Evening star., 1926-03-16
Water Rent Equities.

Wv
claim of the unsoundness Of this
method Of enlarging capital plant
investment by increase of prices Of
i service or commodity from the view.
point of commercial and public utility
economies. II also suggests the un.
wisdom of reducing to minimum
the domestic use of water on consid-
erationS of public health, which de;
ulands the cheapest, fullest use Of
water which the available supply per
mits. II also calls renewed attention
TO the claim of inequity in today s
division of the cost of the Capital's Is
water supply plant and system be.
tween The United States as part
owner and free water consumer on
one side and the local community as
part owner and paying water con.
= sumer on the other.
There are many peculiarities IN the
relation OF the Nation to the people
Of the Capital in respect TO the water
supply. According to the earliest cir.
:. cuiars advertising Washington lots
for sale, water supply was one Of the
benefits TO be furnished by the Ma.
stional Government in consideration OF
and from the proceeds os the sale OF
the lots donated to it for this purpose.
The New Universal Gazetteer"
published at Ednpurgh by David
Ramsey in 1876, gives with minute
particulars the plan Of Washington
City taken from a circular sent
abroad by the Commissioners OF the
new Federal Capital, in effect pledg-
ing the faith OF the Nation to build
d splendid city here and inviting the
liberal minded of all nations to come
here to establish the home of free
institutions-and to buy lots. THE
President Of the United States" It
says, lin locating the seat cf the city
prevailed upon the proprietors OF the
soil to cede certain proportion Of
The lots in every situation to be sold
by his direction and the proceeds to
be solely applied to the public build.
tnss and other works OF public util-
lty within the city. This ground will
produce about $4,000 lots and viii be
sufficient not only to erect the public
r. buildings, but to dig q canal, conduct
water through the city and to pave
and light the streets, which will save
u heavy tax that arises in other cities
and consequently render the lots con-
siderably more valuable"
President jefferson, in his message
of 1902, recognized "a residuary inter.
eet Of the city" in these donated lots,
pointing out that If wisely handled
they would not only meet the national
requirements, but would Insure a
considerable surplus to the city to be
employed for its Improvement"
Over half a century later the Nation
built water supply system for itself
and permitted Washington to tap its
pipes and use its surplus water on
condition that no expense in connec.
ton with such use should fall upon
Il. In delayed fulfillment Of its orig.
inal obligation the Nation thus per.
formed a benevolent and beneficent
function in regard TO Washington's 8
water supply for more than a quarter
Of a century.
Then a great enlargement OF the aque.
duet system became necessary, and the
so-called Lydecker tunnel was dug. At
this time the Nation revolutionized its
relation to Washington in respect to
water supply. Between the construc.
ton Of the original water works and
that of the Lydecker tunnel the or.
ganic act Of 1873 had been passed, put.
ting the Nation and the people of
washington into q partnership in Capt
al building and maintenance, or,
rather, recognizing the national obliga
ton in such partnership which had
existed from the founding of the city
The Nation, in paying for the Ly
decker tunnel, abandoned its original
position that the Capitals water sys
tenn was solely national affair and
put it In effect on a half-and-half basis
The work Of building the Lydecker
tunnel, it will be remembered, was
bungled by agents Of the National Gov
ernment, over whom the District had
? no control, and for whom it was not
!" responsible, and for long period the
tunnel was abandoned as worthless
and the heavy Indebtedness fastened
To- by the Government on Washington
taxpayers or water users in this con
nection did not represent quart OF
a additional water enjoyed by them. Al
this juncture the Nation, through Con
-ress, began to apply the so.called sur
pluses of the District in the Treasury
!. accumulated in violation of the spiri,
Of the organic act, to the payment OF
the water debt, and about q million OF
the local revenue was thus, in effect
fssunk in the tunnel. at that time aba2
doned as worthless.
In the year 1890 the Nation-hereto
fore legal and equitable owner of the
entire plant and benefactor to the ex
tent Of permitting surplus water to be
used by private citizens without cost
20 itself-finding the old three.nillior
plant through the depreciation Of 81
years and through increase Of the
number of water users inadequate K
meet water supply needs, undertook ts
replace in Part its water supply plant
md changed Uadically its system ant