Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-17
The 1881 Supply. Bill.

few new legislative provisions and
proposed changes in the Budget Blu
resus recommendations give exceptional
interest TO the Districts annual supply
bill, reported to the House OF Repre-
sentativeS today
OF chief Importance among the legis-
lative changes is a new schedule of
water rates, the effect of which is to
increase the cost of water in Washing
ton by about 40 per cent and to boost
main assessments by so per cent The
increase was decided upon in order to
finance a hve-year plan of extensions
and improvements in the local supply
system The new rates will continue
indefinitely" according to Col Ladue.
ana if history repeats itself will Subse-
Quently be followed by another boost,
for the system of water plant financing
tends toward constantly increasing rates
as the plant is enlarged. Action of the
committee in deciding to raise the rates
instead of appropriating for capital ex-
penditures out of the general fund
seems to have rested on the fact that
table of comparative rates indicated
that Washington'S water rate is 81 per
cent less than the average in the twenty
seven cities investigated" although no
attempt was made to consider or discuss
the equities involved or the factors en-
tering into the scale of rates in other
cities. Though the cost of water here
is thus represented as being far below
the average" rate-Such rates ranging
from Sc in Minneapolis to s2l in Fall
River-it is nevertheless interesting to
note that Washington's new $1,000 rate
is higher than in New York City. De-
troit Cleveland, Minneapolis. Milwaukee
and st. Paul. The desideratum, of
course, should be cheap water-not high
rates.
The percentage of the Federal con-
tribution in this years bill. which carries
'the usual Federal contribution of SIS, 600
000," has been reduced to 21.5l. The
contrast between this relative contribu-
ton and that of 1924. which amounted
to 59.4l per cent, is the more striking
when it is considered that the appro-
priation total for 1881 more than
doubles that of 1924. Despite this great
increase, proposals of necessary projects
are now met with the threat of a gen.
ersl raise in taxes
Capital Improvements carried In the
bill include a project for the widening
of H street from Seventh to Thirteenth.
affording another wide trafic thorough
fare in the downtown system Of streets;
construction of a new bridge over
Klingle Valley, on Connecticut avenue;
provision Of five new schools and addi-
tons TO others and the reconstruction
of the Monroe street overpaSs over the
tracks of the Baltimore e. Ohio Rail-
road. This latter item becomes impor-
tant now because 1t was decided upon as
an alternative to widening Michigan
avenue and abolishing that dangerous
crossing before attempting to improve
the existing overpass on Monroe street
The whole subject is now in contro-
versy among citizens living In the areas
affected. In the matter of grade cross
1ngs, one of the regrettable changes
made by the committee in the Budget
Bureaus recommendation was to strike
out the item for eliminating the Fern
street grade crossing in Takoma Park,
thus indefinitely postponing action on
getting rid of such menaces in the Dis
trict
The bill carries appropriations for COM
plotting the purchase of municipal CEN
ter sites and for the preparation OF
models and plans for the buildings. 1t
also provides for a new branch Public
Library in Northeast Washington.
One of the interesting legislative pro-
visions inserted in the bin is designed
to raise the qualifications of members
of the police force by requiring that
candidates for the force possess a COM
mon school education, which is q good
move. Valuable additions to municipal
personnel lie In the authorization Of an
increased force in the building in
spectors office; the creation of a new
position in the Office of the corporation
counsel, to be filled by a lawyer, at
salary of $500, who will devote all of
his time to public utility matters; en-
largement of the personnel of the Pub
Tic Utilities Commission. which includes
the appointment of a senior engineer
and junior engineer, as we'll as au-
ditors; addition of IA new lieutenants in
the police force and the creation Of the
post of microscopic chemist in the
20 al tkn in
criminal Investigations.