Evening star., 1924-12-07
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Washington, with daily water con-
sumption of 100000 gallons so
years ago, was at the
water danger point of supply
Wae+e exhaustion. even as It
"dste. has been in recent years
with a very much greater volume.
The Star of December 3, 1874, says:
The report of Water Registrar
Lubey states that about 100000
gallons of water are used or wasted
daily in this District, or about 1873
gallons per person. 1t is assumed
that one-quarter of this amount is
wasted through the extravagant use
and abuse of water in nearly all parts
of the city, in private houses, Gov
ernment Offices, hotels, restaurants,
etc. The water officers have power
to inspect and to certain extent
remedy the evil in private houses,
hotels, etc, but have no control over
the supply in the Government depart
ments;' and in nearly all these the
water is allowed to run without in
termission in hundreds of closets,
spigots and fountains. The privilege
is also abused by housekeepers, and
the careful use of water in private
houses is quite exceptional. The
growing shortness of the water sup
ply and the daily complaints of those
city demand a remedy by the adoption
of a positive policy and the rigid en-
forcement of the law against persons
who wilfully waste aqueduct water.
Another cause for the shortness of
the supply is found in the system
adopted of laying SO many small
mains, causing a largely increased
consumption of water, while there
has not been a corresponding increase
in the capacity of the mains. The
registrar points out what is needed
in tho way of additional mains and
extension of existing mains in order
to perfect the system and restore the
head to the same condition that it
was when the water was first intro
duced. The cost of these additional
mains he estimates at $4,000"
Some two years ago." says The
Star of December 4, 1874, "the asser-
ton of the right of
Cabinet and one of the cabinet Of
r. ficers to report di-
congress. rectly to Congress
called the public attention to the
question of all cabinet officers occu-
pying seats in the House, or at least
the privilege of the floor. for the sake
measures and objects. The subject is
now revived by the st. Louis Globe,
and that paper makes a pretty strong
showing in favor of the change.
These are some of its points: A great
part of the action of the Executive is
carried on under laws which no liv-
ing man had any hand in framing.
much OF it is outside of the sphere of
ordinary legislative correction. but
l. fyor ,r,sa
of the people, and they are author
lied to demand, and to obtain, such
explanation of it as they now get
only from the complacence of IRE
sponsible members of Congress. If
it is desirable that the cabinet Of
ficers should furnish, as they do, not
only a report of the operations of
their respective departments, but a
summary of all the suggestions and
recommendations they wish to make
in connection Herewith, it is much
more desirable that this report should
be given not merely once year, but
whenever the circumstances render
the necessity for 1t more urgent; If
il is desirable to have cabinet officers
explaining those things which they
wish to explain, it is much more de-
sirahle to have them explaining those
things which other people desire to
exists for the message and accom-
panying documents exists with force
augmented tenfold in favor of the
regular and ordinary explanation of
every circumstance as 1t arises.
THE change, it is argued, would
insure the highest possible character
and efficiency of our cabinet officers.
At a time when we are very much
exercised over the merits of COM
petitive examination we have a right
to exact from those who are called
to the exceptional honor of the cab
met g. very high standard of quail
fications. 1t is not too much to ask
of them that they should be able to
hold their own. as the British min
isters hold their own, before a body
composed of representatives of the
people"
A short time ago Lotta Crabtree.
known to elder American theatergoers
as "Lotta," died after years of retire
nl4r;ooI ment from the stage. Half
IneaIilcai century back she was
nr.;r, one of the prime favor
oneIluSs' ties, and was ALWAYS
well received in Washington. Her
program during her appearance in this
city in December, 1874, comprised
'tMusette,'' which was one of her
famous presentations; Zip and ''The
Firefiy.' The writer of a column of
observations printed in The Star Of