Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-10-06
Star Bureau,
Metropolitan National Bank Bldg

Metropolitan National Bank bidB.,
WASHINGTON. Oct. 0.
Harvesting the great falls of the
Potomac to supply cheap electric
| light and power for the District of
Columbia, followed by municipaliza
ton of the utilities of Washington, is
part of the program of President
Wilson for making the national capt.
tai the model city of the United
States according to unofficial in
| formation from a highly reliable
source.
As a first step towards carrying out
this program, it is understood that
the district commissioners recently
appointed by the President will ask
Congress this winter to appropriate
So, 600, 900 for commencing work on the
big proposed power station at Great
Falls. Army engineers have estl-
mated that the total cost of a hydro
electric plant by which the power
now going to waste over the rocks at
Great Falls can be converted into
cheap electricity will be about $15,-
900, 900.
With command of the electric sup
ply for the District of Columbia, and
cheap power, the government Will
then be in position to take over the
trolleys. do the public lighting and
sell current for domestic and indus
trial purposes at prices which will
make competition Improbable. While
the President has never committed
himself on the subject, it is known
that the two commissioners named by
him to manage the District are advo-
Gates of municipal ownership.
These commissioners, under the La
Toilette act, also constitute the pub
lie utilities commission for the Dis
trict and have announced that they
will begin in the near future to make
valuation of the physical property
of the trolley, electric light and gas
| companies. While the present law
permits of this valuation as a basis
for regulating rates, it is believed
that with the valuation completed the
power of rate regulation may be en-
forced to the point where the COM
panies will prefer to sell out to the
government rather than operate their
properties at the rates prescribed.
The Great Falls of the Potomac
are located about fifteen miles above
Washington on the Potomac river
and the proposal to harness them
for the development of a light and
power supply for the capital has been
AS long ago as the Cleveland admin
istration there was proposal of this
kind talked of, and James Smith, jr.
then a member of the Senate, was
among the men who advocated the
plan. No actual steps have ever been
taken, however, toward carrying the
idea into effect, further than the
preparation of. a number of reports
on the subject by engineers, all OF
which have declared 1t feasible.
Trolley and other utility corpora
tions in this city operate under indie
terminate franchises, which may be
revoked by Congress at any time.
With a physical valuation completed
there would be few obstacles to mu-
nicipal ownership if the administra-
ton and Congress agreed upon the
plan.
The lord provost of Glasgow, Scot
land, where all the utilities are oper-
ated by the municipality, was recent
ly in Washington, and the district
commissioners spent considerable
time with him, obtaining information
as to the methods and results In Glas-
gov. 1t is understood that plan has
already been partly worked out by
the commissioners for issuing bonds
to buy the public service companies
the bonds to be retired by a sinking
fund created out of the profits from
the operation of the trolleys and cleo
trio service. without increasing rates
it is estimated that the city would be
able to pay off the bonds and leave
the utility properties free of debt In
a limited term of years.
Washington is in better position
than most municipalities to make a
thorough experiment of municipal
ownership, as the city is practically
free of debt, and half the expenses
of the local government are paid by
Congress, the property owners being
assessed only for the revenue neces-
sary to pay the other half
Chairman Ben Johnson, of the Dis
trict of Columbia committee of the
House of Representatives, recently
declared himself in favor of munich
pal ownership for Washington, and
Robert Crosser, a member of that
committee, has introduced a bill in
the House, providing for the imme-
diate purchase and operation by the
district of all the trolley lines in the
city.
Theodore Roosevelt's return from
South America next spring will be
closely followed by his nomination
for governor of New York by the
Progressive party. II he is elected
he will be nominated by the Repub-
licans for the Presidency in 1916, and
the Progressive party will then cease
to exist
This is the prediction of most of
! the political soothsayers in Washing
ton. Some of them grin with delight
over the prospects conjured up out OF
their own imagining, and others OF
them say that they will do their best
to swallow a bitter dose If the prog
nostication proves true.
Among themselves, some of the
Progressives are wondering where
they are at, and what is to become
of those who have read themselves
out of the Republican party if the
anticipated program Is carried out
60 oil