Evening star., 1941-09-11
Unsound and Unfair

The outrageous suggestion ema-
mating from the water department
for a sharp increase in water taxes,
together with an equally sharp re-
duction In the annual minimum
allowance of metered water, should
be vetoed promptly by the Commits
sioners.
These higher rates are proposed
to finance plant expansion, largely
due to increased demands on the
water system brought about by the
National Governments defense &C
tivities. The proposed expenditures
are for capital outlays-not malnte-
nance. In the first place, it is utterly
wrong in principle to finance them
by raising the cost of water. In the
second place, the National Govern
ment, which draws heavily on the
water supply but contributes nothing
to its maintenance, should partici-
pate generously in whatever funds
are necessary to meet the cost OF the
emergency expansion now contem-
plated.
Three years ago special board OF
survey developed the fact anew that
the water users and taxpayers of the
local community are by far the
heaviest investors in the water Sys-
TEN, the entire cost Of which in
recent years has been showed on
their shoulders. Their rates have
been fixed, not merely to maintain
the system and supply water at
cost, but to supply % per cent OF
the water consumed free Of charge;
to accumulate a surplus for later
enlargement of the supply system
and to finance part of the normal
annual expansion of the distribution
system.
Now, on top of these charges for
water, 1t is proposed to add another
heavy increase in order to finance
Immediately some of the projects
which, in normal times, would have
been spread over period OF years.
The whole history of water system
financing represents an inequitable
treatment of the local community.
In the beginning, the National Gov
eminent created a water system for
its own use and sold the surplus to
Individual private users. Then the
plant was expanded, and the realty
and personal taxpayers of the Dis
trict were called on to contribute to
the cost. Later, the cost OF plant
enlargement was charged to water
rent payers, and general taxpayers,
with the National Government bear
ing a diminishing part OF the ex-
pense. In recent years, the entire
cost of water plant expansion and
maintenance has been placed on
water taxpayers, with the National
Government contributing nothing
while using an increasingly large
amount Of total consumption.
Under this unwiSe and unfair
system of water plant financing, 1t
has been impossible to realize the
desideratum of decreasing the cost
of water as its use increases. Water,
plentiful and pure, should be avail
able at constantly decreasing cost to
the individual. The opposite Is now
true and the greater the number OF
water users the higher grows the
cost.
There is already reserve, built up
by overcharging water users in the
past, of funds more than sufficient
to meet the proposed capital outlays
which have become Immediately
necessary. With an equitable con-
tribution by the National Govern
ment for capital outlay on the water
plant, which the Commissioners
should seek, it would be unnecessary
to raise water rates now. The fact
that this usable surplus was accumu-
lated for later expansion Of the
supply system has nothing to do with
the case. As far as financing is con-
cerned, the supply and distribution
systems are both paid for by local
taxpayers.
1t is to be hoped the Commis-
sioners will prevent an increase in
water rates which Is unsound In
principle and grossly inequitable in