Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-28
GET WATER HEARING
Commissioners Will Listen to
Protesting Citizens
SATURDAY AT 10 O'CLOCK
Invitations Issued to All Who Have
Made Requests.
IS LIKELY TO BE FUTILE
Belief Expressed That Increased
Rates Ordered Will Be Allowed
to Stand for Next Year.
SATURDAY AT 10 O'CLOCK
S LIKELY TO BE FUTILE

With nearly every citizens association
of the District on record as opposed to
any increase in water rates. the Commits
sioners today announced that they will
give public hearing Saturday at 10
o clock on their recent decision ordering
an advance in rate. to become effective
July 1 next.
The hearing will be the result, primar-
lily. of the Commissioners failure to.
grant q hearing to the Rhode Island Ave-
nue. Suburban Citizens Association prior
to the action taken with respect to in
creasing the rates after they had prom
ised to do so
Whether Saturdays conference will lead
to a reconsideration of their decision
none Of the Commissioners today would
indicate. The consensus Of opinion of
those closely in touch with the situation,
however. Is that the order will be al
lowed to stand and the rates will go into
effect at the beginning OF the next fiscal
year.
Only Few Ask Hearings.
So far but comparatively few of the
associations that have protested against
the going into effect of the new rates
NA~'S 1SAuSStSN AiCoiih6S Ou Tie IudlttI.
Only those from which formal applica-
tons for hearings have been received
have oeen invited to be presen: at me
meeting Saturday. 1t is believed that any
others that may get in their requests be-
fore Saturday will be invited Also
Commissioner Rudolph this morning said
the hearing will be held with the object
OF ascertaining the views of citizens con-
corning the new rates. Any arguments
Ito, ..ay be presented oy the epre-
sentatives Of the associations will be given
careful consideration. he said.
1t is believed to be unlikely that hear
ing would have been ordered had it not
been for the oversight of the promise
made the Rhode Island Avenue Suburban
Citizens Association.
Failed to Keep Promise.
After the Commissioners had ordered
the new rates this association called
their attention to the fact that they
had failed to grant a hearing to the
citizens body. in accordance with a
promise to do so. The matter was i'm
medfately Investigated by the District
heads, with the result that it was
found the promise had been over
looked.
Engineer Commissioner Judson wrote
to the association. explaining how the
oversight had occurred. He stated in
the letter that not only would a hear
ing be granted, but that 1T was his be-
lief that the Commissioners would at
any time change the water rates when
it should be shown that there was q need
Of changing them.
It was on motion Of Engineer Judson
that the new rates were adopted. This
official. after making study of the
situation, claimed that unless the rates
were raised and the service metered,
thereby bringing about economies in
water consumption, 1t would be neces-
sary, at no distant date, to build a new
aqueduct at cost Of several million
dollars. When the question was put
to vote Commissioner Johnston sup
ported the Engineer Commissioners
views, but Commissioner Rudolph OPP
posed the plan.
United in Protest.
Since the action of the District heads
in the matter practically every citizens
association Of the District has protested
against the going into effect Of the rates,
one notable exception being furnished by
the Lincoln Park Citizens Association,
which Endorsed the increase. The water
rates raise question has been the prin-
cipal subject of discussion at the recent
meetings of the various associations
Printed charts, showing the reasons
for tho increase orderad have haop oivey,