
at work on the question, and that the NJ
committee wanted to go about the oues-
tion adviSedly. We should have been al "
lowed at least an opportunity to have a q
public hearing before the action was g
taken
The report of the Chambers special Of
committee. as outlined in The Washing lie
ton Herald Thursday. and adopted without W
changes yesterday, suggests that II a Iii
system of meters is necessary, the money
be taken from the annual surplus of the h
water department or borrowed from the 10
Federal government for the purpose. W
Rudolph Is OutvOted.
The meeting of the Commissioners at
which the rate increase was approved
followed almost Immediately upon the o
meeting of the commerce committee at
which the adverse report was adopted
President Rudolph, of the Board of II
Commissioners, voted adversely, while c.
Commissioners Judson and Johnston voted m
In favor Of the increase proposed by the CT
former. m
Commissioner Rudolph refused to make o.
public a statement explaining his attI-
tude or his reasons for dissenting from W
the decision Of Commissioners Judson re
and Johnston NJ
Engineer Commissioner Judson gave be
Afatar0ant in N.rN-
With the new rates, the water depart- 81
ment Will be placed upon businesslike p,
oasis. The metering can be Accomplished y,
70 ABOUT six years. II the metering were In
sS,,,, eohs, as proposed In the immediate Bl
future, 1t would not be too soon now 20 ~
contemplate the expenditure OF mIilIonsl | y,