National Republican., 1873-01-10
LETTERS FROM the PEOPLE.

The InauEuration and City Appropriation.
EDITOR REPUBLICAN: As several cOmmunlca-
tons have appeared In city paper urging Gov
ernor Cooke TO decline calling an extra session
OF the Legislature to consider aud pass upon the
above matter, will you please IND room for this
"brief" touching the opposite side Of the ques-
ton at issue;
/. Extra sessions Of City Councils being neither
subject to the expense nor Inconvenience at
tending National and state cOncaves-sO the
proposed manner OF deciding for or against the
appropriation would seem 10 he, not only the
most legitimate but most equitable mode for
reaching q Just conclusion In the premises. Our
legisiators, in council convened, are naturally
supposed 10 be not alone more Gu 6Iut but much
more reliable exponents OF the popular will than
az pSae ga,ssTs % anJ PATE
quite certain our public finances should be
neither parsimonio1sly withheld nor layishly
squandefed by those not directly responsible to
the people for their acts.
Q. In regard to any peounlaTy benefits result
ing from the Inauguration our citizens will alone
be the recipients thereof, and hence alike their
honor and interests are involved In the verdict
their duly constituted authorities may render
irrespective Of the "wlse saws and modern In
stances OF newspaper correspondents, who are
quite often, like Uncle TOby's grandmother, "no
better than they should be-" Aside from this
view Of the questlon-ifthe cost Of the inaugura-
tlOn should be raised by voluntary subscriptions,
many contributing little or nothing, w, pront
4
| the interesting occasion. Per consequence, the
performances far as our city Is concerned
will be either an ignoble failure, or some few,
not so much given to mlserly Instincts, will be
left 10 toe the marx and foot the bills.
8. Perchance a patent ought 10 issue to GER
tain correspondent Of the Chronics for the astute
discovery, under difficulties, that an "appropn-
alton" IN this behalf "by the Legislature will
tend to defeat appropriations for the District by
Congress" As 4 We can gather grapes from
thorns or ngs from thlatlesl" These possibly
wellmeaning ''sticklers" for rigid economy
should remember that this city Is Just emerging
from the wilderness OF error into the "land OF
former swaddllng clothes, provided they do not
obtrude themselves too much In public, and that
ill-ludged parslmony Is very prone 10 cost more
than II comes TO.
T. To come down to nne dots, II the total cost
Of the city's share In the Inauguration ceremo-
niles he merged In the general tax levy, the
amount per head Of the taxable Inhabitants can
not exceed 10 or 20 cents-a "presAure" no bona
Ede citizen need regret, and which all can well
afford TO bear. suppose II should happen to be
much more, or not SO much. Who's afTald2
This depOnent, a taxpayer, earnestly sOllclts
Gov. Cooke 10 stRlghtway issue his proclama.
ton for an extra session Of the Legislature. l..
saIaries-How Is Itt
EDITOR BEPuBucAM Much Of the discussion
In relation TO the relative pay OF clerks In this
and other cities Is irrelevant for the reason that
the circumstances and surroundings Of Wash
ingtOn are not like any other place In the United
States. The proper questions are: What Is the
cost OF living In Washington, practicnR reason
able economy, for an average family, and should
the Government pay that cost?
Having kept an account OF expenses for sew
orRl years anu able to an0wer the first question
as follows, my family consisting OF self, wife
and two chlldreni Rent t42 per month, twelve
months, taOt; provisions, groceries, gas wash
Ing, $50 per mouth, twelve months, $40; fuel o.,
tSl; interest and wear and tear Of furniture, 500;
schooling and musical instruction, $3.50; clothing
for four, 1900; one daily and two weekly papers
and two magazines, t91; postage %, books $40,
SO; pew rent t2o doctors Tees t2o medicines t20
$40; charities tlb amusements tlb, $50; OCcA-
slOnal repairs, whtewashlng, &c,, sl2; trip 10
New England to see the old folks once In three
years viii cost $3.50, or per year $50; occasional
help about house, $50. Total, o, $50.
The men who think family can be sustained
on less are requested 10 point out the items
where reduction can he made In these ngures.
admit that family Of four can live In two or
three attic rooms, and save thereby twenty dol
lars per month on rent; that they can live on
goldfish, beans and corn bread, aud save few
dollars, and that they can fOr0gO music, charl-
tles, books newspapers and q pew In church;
but Is that the way the United States require
their Ofneers 10 Anbslst at the national capital,
and Is the kind Of men who are wiling 10 we "