Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-16
Next Years Water Rates.

hudson success in his efforts toward Ju-
dicious econhny in The municipal public
service. Genuine economy consists in Sc
curing the Performance. OF every neces-
sary !nunicipa. service without any un-
necessary expenditure and without vast
age: and does not consist i'll cutting out
necessary or desirable items OF municipal
expenditure merely 90 rcduc" totals OF
cost The community will give serious
and probably approving consideration 10
what commissioner Judson said in his ad-
dress Tuesday night Of his lahors for
muni.ir..l garbage rant and a municipal
asphalt plant a. experiments promising
= better a. well a. cheaper public
service and Of his advocacy Of the prop
osi;iou. long ago and repeatedly urged
viii vigor by Washington!ans. Of the
utilization in the public interest OF the
water power nov going 10 waste at
Great Falls.
Eut the conlmpnity will no, be con-
WINGED The star thinks. by the Com
uliSsion"I's statistics that the Commits
sionerS' action in respect TO next
years water rates was wise. fab or con-
sidcratt.
There Is no iSSu. over the cost of wafer
10 IN. individual consumer Is compared
with Similar cost to tho consumer in other
,iic> TIL. cost III collecting and dis
tIihutirs the water must he borne by
Ma lsiue'orianS. either. taxpayers or
rent paving consumers. and the precise
apparttonment Of this cost between
observation-disclosures in the two capacities Is
a Iu. ~tion Of public policy. For over a
DECADE The Star has held the, opinion
that in the highest public interest. naseI
primarily but not solely or health con-
s!derations. water should hc distributed
~ i minimum OF cost to the individual
consumer. Free unmc.ered WAFER under
stringent rcSua;ions effective to prevent
wssiage would in The stars opinion
constitute the ideal municipal condition
to y. apprnyiDated If full attainment is
imprac: icabic In every municipality the
very poar should be compel cd % use
much water in the interest of the public
hoa tn. not stinted IL its use h having
i, measured and doled ont - them ana
paid for Tho,c Who SHOULD in the pub
lie interest make tEc most use OF water
are those least able to pay for IL From
this viewpoint fi,ures showing that a
community meets rho cost - It's water
service in some way which throws a
minimum Of expense Tho small indi-
vidual consumer constitute municipal
badge of honor tcstfyinS TO it, pro-res-
sivcntss and enlightened public spirit.
Fhc iHcrcas" in RACES il "a provide 4
2.aerll Installation Of water meters. The
Star. for the reasons already indicated.
has never been in favor Of rlcas9r.ng and
skimping the use OF Potomac water by
tic small consume, and has not con
sijsred i, impossible 10 discover and
check waStiGc by other means. But
many meters have now heen installed.
and probably il som. consumers in all
grades are netered all should be, includ
ing the United States and the District Of
Columbia. Assuming that meters arc 10
b.. generally installed. the question to be
settled is how rapidly shall the work be
done. and particularly who shall pay
Tor il
Water meters are part Of the distribu-
tion plant with title in the municipality
OF national government. aud not in the
individual consumer. The question
whether this extension of plant should be
paid for by the local taxpayer, the ma
roual government and the rcnt-pa wing
consumer In combination or whether it
should h imposed e1uitably solely upon
Of tho parties one in respect TO
hieh tho Commits Sioncrs ought IN The
given consideration 10 the local sentiment
before action.
In the beginning the nation sold Wash
tngton lots donated 10 IT. on the repre-
sentation 10 the purchasers that water
would ~ supplied from the proceeds OF
these sales. relieving the lot owners OF
the tax usually imposed for that pvr-
pose. Many years later the nation, sole
~ Tor lis own uses. put In water sup
ply plant, and sold fnot gave OF its sur
Plus 70 individual consumers. In later
reconstruction extensions OF the plant,
IS In the Lydecker tunnel and filtration
plant, the nation used the Districts funds
N its control TO make of Washington
An involuntary partner with IL in the
water-supplying function: and Washing.
tonians began 70 pay on both sides OF
the account, as taxpayers and rent-pay.
ing consumers. while tho government did
not paw in the latter capacity. Then IN
later extensions Of plant, including mains
and water meters. the money was in
many cases taken entirely from the con-
tributions OF Washinstonians
The equities raised BY the facts
above briefly indicated should be thor
oughly studied before there la any
admission that the nation as a one.
contribute 10 this extension OF its own
water plant-owncd and controlled by
Il. There should be equal slowness in
asserting 70 the contention that II ID
logical or in the public interest TO In
crease the rates 10 consumers TO pro-
vide tor any great extension OF the
permanent water supply or water dis
tribution plant. Open-minded re-exam-
ination of the matter might even CON
vine. the Commissioners themselves of
the unwisdom nd unfaIrness Of calcu-
lating as credit 10 the nation in to-
days bookkeeping interest on the
amount paid by the nation for its
original purely national water plant.
which preceded and in part gave way
to the new system OF the I.ydecker
tunnel, with the absurd result of In
dicating bankruptcy In respect to the
water department. though its water
rent revenues pay all charges of main
tenancc repair, deterioration. etc, and
leave a handsome surplus each year
for investment in new plant as In
mains or meters.
The threatening suggestion that if Con
gress on appeal should deal with water
rates il would In some ingenious way
blister WashinStonians even more Sc.