Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-29
Water Supply Inequities.

The District commissioners VINO Dy Il
majority vote have increased the water
rates on line of reasoning which mini
mixes and neg'ects the equities of Wash
ington in respect to water supply. have
applied to Congress for the transfer to
them. as representatives of the District.
OF the responsibility and expense OF
operating the entire national water sup
ply system of the capital, including the
service of the United States. for which
the plant was originally installed. And
the War Department for the nation. ac-
cepting as reliable the Commits 5ioners'
statistics, graciously assents to this trans
fer from itself of responsibility and eX
pense in matters of detail on three condi-
tons; first, that title to the entire Plant
shall remain in the nation second. that
ultimate control of the entire plant
shall remain with the Secretary of War
under the President representing the
nation; and. third, that Washington
without acquiring any fraction of title
to or ultimate control of the property.
shall pay to the ma ion 81. 800 coo. claimed
to be the amount necessary to equaiiZe
Washingtons expenditure with that of
the United States upon plant thus own
ed and controlled exclusively by the
ma ion.
If the water supply system. already sub
startially though unavowedly on the half
and-half basis under the ors anic act is
TO be put fully and frankly on that basis.
the title to the property and the expense
of its operation and maintenance (aboi-
ishns water rents now paid only by the
local partner, must of course, be placed
ON the haf-and-half basis. and not
merely the cost of plant installation.
Ard in figuring what. If any, pay
ment should be made by the District
to acquire a partnership hals-interest in
the waite. supply plant, calculation SHOULD
be based not on expenditure s made by
the United ates half a century aso
on the original plant he and used
always as its own exclusive property, but
on the fraction of the ancient plant
which is an Indispensable asset in the
working partnership of today And
against any contr. button by Washington
on this score should be Offset paymen S
on water supply plant, either for col.ec-
ton or distribution. made solely by
Washing tonians either as water-rente. s
OF taxpayers. The distribution plant Is
as essent al a part of the partnerships
water Supply system as that for wat-r
lis ures show that on the wafer supply
plant as a whole Washingt onians as tax
payers and water-renters have already
contributed more than the nation. Nor
should Washington equity based on the
nations unful..lled obligation to conduct
water to the original city without ex-
pense to lot owners be entirely disre-
Sarded.
In short, when water supply is put fair
~ and fully on the municipal instead of
the national basis Wa ,hin, ton demands
in fair play half interest in the title to
oy the national par ner of hat tie ex-
pense of operation and maintenance. and
payment by the United States of water
rent for water actual consumed, II
Nashin= ton, the local partner makes
such payment. And in caicu.atins the
amount, if any. which Washington should
eGuita1ly pay for is half interest in
addition TO what it has already con-
u.buted, the people of the capital utterly
repud Late the figures upon which their
nominal representatives, see Commits
sioner~. and the War Department are
conducting their d-scussion and ne.otia-
tcn -
Washington reasonably complains tat
neither it's own representatives nor those
OF the nation in the banding of this cues
ton seem TO concern themselves in the
least to protect even feebly the local
equities and interest