Evening star., 1953-05-22
Be||anlySees
Possib|eCutin
Water Rates
Commission Head
Questioned on
Costs in MARYLAND

man OF the washington Su0ur~
ban Sanitary Commission, pre-
dicted last night that the utility
may be able to reduce recently
increased water rates to subur-
ban Maryland.
with the proper economy
and elimination of duplication of
effort. believe we may be able
to reduce the cost of water
and the front foot benefit
charges" he told a joint meet
ing of the Prince Georges and
Montgomery County Municipal
Leagues.
He didn't say when.
The new garbage disposal and
water rates the commission
effected in a bombshell an
nouncement last month came in
for additional criticism by the
mayors and town officials of the
two counties at the meeting.
IT don't mind being cheated.
but I don't want to be robbed"
declared Robert v. Yost, Colmar
Manor councilman. referring to
the increase from 50 to 81 ton
in the fee the commission
charges for use of its Bladens-
burg incinerator.
Mount Rainier Councilman
Fred Richardson was puzzled by
the new $225 per month rate the
commission said it will charge
for garbage collection in Mont
gomery County. effective Sep
tember /.
That's more than the entire
town tax paid by Mount Rainier
residents" he said. land from
our Accent town tax they get
trash collection, police protec-
ton and other town services.
Mr.. Bellamy said he was rot
prepared to justify the ! new
Montgomery trash collection
rate in detail.
The commission collects trash
from some 10000 Montgomery
residents. At present, it charges
them $l.65 a month. It does
no trash collecting in Prince
Georges. There, for the most
part. municipal and private COLI
lectors pick up trash and pay
the commission for disposing Of
it at Bladensburg. Most private
collectors in Prince Georges
charge about $1.50 a month, and
have had to increase their fees
to about SITS a month to take
care of the doubled incinerator
use rate.
The Commission also imposed
q new sewage charge of IA cents
per 1000 gallons of water used.
effective last March /. That adds
to the present water charge of
q cents. Although the commits
sion refers to the new fee as a
sewage charge, it will be COM
puted on the basis of how much
water is used.
Ascent Charge Cited.
Mr.. Bellamy contended that
water rates in other areas are
higher than those in suburban
Maryland.
II know of one city charging
as much as 43 cents for water"
he stated.
This inspired the comment
from Mayor Herbert w. Reichelt
of Mount Rainier that the new
sewage charge will boost the
commissions rate to Al cents.
Mayor Reichelt also criticized
the commission for announcing
the increases without prior pub
lie notice.
"As many times as I've been
over to the sanitary commission
and talked to you commissioners,
never had any idea that the
rates were going up," he said.
Mr.. Bellamy was unable to
answer some of the questions
raised by the town officials. He
apologized for not being able to
bring commission engineers
more familiar with these prob
lens" to the meeting. which was
held at the University of Mary
land.
He was unable to answer the
question of whether private gar
bage collectors in Montgomery
also will have to pay higher dis
posal fees, but he said he thinks
probably they will.
Pay-aS-yOu-go Policy.
He reiterated the commissions
position that the new charges
are necessary to put the agency
on a pay-aS-you-go basis. In
the past, he said, the commission
has borrowed money to pay OPP
Grating costs.
Referring to the commission
as a $100 million institution with
a $75 million bonded debt. Mr..
Bellamy said he has tried, in the
two years he has been in Office.
to Cd take politics out of the
commission. (2) put it on a
sound financial basis. 90 effect
economies and 90 improve con-
ditions for employees.
He also spoke proudly of clear
ing the banks of Tridelphia
Lake behind the commissions
Brighton Dam on the Patuxent
River and planting flowers and
trees to beautify it. At the
new Rocky Gorge Dam, now un-
der construction near Laurel, he
said he wants to establish q
nursery $50 we can raise our
own shrubs and flowers" He
said he has put in 1000 azaleas
at his Cheverly home for that
purpose.
Praises Palatable Water.
"When we get through" he
declared, Il think we'll have
a commission you can be prouder
of than you are today"
Mr.. Bellamy is a gardening
enthusiast.
He also said he's a water
drinker.
Il drink water in every State