Evening star., 1913-12-03

CN
to the householder annually at the mini
mum rate of $3.50 per annum, which al
lows the use of $500 cubic feet of water.
or 6S.loo gallons. and If on actual meas sn
used in excess of this amount Din IS
| rendered for such excess at the rate OF :
| cents per 100 cubic feet.
On the water services which are NOT
! metered wafer for domestic purposes 's
charged for according to the number OF
stories and frontage. For premises OF Two
| stories with a front width of Is feet or
| less the minimum rate is S. per annum ;
for each additional front foot or 1racliOn
| thereof 81 cents is charged. For eacn ad-
ditional story one-third Of the charges as
j computed above is added. For business
| premises not metered rates vary from -
| 10 s25 per annum. Where the rate Is va
| or more a meter is required to be installed
at the expense of the consumer
Property Accountability.
! On March %. 1913 the Commissioners
designated the auditor the superintendent
OF the water department and the purchas-
ing officer as a committee with instruc-
tions to recommend to them a system OF
property accountability and records.
| In the various branches Of the District
! government there are kept storehouses
| for District property, and the present
system Of accountability is based upon
| an original inventory taken under an
order of the Commissioners. supplemented
| by quarterly returns showing the receipt
| and expenditure of property. Nhiie TINS
system was found to be fairly satisiac-
| tory, 1t was believed to be lacking IN Ger
tain principles and details. due larseiy "
| the fact that it was organized with view
| IN its operation upon the most economical
| lines that were practicable with the exist,
| ing clerical force which could be assigned
| to the work. -
The committee, after giving caTetul con-
c,Ihi
! Iminarv report to the Commissioners un-
der date of June j, 1913, and as one OF tIe
| first steps to be taken toward ah III
provement in present conditions recoin
| mended the estabhshHiehs " ,.;th tho
storehouse and receiving depot with .Is
object of permitting the purchase ana
storage of supplies in wholesale iots' anu
| their economical distribution
The Commissioners believe TINS ,eIo.
| mendation to be a wise one, and nave
| ipcorporated in their estimates TOT the
! ensuing fiscal year an item Tor the eiec
| ton of such a storehouse, Win 'Hs ~ 49,
sary operating force and means Oh 1rans
portation for the distribution OF suppNes'
to1athar with the establishment or a gen
eraI fund to be used for the purchase o
such supplies, this fund to be a cont'i-" "-
| ;rp one and to be reimbursed ffoln ap-
propriations as supplies are issueo eIa &c &c
| abIe TO such appropriations IL 1unos are
| nrov;ded TO carry out this scheme u
| handling supplies the Commissioners De
| iieve that it will result in great econoi'9
and efficiency. .a. . final
ranort and stil has under consldera'ioii
methods of providing for proper ana deii ei
| ficient care of all District properly, 49,.
ing a Droper system or receipt dceou da
| ah;,,ty and disbursement OF properly
it'll tho same safeguards as are now pro,
y;ded for the receipt, acconntaoaii.y aaa
| disbursement of money approplia'e11 ~
fine expenses of the government " 'Ao
District of Columbia. oo,,mittee
The preliminary report OF the .aro,.s
..s haen approved by the Commissioner >
and directions given to arrange ioi .,ae
details necessary to carry out us ieooi
mendations.
Cost Keeping.
The Engineer Commissioner Y"
same date designated committee
s;sting of the superintendent u 'A
water department, the supe-in :
IF street cleaning, and the ehsiho
bridges TO recommend modern System
| Of. cost keeping, to enable accuaa'1 "a 1,orl-
ta;ied unit costs to be kept OF all Woi -
Sane hy the engineer department. "
the District government. rms co,i
n,i+tee made a preliminary report under
date Of May 81, 1913, and suppre-
mentaI report under date OF Septem,
her 3. 1918. in which it reeommen%aea noe
! tbe adoption of such system 1n'
report has been tentatively adopteu,
and the system has been installeo IN
the water department loa rovas ,ne satisfac-
tory after such trial it is the intention
| of the Commissioners to apply the syso
tenn generally in those branches OIL .ne
District government Where the au
visibility OF estapllshihs such ss'
is apparent
With the new system the Commls-
sioners believe it will be possible to
determine the unit cost or every class
of work done by any branch OIL tne
District government comparing the
costs in the different branches OF doins
the same similar class OF Worh'
and that with this information econo-
mics can be introduced and methods OF
construction and operation improved
upon.
The Commissioners have included In
their estimates for the fiscal year 1918
an item of $4,000 for the acquisition
of park lying adjacent to the north
east section of the city. The tract Sc
lected is a part of what is known as
the Patterson tract. lying north of
Florida avenue northeast, bounded on
the east by the grounds or the CoIum-
bia Institution for the Deaf and Dumb,
on the west by New York avenue and
the property of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company and on the north
by FairvieW avenue. The tract Sc
lected contains about 81 acres.
There is now no large park in tho
northeast section of the city and Dis
trict, and the Commissioners believe
that this park should be acquired at the
present time. as otherwise this beauti-
full tract of land may be subdiyided
for building purposes
Very respectfully,
OLIVER r. NEWMAN,
FREDERICK l.. SIDDONS,
f,uE>STE,I, IIAPDJNG