Evening star., 1915-04-25

twentieth century that it was used as
a model. When the reclamation serv-
deserts of the west it studied long for
an ideal ground plan. 1t found the best
In the world in that of the nations
capital. which had been waiting CEN
tury for imitators. Today there are
score of little washingtons on the
western plains
Washington is far famed for the ex-
oellence of its streets. 1t has hun
dreds of miles of fiawless pavement.
1t might be supposed that 1t would thus
offer model in street paving to other
cities. But this is true in but one
sense. The model that it would offer
would be but a laboratory model. 1t
would show how ideal pavements might
ments might not fit into the require
ments of commercial city. Still less
would they be likely to At into the
political atmosphere of city council
chamber. Pavements may be laid much
cheaper than these. Less base. thin
ner top dressing, might appear to be
as good and would cost vastly less
money. But the city of Washington
the best possible pavement. regardless
of cost. 1t is probably the right way,
but would be a hard program for the
political city government to follow.
The water system of the city of
Washington appears in different
light. The great
Excellent Water majority Of house
cr.4. H. holders in Wash
ington pay but 81 II
cents a month for their water The av-
erage consumer in the average city
pays three or four times that amount.
Yet there are few cities where the in
dividual uses as much water-227 gall
Ions day. The small fee of $3.50 a
year to the householder maintains the
water system, pays for the water that
is used in unusually large amounts on
the wide streets in sprinkling, that is
needed in the numerous parks, that is
furnished to all the government build
ings. The federal departments pay
nothing whatever into the water fund.
Were they to pay for their water the
rate to the householder could be still
further reduced
Yet so excellent is this water system
that there has not been a case of ty-
to the city water supply, despite the
tact that Washington is in the typhoid
belt and it's water is taken direct from
the Potomac river.
BY far the most important matter to !
which Washington has set its hand for
many year. and
neSulaIlng the in which 1t aspires
Public Utilities. 'iona, to become ,n%., : ma
the regulation of public service cor
poratlons Congress, some three years
ago. created what it designated as a
public utilities commission. The three
commissioners of the District were to
form the personnel of that commission.
me power that was placed in the hands
OF the commission was almost absolute
IL mad authority to fix rates, to de-
termine the character of service. 1t
was charged with the task of valuine
the public service utilities of the Dis
trict of Columbia. The nature of it's
work and the authority that was grant
ed 1t was very nearly modelled upon
the work of the interstate commerce
commission.
Ihe public utilities commission was
faced with the necessity of determining
lne value of the public service cor
poratlons before it could understand
ingly fix rates. This it has set about
dolns IN a most thorough manner and
win the assistance of the best experts
optainable. 1t investigates street car
companies, telephone companies sasI
ana electric light companies, taxicab
companies, in the most scientific way.
1t attempts to ascertain original cost
II tries to determine the present values
OF these corporations 1t wants to know
what would be the cost of reproducing
them. 1t believes that the value of one
of these plants depends upon a deter |
mination of these three things
For two years the public utilities
commission has been working on these
knotty problems. 1t expects that its
work Will be completed by fall. Then,
with which it has to deal. ii NAV SET
rates that will be just. The commits
sion will Immediately reform the
charges that the public is paying. The
corporations will probably appeal to
the courts. 1t may be two or three
years before the rates of the commits
sion become effective. But its power
is such that eventually it may enforce
its dictates. Its findings as to the
proper street car fares, the proper
price for gas and electricity. the cor
rect charges for telephone service. will
come to be a measure of those services
that may be enlightening to many
cities.
This control of the public utilities of
Washington and their proper regula-
ton is the favorite municipal experi-
ment of President Wilson and the pres
ent administration. To be sure, the leg
islation that brought it about was orig
mated during the last administra ton
and was largely non-partisan, but its
execution has been placed in the hands
of Mr.. Wilson and the Commissioners
he has appointed
The directness of the connection be-
tween the District of Columbia and the
federal government
U. >. bureaus causes the admins
u.ln D. r;4, tration of the for
mer to lean strong
ly upon the scientific bureaus of the
latter, 1t has the bureau of standards
handy to test all its materials, the
bureau of roads for advice in street
building. the public health service to
advise within its sphere of action, the
Department of Agriculture to tell it
how to grow grasses and trees for it's
parks. In these government bureaus
are scientists who are among the ma
tion's best authorities on any subject
that Is likely to arise. This scientific
advice Is open to any city. but Wash
ington has made best use of it, 1t is