Evening star., 1937-04-11
Proposed Elimination
of Water Rate Reduction.

Proposed Elimination
Of Water Rate Reduction.
Tor the past four years the
District appropriation bill has
provided water rate reduction and
increased minimum quantity which
has been equivalent to reduction
OF Is per cent. According to the
report of the District Appropria-
tions Subcommittee of the House
this reduction represents q saving
OF nearly 100000 annually to the
water users Of the District.
The bill as passed by the House
eliminates this reduction for the
purpose of building up a surplus
fund to finance the improvements
and expansions necessary to meet
the demands on the Water Depart
ment during the next eight years.
A new paragraph in the bill author
ICES the Treasurer of the United
States to invest the surplus in the
water fund during the fiscal year
1888 in United States securities not
exceeding s750,0OO. This is planned
to form the nucleus of fund in
tended to finance a major extension
OF the Districts water supply.
The committee report recon-
mends an evaluation survey of the
water system and includes an item
OF $4,000 to cover its cost. The
committee sees ahead a major in
crease in the supply system which
must be financed by l945 at prob
able cost of not less than sl0,-
100000.
One important factor is over
looked in the committees con-
sideration Of the water fund prob
lem. This factor Is one in which
the water users and the various
civic bodies are vitality interested
and that is the fact that the largest
user, the United States Govern
ment, pays nothing for the large
quantity of water it consumes.
According to the very conserva-
tive estimate of the so-called
Jacobs report, Federal payments
for water consumed by the Federal
departments would increase the
water fund revenues by nearly
$250,000 per annum."
Organized civic Washington has
for years contended that it is unfair
to saddle the cost of the water used
by the United States Government
on the private consumers. Conse-
quently the present attitude of the
organizations is that the water to
the Federal Government should be
metered and charged at the same
rates as paid by the private con-
sumers. Until this is done, it is
contended, there should be no
elimination Of the rate reductions
which have been allowed by Con-
gress during the past four years.
Increased Need for
Strong Anti-Gambling Law.
FOR the past several years there
has been demand for an up
to-date law, with teeth in it,
against some of the forms of
gambling which have been most
difficult to handle In the Seventy
fourth Congress such a bill was
passed, but it died in the House
District Committee.
Bills have been introduced in the
present Congress, but nothing has
come Of them so far.
With the prospective licensing of
bookmakers in Prince Georges
County, Maryland, there is seen an
added menace which some believe
will require special legislation. The
bill has been passed by the Mary
land Legislature to license book
makers in Prince Georges County
and Is now before the Governor for
signature.
Recently the frequent raids on
gambling Establishments in the
District Of Columbia have been
very we'll handled by the police and
the District attorneys Office. The
large amount Of paraphernalia
seized and destroyed by the police
has levied costly toll on the gam
blers and somewhat DISCOURAGED
them.
The real effectiveness of the
present law will be tested when
these cases come up for trial. The
defendants are now out on bail
and 1t is expected that every imag-
Unable legal technicality will be
raised in the trials to cheat the
law. These cases will be as much
trial Of the law as of the
defendants.
Many Of the citizens express the
opinion that the law should be
amended at once so to remove all
doubts and completely cover all Of
the new forms of gambling which
have come into vogue since that
law was enacted.