Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-05
Commissioners to Ask Con-
gress for Huge Appropriation
at Next Session.
WOULD FURNISH POWER
FOR NATIONAL CAPITAL
Project Believed First Move in
Scheme of Municipal
Ownership.

AHTcc IliillOnS OF uOildTS, Will WHASi'
| to begin work on the proposed har-
Messing of the water power at Great
Falls. will be asked of the next Con-
| gress by the Commissioners of the Dis
trict Of Columbia. according to infor-
nation obtained through authoritative
| sources yesterday.
The appropriation, according to plans
now being made. it is said, will be re-
| quested in a separate bill rather than
made part of the regular District esti-
mates now being framed for presentation
to Congress.
1t may mark the beginning of the in
auguration of a policy said 10 be in the
| minds of the Commissioners looking
toward the municipalizing Of all public
| utilities operating in the District Of
Columbia.
Favor Ownership by City.
While the District heads have not
specifically committed themselves to
such a policy, as they are specially
concerned at the present time with
the regulating of public utilities under
the authority conferred by the utilities
law, at least two members Of the board,
Commissioners Newman and Siddons,
are KNOWN TO IdNOT H1uIilClpdI oW
ship and control of public service cor
portations, and the third member. Col.
Harding. is believed to have leanings
in this direction.
That the Commissioners are going to
ask for an initial appropriation of about
100000 with which to begin work OH
the Great Falls project may largely be
attributed to the fact that next year
the District will have available for i'm
provements about $1,2JOO0O more than
guishment of the municipalities floating
indebtedness.
Estimated Cost Of Project
1t is presumed that the federal gov
ernment will be as much interested in
the development of Great Falls as the
District and that the necessary funds for
this Undertaking will be provided on
the half -and-half basis established by the
organic act. If such is the case, the
extra 81 go O00. which the Commissioners
have at their disposal will be increased
to q. 10000, and this sum will fall but
$500 900 short Of the amount Col. Lang
fit of the Engineer Corps OF the United
States Army estimates will be necessary
f0r~eommencing work on the Great Falls
project the ultimate cost est Of Of which. he
Indorsing the Langfitt report ana
asking for an initial appropriations with
which to carry out its provisions un-
Of municipal ownership of public
utilities, it is believed. There are other
Indications to the effect that before the
present Commissioners step out OF Of
fee decided progress may be made In
the direction of the manipulating OF
all local concerns which operate for the
convenience and benefit of the public.
City Nearly Out Of Debt.
One indication is that Washington. at
the end Of the present fiscal year, will
be practically out of debt. so that the
opportunities for trying out municipal
ownership here would be all that the
Commissioners could desire. Another
Germs the valuation to be made by the
public utilities commission of the prop
critics of all local public utilities. An
requested in the forthcoming estimates
With a valuation established. the Com
missioners would be In a position to
ask. Congress for authority to take over
one or more Of the public utilities operat-
which to institute condemnation proceed
ings.
Sure Of Good Foundation.
Whatever action may be taken in this
| respect, the Commissioners are sure to
lay a splendid foundation for the inaugu-
| ration Of a municipal ownership policy
in their study Of utilities conditions as
members of the utilities board. As
| stated, their duties at present, are con-
cerned with the regulation of utilities
and 1t is not likely that they will ask
| for any legislation looking toward gov
| ernment ownership of such concerns for
some time at least.
But the Commissioners. according to
those who are closely In touch with their
views concerning public questions. will
| be more than apt to make a quiet study
| as they go along Of the methods by
which municipal ownership may be ac-
complished, SO that they will be in q Do
| sition to make definite recommendations
| to Congress at any time they consider
public ownership preferable to regula-
ton of utilities.
Get Ideas From Scotland.
| In fact the District heads are believed
to have considered already the merits of a
bond issue and sinking fund plan by
which public service corporations could
be acquired with bonds, secured by pledge
Of the local government, and operated so
as not only to be self-supporting. but to
yield a revenue sufficient to liquidate the
| bonds Recently the Commissioners talked
with the lord provost of Glasgow. Scot
land. in which city all public utilities are