Evening star., 1923-07-18
CONGRESS SUPPORT
FOR HIGH PRESSURE:
Members Promise Aid in
Move to Give Washington
Safe Water System.

The drive. backed by all the bust
ness organizations, to give downtown
Washington hieh-pressure water
supply will have strong SUPPORT in
Congress. This is shown by the en-
phatic way in which the project is
indorsed by individual members 80
Members of Congress are concerned
over the fact that government build
ings are i'm constant Danger, some il
not all of which. in the absence of an
archives building, are housing val
uable documents that could not he
replaced and the destruction of which
would mean an avalanche of claims
against the government which might
not he successfully fought.
View of Chairman.
AS an illustration OF how members
Of Congress feel Representative
Clarence MacGregor OF Buffalo. n. V.
accounts. says
Il believe that the whole water
supply system of Washington should
be overhauled. From what has been
told me the city is in danger all of
the time not only from fire, but also
liable to be cut off from use of water
for any purpose at any time.
The National Capital should have
a model system, and | think that the
people of the country would not be-
Erudge it,
Fayors EARLY Start.
Representative Royal II. Weller of
New York city comes out with equal
positiveness. and pledges his best eff
forts to put through legislation for
authorization of the high-pressure
system, with an initial appropriation
early next year. He says:
Il am in favor OF Il high pressure
water system for Washington. and
believe. after our experience in New
York, that it is the only safe protec-
tion againt fire.
Il vii be glad TO do all in my power
10 help the people OF the National
Capltal in this matter"
Plea by Trade Board.
Formal request was made of the
District Commissioners today that
they include in the estimates they
now are making up for the city for
the next fiscal year one for the in =
stallation of a high-pressure water
system. The request was sent in a
~ d,
chairman OF the committee on insur-
lnce and fire protection of the Wash
1ngton Board of Trade, which COM
nnittee is charged with the duty of
ophuucllng the movement TO bring
about such q system.
In connection with the movement
10 get provision for the water
system. Mr.. Lea said that the opinion
seemed to prevail in some quarters
that the engines would have TO be
used even when a fire pressure is
installed. He pointed out that abso-
lutely no pumping engines would be
needed as the pumping is done by
powerful. hiEh-preSSure pumps at the
central station, which would be To-
Gated on the Potomac nearby and
would draw it's supply direct from
of the filtered water which now is
brought from Great Falls at great
expense.
Merchants Send Plea.
4 petition requesting the Commits
sioAers to seek high-pressure sys-
tenn also was sent today by Brig.
Gen. Anton Stephan. president of the
Merchants and Manufacturers Asso-
citation, following meeting of the
board Of governors of that organiza-
tion.
The petition says:
THE board of governors of the Mer-
chants and Manufacturers Associa-
ton respectfully petitions the Dis
trict Commissioners TO include in the
necessities for the District of Colum-
bia that will be presented to Con-
gress provision for the institution
Of hiEh-pressure water service in the
downtown section Such appeals have
been made by this association
in the past, and we are indeed graft
fled that other Washington organ
i5ed nStrumentalities are att this
time appealing to the honorable board
of Commissioners to make such rep
reservations to Congress as will in
sure the establishment of this serv-
Ice
y petition asking that the Pennsyl-
vania Avenue bridge be fioored with
concrete was turned over to the Com
missioners by the merchants at the
g time.