Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1917-05-31
SHADE OF BENZ. HALLO"ELL
DEFEND US.

Citv Council will be held tomofro"
night to take action as may be DEEM
ed hest to ward off what the entire
community regards as an unneces-
sary and unjust movement upon the
mart of the Alexandria Water Com
nanv to still further increase the fat
dividends of that corporation by
augmenting the prevailing high
prices for Cameron water. Council
has no power to curb the mailed
fist, and our representatives can only
protest against the purposed lnJus-
tice and employ counsel to defend
the community against a corpora
ton which since 1850 has virtually
had its own way.
The history Of the Alexandra
Water Company is interesting read
ing. 1t will be found in full III ''The
Autobiography of Benjamin halo
we'll" who was one of the moving
spirits in forming the corporation
which furnishes water to the people
of this city. The book is scarce, and
few people have read it.
Benjamin HalloweI was a native
of Pennsylvania. an honest Quaker,
who took up his abode in Alexandria
many years ago. Ele conducted an
educational academy here, and Robert
L. Lee was one of his pupils. A
friend of the poor, Mr.. Hallowell
insisted that Cameron water should
not be the luxury Of the rich alone,
but that those upon whom providence
had not sent an abundance of TINS
worlds goods should be given an
opportunity to enjoy the benefit OF
hydrants. Hence rule was formu-
lated by which water rents were
fixed according to the houses in
which consumer lived. and work
ing man who paid one hundred dol
lars year or less rent obtained his
supply of water at six dollars
year. Those who could afford to live
in better houses and with more lux
urious surroundings were compelled
to pay more. The company now pur-
poses to charge the poorer classes
twelve dollars year, or double what
they now pay.
We have read the petition which
the water company has presented to
the State Corporation Commission.
1t is an ironelad as if edited by the
Kaiser and his war lords. The
company is careful to safeguard its
interests in every instance. and de-
sires to be given authority to en-
force rules of its own making as
concrete as those which few
months ago might have been formu-
lated by the Gar of Russia. Only
plumbers licensed by the company
are to be allowed to work for con-
sumers, and should they presume to
violate any of the flats of the corpo
ration their licenses are to be re-
voked. The water consumer can
virtually do nothing without permit
from the company
Another new departure is that which
will compel the owner of property
to pay the water rents in future.
The writer lived at a time when
water was first being introduced into
the city of Alexandria Previously
this essential was procured from
pumps and springs. People living
in c'ose proximity to the Potomac
used river water for washing and
other purposes. A pump was at
every street intersection in those
days. Numbers of people residing
on south Union street used spring
water. Those springs are running
now and they often remind the older
inhabitants Of the time when they
furnished water for many families. |
Water carts visited most sections
Of the city daily. furnishing water
AZ cent bucket. The hogsheadS |
were filed at what was known as
the Diagonal Pump" at the inter
section of Cameron and Fayette
streets.
y cry OF rejoicing went UP in
Alexandria when it was known that
Cameron water was to be intro
duccd in our city. :; There was some
friction between the company and
the Fa5FfaxT authorities as to the
right Of the former to plsce mains