Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-10

I'D the United States investment In the
water plant. This total Investment" OF
Uncle Sam includes an lem Of $780,
000.11, representing the Federal FUNDS
that have gone into maintenance OF the
water plant since its beginning. There
Is another item for the Construction
and maintenance, spring water mains.
ETC." amounting to $223. 621.81. These
Spring water mains, ETC." refer to the
springs that existed long ago In Frank
lin Park, the water from which was
piped, along about 1850, to the White
House and the Capitol. That was the
early beginning Of the water supply sys-
tenn. OF course, 1t long since has been
forgot, except on the yellowed sheets
of ancient appropriation records dug up
by the United States engineers Office to
bolster Uncle Sans total investment
figure. The old spring and mains have
long since been replaced, in all probable
ity, with new equipment paid for in taxes
and water rents from District citizens
But the item is carried down to pos
terity as a part of the United States
investment in the water plant. The idea
seems to be to make Uncle Sans invest
ment in the water plant as large as pos
sible, and the Districts investment as
small as possible. This Is successfully
done by the United States engineer and
the District water department. which,
under his guidance. submits a table
showing the Districts met" investment
to be S11,713, 1882, compared to the
United States investment Of $12, 405,-
795. SO.
Proper Figures Computed.
Eliminating the maintenance cost
from Uncle Sans and the Districts
total investment in the water plant, and
merely for the sake of courtesy allow
ing Uncle Sam to include his ancient
springs and conduits, the proper figures
would be:
United States. ,155, 545. 78
District ................. % $40, 1928. 10
Total .................$ 34, 695 ,869 ST
And with a revenue from the plants
sale of water at 1914 ,344.12 year.
the return on the water plant is about
373 per cent no matter who owns it.
And in addition to the return, the
United States and Its agent, the Dis
trict government, use or waste AZ per
| cent of the total water supply and use
it free Of charge.
The interesting point, however, lies in
the picture of what has happened
i through the years in respect to the
Uncle Sam built the first plant all by
himself Then, as owner of the water
plant, he began selling the surplus
product to the residents Of the District
who needed it. Then he took into part
nership the people Of the District Of
Columbia by using the money that they
contributed, in general taxes and in
/ water taxes, to extending and improv-
ing the water plant. In time the equity
in the water plant, bought by the people
of the District. exceeded and has more
than doubled the equity of the United
States.
But during this transfer Of ownership
something else has been taking place
The United States, minority stock
holder, has gradually shifted to the
shoulders of the majority stakeholder
the entire cost Of maintaining and i'm
proving the plant, and at the same
time has arranged matters to get his
water free of charge.
The proposal Is now being emphasized
that instead of making all the water
tax payers, chief owners of the water
plant, bear the cost Of further improv-
ing and extending the distribution sys-
tenn, the money for such extensions
should be taken from the general fund
of the District, to which the United