Evening star., 1942-05-11
D. T.. Ban Asked
On Free Water
For Hospitals
Other Institutions,
Including Churches,
Would Be Affected
BY JOHN w. THOMPSON, Jr.


BY JOHN w. THOMPSON. Jr.
Discontinuance of free water al
lowances now granted to hospitals,
private schools, settlement houses,
converts and 10 other institutions
and heavy reduction in the allow
ance for churches is recommended
In a report by Walter L. Fowler,
District budget officer, made public
today.
The study. originally prepared
several months ago for the Com
missioners, was forwarded by them
to the Senate District Committee,
which Is about to launch an inves-
tigation Of the Capitals water prob
lens.
Free water, valued at nearly $751;
900, was consumed by AIT charitable
institutions and churches during
the fiscal year ending June 30, 1910.
This amount would be reduced to
about $1,000, If the recommended
tions are adopted, the report de-
Clared.
For the 10-year period ending
June 30, 1910, the free water con-
sumed by these institutions was
valued at about $4,000.
Present Law Explained.
Under the present law, the Com
missioners may grant free water to
institutions. primarily" charitable
in character, up to 100 gallons
day for each inmate" Such insti-
tutionS, under the law, must be sup
ported wholly by voluntary contribu-
tions or wholly or in part by con-
gressional appropriations.
1t was indicated the District bud
get officer feels institutions not
strictly entitled to free water under
the law should not receive it any
more than they receive other utili-
ties, such as electricity, free.
In the case of churches, the Fowler
investigation discovered the free
water allowance is 100000 gallons,
or 66,845 cubic feet, year, appar-
emily decided on years ago when
water motors were used to pump
church organs. The mechanism is
now obsolete, the report declares,
and the water department has no
knowledge of any such motors now
in operation. Mr.. Fowler recon-
mended the church allowance be re-
duced to that of the normal private
500 cubic feet or 56,l00
gallons. Almost one-half the metered
churches consume less than this
amount. according to the report.
Hospital Data Cited.
In the case of the hospitals, the
report declared that although many
have been primarily "eleemosynary'
at the time of the original grant of
the free allowance, 'the present
records fail to substantiate their
continuance in this character.
The ratio of free impatient days
compared with the total impatient
day varies from none in Sibley and
Homeopathic Hospitals to 25.7 per
cent in Providence Hospital" Mr.
Fowler said Health Department sta
tistics were the source of these fig
ures
Furthermore, the budget officer
continued, with the exception of
Columbia Hospital, none of the hos
pitals received annual appropria-
tions from Congress. While admit
ting that the District government
enters into contracts with Casualty,
Children's and Emergency Hospital
and the Washington Home for In
curables, the report contended the
appropriations are made to the
Health Department which makes
the contracts.
Defining the word inmate" to
mean impatient" the report said
there was one apparent discrep-
ancy in the certiflcation of inmates
to the water registrar and the aver
age number of in-patients published
in reports and periodicals.
The report indicated 10 local hos
pitals had certified average inmates
at more than 5000, while the an
nual report of the Health Depart
ment and the American Medical
Journal indicated their average in
patients at $500 or 1900 On the
basis of "inadvertent certification, -
he estimated these hospitals received
about $4,000 worth of free water
in excess of what their allowance
would have been on an impatient"
basis for the fiscal year ending
June 30. 1910.
Seven Homes Held Ineligible.
Out Of 40 homes and orphan
asylums, the study declared seven
cannot be considered as being pri-
marily charitable. These are the
Congregational Home. the National
Association for the Relief Of Desti-
tute Colored Women and Children,
St. Anne's Home, st. Gertrude's
School Of Arts and Crafts, st. Mar
garet Mary House, the Women's
Christian Association and the Young
Women's Christian Home.
Mr.. Fowler said the test applied
TO determine the character of these
institutions in the absence of a fixed
rate for room and board was COM
parison of fees received from in
mates against total expense. If the
greater portion of income was de-
rived from guests" the home was
not considered primarily eleemo-
synary in character.
In the case Of converts, the re-
port said they were somewhat SINH
lar to rectories and parsonages, none
of which receive free water, and de-
clared that the premises could not
be considered as being institutions
or churches.
The report also found the Jewish
Bath House, the National Academy
of Science and the Washington AMI
rnol Pacc,,o aa ui1a are rnt enfiflad