The Washington times., 1911-07-09
SLIPS OF THE TYPEWRITER
AND OTHER KINDS.

slip when it embodied in an editorial
objection to increased water rates the
following remarkable statement:
Everybody knows that once a rate of
this character is raised, for some spe-
cific reason, it is never reduced when
the occasion has passed. The tendency
of public service charges is ever up
ward.
This will be news, indeed, to the stu
dent of American progress who has
been watching public service charges
come down the pole for the last fifty
years. 1t will startle the mere citizen
who, in the last quarter of century,
has seen his gas, electric light, tele-
phone, water, and street car rates fall
steadily, until some of them are 200 or
300 per cent less than they used to be.
1t will have an awful time squaring
itself to the arguments of railroad law
yers before the Interstate Commerce
Commission, whose members have lis
tened to thousands of words of plead
ing for increased freight and passenger
rates, and have come to know verbatim
the plea that everything but public
service charges has increased while they
have fallen, fallen, fallen, lower and
lower. Put up beside annual reports
of public service corporations the coun-
try over-or beside their advertise
ments-the Stars statement would
have a hard job to keep on its legs.
The public service company's plea
against lower rates and its plea for
more business are founded on nothing
but the universal declaration-and fact
that what they sell is getting cheaper
every day. This is SO well known and
so universally propounded that the only
explanation of the Stars break is, as
stated, that the typewriter slipped.
But if it slipped on that, maybe it
slipped on some of the other state
ments in the same editorial Note the
following paragraph:
Comparisons between Washington and
other cities are beside the mark. No
ated as Washington is with reference
TO its water supply. Nowhere else has
the Government installed a plant for its
own uses, with remainder, so to speak: to
the unofficial community. Nowhere else
has the water supply been established
and maintained strictly on a cost basis.
In view Of the history of the Washington
supply It is illogical ever to contemplate
any fixing of the rates on other than
the basis of the actual cost of main
tanning the service, regardless Of what
similar services cost In other cities.
The statement, Nowhere else has
the Government installed a plant for its
own uses, with remainder, so to speak,
to the unofficial community is another
slip, although it is doubtful if the type
writer could be blamed for it. The
Government uses about l0,500,000 gal
Ions of water a day. The rest of US
use about 5O,OOO,OOO gallons a day.
The remainder" therefore, is of rather
substantial size, and makes somewhat
doubtful the assumption that the sys-
tenn is really operated for the benefit
of the United States, and that the
District is permitted to utilize the by
product. If that's the situation, then
it's another case of the tail wagging
the dog.
The fact that nowhere else has the
Government installed a plant" is the
strongest argument for any justified
increase in rates. Our magnificent
water supply system, installed at an
expense of millions of dollars, cost us
nothing. Generous Uncle Sam bought
it for us. His motive may have been
selfish. He may have done it to slake
his own thirst, but it is nevertheless
true that we have reaped the major
benefits. Are we so stingy and so un
appreciative that we balk even at pay
ing interest and depreciation on the in
vestment, when our kindly Uncle him
self pays for the upkeep of the system2
Are we so blind to the advantages of
our water supply, installed and main
tanned by the Government, that we are
not even willing to pay the cost of
we ge for nothing? That's all the in
crease means. 1t is to provide money
with which to put in meters and ex-
tend mains within the District, and af-
ter the increase has been made we will
still be getting water cheaper than any
other city in the country but one and
as cheap as that one.
In considering the proposal that for
the purpose of making our bookkeeping
businesslike, the District be charged
with interest and depreciation on the
whole water system, it should not be
forgotten that the District is to be
credited with the water used by the
Federal Government This being true,
it is only fair that the District be
charged with interest and depreciation
on the Governments Investment.
Business is business, even though one