New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-12-19
District Appropriation.
OF GENERAL N. p. Chapman in Cor
SreSs ON Saturday.


District Appropriation,
"emarks OF General N. p. Chapman in Con.
Srexs ON Saturday.
On Saturday last, in the House of Repre-.
sentatives, Hon. n. p. Chipman snbmitted
lew remarks in favor of the bill "makinr an
appropriation of 81 ,241 800 .92 to pay the ex.
nendltures made by the Board Of Public
Works Of the District of Columbia for paving
roadways, curling and paving sidewalks,
grading, sewerage, and other improvements
upon and adjoining the property of the United
states in the District of Columbia After
giving comprehensive statement of the
amount OF money expended and work done,
the General concluded as follows:
1t would seem, Mr.. Speaker, that our cit-
Zens nave no Just grounds for complaint upon
the matter Of cost of improvements, Still I
can see how this large amount of work.
reaching, as it does, the property of the poor
people OF thc District, may threaten them
with forced sale; but under the law they
nave one year to pay the assessment, at 10
per cent. interest, and they have two years
after that in which to redee n at Is per cent.
have been asked also by members
whether these Improvements are not enor-
mously adding to our tax, as they cannot
conceive how such stupendous work can 90
on without that result. I answer that our
general taxes to-day are ten cents less than
during one of the years of the late corpora
ton OF Washington. We now pay one dollar
and seventy cents upon the one hundred dol
lars. With it we are paying the sinking fund
upon the four million loan with which to
gradually discharge the principal. We are
paying the interest upon that loan; we are
paying interest upon the old debt of the old
corporation, together with the sinking fund
necessary to discharge large portion of the
principal; we are paying the interest and
sinking fund of our water and market bonds;
IN short, we are carrying on the whole
machinery of the government, paying its
depts gradually and making all Of these I'M
provements, without increasing the taxes one
penny. 1t is true that property of the Dis
trict by a late valuation has been increased
about ten millions yet at the same time we
have taken off taxes from personal property,
which is valued at eleven millions. I assert,
Mr.. Speaker, that such a result in municipal
government cannot be pointed out in anv
other city Of this Union.
While was making my last canvass be-
fore the people of the District was met with
n statement that the improvements being
made by the board could not be completed at
cost less than $40, 100000. Without know
ing anything certainly about it myself, as
have had no connection whatever with the
Board of Public Works in carrying out its
scheme of improvements, 1 felt that could
with confidence assure the people that all
these estimates were wild and visionary. l
did not then have the information from which
to make positive assertions, as 1 now have
but could only rely on my confidence in the
integrity and ability of the gentlemen who
nave control of these improvements. And
now, Mr.. Speaker, we find this vast system,
which casual observers think, in its nlagni-
tude, must cost at least 10000, 900, has been
completed, or can be, within the amount APP
propriated by the District of Columbia, when
Congress has done it's share in paying for inn
provements in front of their own property.
In other words, the Board of Public Works
has accomplished with about sc, 000, 900 what
its enemies said could not be done for $780,
OOO,O 900. Verify, out of the mouth of those
who would destroy them are they indicated.
1t cannot be denied that in a work reaching
the doorway of thousands of our citizens,
putting them to inconvenience and expense,
indeed, revolutionizing the habits Of our peo-
pie somewhat, the board have incurred en-
mites and hostilties which would even pur-
sue them upon this floor. have, since this
measure has been brought to the attention
of the Committee on Appropriations, seen the
track of several of these men in the Capitol,
who are engaged in the extraordinary bust
ness Of attempting to prevent this House
from relieving our people at this juncture by
the defeat of this bill.
Sir, there is not one Of them whose memory
would not be gibbeted and handed down to
posterity in infamy if his name were published
to the world. What can any member of Con-
gress here think of one of our own citizens
who, to crafty little pique toward some
person connected with our District govern
o{o1, ft,n II
interests of our people? If such person
should come to me would turn from him as
I would from a moral leper. would not be-
lieve his statements under oath, much less
would 1 allow them to influence me in mat
ter of such fairness and justice as this now
before the House. l have no words with
which to characterize the conduct of such
men, and say it with some pride that there
are not many such in this community.
1t has been suggested to me by members
on this floor that the sentiment of the people
is against improvements. There is nothing
wider from the truth When the question
was presented to the people at the first cleo
ton under the organic act whether they
would elect Delegate in harmony with the
local government, which contemplated extern
sive Improvements of the city, they decided
by the largest vote ever cast in the District
that improvements should be commenced,
Subsequently, on the precise question of au-
thorizing loan for the purpose of improve
ments, the vote stood l4,7G0 for it and 1913
against it..
Last summer, after these improvements had
been inaugurated and carried forward toward
completion, upon an issue distinctly made
before the people involving the character of
the Improvements and the general manage
ment of the Board Of Public Works, the peo-
pie again reiterated their determination in
the matter by majority Of over fifty-tive
hundred. think, therefore, Mr.. Speaker,
am rejecting only the public sentiment of
this community in urging upon the House
this appropriation, on the ground that it is
due from the Government for Improvements
wisely, judiciously, and economically made.
Nor is it true, as has been stated, that the
wealth and intelligence Of the District have
not sustained this scheme Of public improve
ments. On the contrary, the wealth and in
tellgence are among the interests most
deeply interested and most largely benefit
ted; and the intelligent and wealthy COM
prehend wisely that to discourage this new
movement is to destroy all hope Of the future
greatness of the capital. And, on the other
hand, that class of people who are small. /
Observation-Disclosures but who have tho ayeropa