Evening star., 1934-11-06
Revision of Sewer Plans.

As pointed out by Commissioner
Sultan, decision to construct a four
million dollar sewage disposal plant at
this time, instead of the originally rec
commended and approved eight million
dollar plant, was based on the fact
that the cheaper project will not only
take care of the Districts immediate
needs, but will provide the nucleus for
later expansion. In the meantime there
are possibilities that more efficient and
economical methods of sewage disposal
will be developed through constant re-
search and these may be utilized to
their full advantage later.
Those who have long urged the
elimination of sewage pollution from
the Potomac, however, will be disap-
pointed that the revision of plans may
retard progress toward that objective.
While it is true that sources of pollu-
tion are not confined to the District
and that their elimination will require
cooperation by Maryland and Vir-
ginia, it had been felt that the con-
struction Of the District plant would
represent the most progressive step
now possible and would accomplish
more to speed up the necessary action
by other jurisdictions than anything
else For the Potomac must eventually
be cleared of pollution and its posi-
bilities for recreational and other uses
fully developed.
The Board Of Trade, which took an
active part in arguing for revision on
a smaller scale of the sewage-dis-
posal plant, was actuated largely by a
sentiment that while the seWage-dis-
posal plant is most desirable, and will
in future be necessary. there are even
more pressing demands facing the
District today. That. as everybody
knows who is familiar with the re-
tarded development of Washington,
due to stringency in appropriations,
is a very convincing argument. To
make it fully effective, however, the
Board of Trade and the Commission
ers must now unite in demonstrating
that a bird in the hand is not always
worth more than two in the bush.
The engineers have presumably as
sured themselves that there are some
technical advantages to be gained by
postponing full development of the
sewage disposal plant. But to these
there should be added the additional
advantage Of making other use of the
money to be saved by postponing full
development of the sewage plant.
Congress has authorized a total
loan of O,75o,0oO from the P. w. A.
to the District, and has earmarked ten
cents of the tax rate to repay that
amount. The District will begin pay
ing it next year. Thus far the P. w. A.
has made an allotment of s1,5O0,O0o
for the adult tuberculosis hospital at
Glenn Dale, and the revised sewer
plant will bring the total allotments
to IS, 500, ,000-slightly more than half
the amount that Congress authorized.
To take full advantage Of the decision
to cut down the amount spent on the
sewer plant, efforts should be made
to secure an amendment to the loan
authorizing legislation under which
money saved on sewers may be avail
able for other uses, such as schools
and libraries and the first unit of the
Municipal Center. There are decided
advantages in financing necessary i'm
provements through borrowing, and the
terms under which the District was
authorized to borrow from the P. w. A.
will not prove too large a strain on
current revenue, provided, of course,
the borrowed money is wisely spent.