Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-20
TOD|SCUSSP[AN
FOR USING FALLS
Federal and District Authori.
ties Will Hold Conference
Within a Month.
ARE EXPECTED TO AGREE
ON INITIAL APPROPRIATION
Will Decide in What Form Proposal
to Harness Water Power Will
Be Presented to Congress.

=
In what form the proposal to har.
will be presented to Congress this win
ter. il at all. probably will not he de-
termined for another month.
Federal and District government au-
thorities have not yet reached an
agreement as to whether the initial ap-
propriation shall be sought in the
Inmates of the District, the War De-
partment or both, or requested in
separate bill. There is to be another
conference on the subject. it is under
stood, following the return to Wash
ington about the middle of September
Of Commissioner Newman, who now
on vacation in the Catskill mountains.
The total estimated cost of develop
ing the Great Falls project is approx
mately s15.000.000. and the report OF
Col Langfitt of the Corps of Engineers
OF the United States Army, who made
the survey for the projected improve
ment, proposes that one-third OF the
cost be assessed against the District
government.
Rejected War Department Plan.
Last year the War Department sug-
gested plan for presentation to Con-
gress in connection with the Great
Falls project in which the Commission
ers failed to concur.
1t was proposed that AN initial APP
propriation of SO 10000 600 be provided.
that 100000 of this amount should
be paid from the federal Treasury to
be applied to power construction, and
$1,000, 900 should be paid one-half from
the federal Treasury and one-halt
from the revenues of the District. the
latter sum to be applied to the con
struction needed to increase the water
supply.
In other words. the federal govern
ment was to bear the cost of the
project IN so far as it related to power
development. but the Harvesting OF the
falls for increasing the city water
supply was to be handled 10y the local
and national governments on a half
and-half basis.
To this proposal the Commlssioners
replied that it would he impossible for
of the District and at the same time
include the Great Falls item of $1,000
600 in their estimates without exceed
ing the total net revenu .. of the Dis-
trict plus 100 per cent, which they
are forbidden by law to do.
Suggested Separate Bill.
They suggested that the entire item
Of 100000 be covered I'm a separate
bill to be submitted otherwise than
through the District Commissioners.
Whether the Commissioners this year
will find it impossible to make pro-
vision in their estimates for the Great
Falls project and wilt insist that it he
provided for in a separate bill is to be
determined following the return OK
Commissioner Newman.
There is no doubt but that the Com
are heartily in favor Of the
of the water power at Great
Falls, not only for the purpose of pro-
viding the city with an increased water
supply but for developing electric
energy by which the city might be
enabled to take over and operate GER
tain public utilities, including the cleo
trio lighting and street railway COM
panfes.
THE whole theory upon which the
and use of electrical pow
er from Great Falls is based" said
Commissioner Newman the other day.
lis that it will enable the rank and
file of the people of Washington to
live more cheaply and derive more hap
piness from their lives.
Economical Power Available.
1--WE know that at Great Falls there is
power which can be used to light the city
of Washington, run its street railway
lines and provide all the power which it
now requires. We know that it can be
produced much cheaper than the electric
ity now consumed for power. lighting and
purposes. Obviously. II is
no more than common sense to take the
Great Falls power and use il.
1T is equally obvious that if the United
States government or the District OF Co.
lumbia affects the economy i'll the cost OF
producing power by the development OF
the Great Falls project it ought to con-
tinue the economy by distributing that
power in just the same manner that il
now provides the people of Washington
with water.
Former Engineer Commissioner Jud-
son also was a strong advocate of the
Great Falls scheme. In his last state
ment to Congress, prior to his transfer
to another post, when District esti-
mates were under consideration, Col.
Judson said:
Economic Waste Is Cited.
Ever since we have had a city here
and all during the period when scien-
lists and engineers have been working
out proper methods for the transmits
sion and utilization of electrical energy
developed by water power we have had
almost at the gates of the city hor-
rible example of economic waste in the
Great Falls of the Potomac. This Is
an especial reproach to a generation
protesting such devotion to the CON
servation of our natural resources.
zone may readily believe that a few
years hence the energy due TO the fall
ing of the waters of the Potomac to
sea level at Washington from an ele-
yation of several hundred feet within
, distance of twenty or thirty miles
will be harnessed for use in lighting
our streets and public buildings. And
the ultimate development of the
atent powers of the Potomac be as
complete as conditions permit. not only
public lighting, but also all local pri-
rate lighting and the operation of the
street railways, may be economically