National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-05-22

cubic yard for 23il7 cubic yards Of grading, unde
the pretense OF extra allowance for dificulty 0
excavation Isa sader the railroad tracks whereas
even II there were difficulty In that respect, 4
extended to less than 3 third Of the total excavs
ton on the street; and yet the extra allowanc
board ebrss M 81 mn ae ny tbs s 81 IN
Suen plain departures from law and from RICH
need no commentary beyond their explicit state
ment.
With respect to certain minor abuses which e
to make up the aggregate extravaganza, oppret
sion, wrong and folly in every department Of I'D
Board Of Public works down to transactions Q
| the underlings in office, II is only necessary
advert briefly to the evidence spread all over tn
| less be remembered by the committee, touching
| the extravagant prices paid for sodding ard park
/ ing, and the utterly inadequate manner In whic
| the work was performed, ms compared with tn
| dead and VIGOROUSLY neglected letter Of tn
specifications Of contract In those respects; to tn
price Pa,d odS Ss tsseI1 ana ma
not larger than those with which yultures built
their nests in the forest, and therefore quite ap
propriate for the small vultures Of the city 0
Washington to frame their snug nests Of profit
under the protecting shade Of the Board OF Pabli
| Works. Twenty-six and o half miles of wooden
fencing, at cost of about as 900, upon which tn
contractor realized profit of over 1000, chsrg
| ing and being paid by the Board Of Publ
Works about sss 900 for the worthless job. Use,
evidence Of H. W. Coulton, at page 646.) In
dividual citizens, in instances too numerous t
mention, have been oppressed with double charges
and oyercharges for improvements and assess
case OF R. I Bell p oss, in respect to q charge o
$297.20 for lowering water-mains, when no lower
ing was done; the case Of Thomas Evans, p. 1l3o
charged on equal properties side by side, for ex
actly the same matter-on the one lot $3.50; OF
the other, 500 %. Also the case of John Wilson
the fact was that he had recently laid q pavement
at his own expense, OF the best material and upon
the exact grade.
He LETT his house in the morning; in the evening
q
rails all sbstracted, and another pavement Of The
poorest kind and worst quality OF work, substi
tuted in its place. Similar instances might be
multiplied to an indefinite extent, but they are
needless in an argument. So, also. as the com
mittee will remember, on numbers Of streets gen.
eral assessments were made and tax assessment
issued moro than year ago, bearing ten per cent
interest against property holders, which general
assessments included many thousands OF dollars
planted. Indeed this matter was SO obvious Of
proof that the respondents were forced to admit
the charge to the extent as alleged, making the
poor excuse that they meant to do the work here
after without further expense to the property
holders. But pass from the detail OF individual
grievances, spread broadcast though they be,
hardly and oppressivety upon people in humble
circumstances, who have preferred to submit to
imposition in silence rather than waste their time
in efforts to obtain redress at the hands OF on
cials who either rebutied applicants for relief
with rudeLess, or sont them from one department
iSS thew sbnpdcned the fruitiess CUES. for ius-
tce. IL use the language Of one Of the witnesses.
Mr.. Bell, p. oo3: "lf could have gone in and
represented this case before the board like can
here, and like could before the old government,
/ would have done it; but the Board Of Public
Works pere locked up"
Let US now consider the general burden upon
the entire community which little more than Two
and half years of bad government have entaied
upon them. By turning 10 the computations made
accounts laid before the committee by the officers
Of the District government, It appears that the
aggregate expenditures Of the District govern
together, since une 1871, have been S2 34303
Crediting that sum with the appropriations made
by the bounty Of Congress of s., 59 Sl04s, leaves
District OF sa3, "a, 5S255 When to That is added
the debts of the old corporations, Of o. 1871,
the sum makes s27, 574 T@65. OF this last amount,
general taxes, payment of per cent. assessment
and per cent. Improvement certih-
oates, there have been realized s. 100 92772 which
educted leaves the present debt Of S2 LOT 1913 9S
How far this result may be an accurate exhibit of
the true Indictment brought upon tho people, rs
it in point Of fact stands to-day no man can tell.
1t Is certainly correct computation from the
only accessible data which have been furnished.
And II probably falls much below the true amount
which would appear IL all the elements were fnr.
nished by those who alone possess the sources Of
information. The committee will remember that
the computations found on page 47e we're furnished
on the 2ith 81 oiarch by myself and that the Dis
make o comparative statement Of their own, and
instead of so doing they furnished through their
naked statement of receipts from ali sources, and
up to the present hour they have never ventured
an ineligible statement OF aggregate expendt-
lures and Of existing liabilities. Perhaps, when
too late for scrutiny or correction garbled ex-
hibit may be made. But ask why this studlous
why II their transactions will bear
the light Of day, is their hesitation or delay in
rendering a strict account, why that mystifcafion
)f accounts in vague and ambiguous fragmentary
statements scattered through the answer Of the
IAN~a a1nr iii
reliable balance? |
The resolution of Congress creating this com |
nittee expressly charged it TO inquire into the |
lctual cost of all the improvements made, tho |
AMOUNT agreed to be paid therefore, and the ex- |
sting indebtedness on account thereof: and yet at
he end Of three months from the date Of that |
we are without positive and definite |
Information. II the rule Of evidence and the |
principle OF morals expressed in the bankrupt |
aw, which refuses q discharge to any bankrupt |
Who has concealed any books or writings relating |
o his estate, or has destroyed, mutilated altered
" falsified any Of his books, documents, papers,
writings or securities be sound, the corollaries |
rom the rule and principle are surely applicable |
% the governing body Of the District OF Oolum-
'is. They are improyident bankrupts and faith |
ess public agents, and not entitled to an honor
lble discharge at the hands OF this committee or |
# Congress. More than twenty-five millions OF
iebt when the supreme power which gave them
icing has solemnly declared that the entire debt
Il the District OF Columbia, old and new to-
Sether, shall never exceed ten millions. And, an
he Light Of these facts, shall We stop to argue
Ipon detailed evidence the question Of extrafs-
;ance and guilty profigacy? shall we stop to ask
1t be just or prudent or tolerable any longer to
ontinue power in unworthy hands? And are We
be deluded by the false comparison Of the ratio
rofIgate expenditures Of New York city, so
auntingly exhibited In evidence by Alexander
!; SHEPHERD n within the past few days GP 1874,
Or the District o debt Of $500, 25l.lsH Had he
resented o calculation based upon the So 900 900
{ debt, he would have exhibited q rate Of debt Of
mar IN nf INV raln tuad DAN |
. America, and, as compared with the ratio in
Few York of S144.34 1t Is en- 90 in excess per |
am glad that he has offered the comparison;
1t him and his administration be judged by the
.andard.
Now, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, o word
Justice, and It's utter illegality. In the FIRST
lace, the division into five sewerage districts is
OF natural or inst division Of territory with re-
&c adopted IN the act. The eastern and Southern
alf Of the fifth district has natural or artfi-
al drainage connection with the Tiber creek
a, both east and south, and all its drainage
lust find an outlet along that branch of the Pc
'mac. The arbitrary division into five districts,
Nh division, is, therefore, unjust, even upon the
5nHR f 8 gSsod9 tss 10 Il saSy Snd
1duEe 4: It amounts to absolute oOPiscatiOn n
lousands Of others. For example, take p. 73l,
7. H. Phillips 80 lots, total value Is 593 sewer
X 3,092; p. 73l, W. H. Phillips, trustee, lots,
alus sl55 900, sewer-tax $3.50; p. rs, A. N. T.
icharis, squares, value sl5,00O sewer-tax
900; pp 1872, iss, W. B. Todd, lots and squares,
llue so, 900, sewor-tax s52e54.s5 P. Tis, w. q.
ord, lots, value sl9,450 sewer-tax *7,909.3l; be-
des special Improvement tax and water tax Of
], 1854; total tax 81, s47.T2
Now, as to the legality Of that tar. / shall not
peat, but simply refer to the argument made by
Ir. Shellabarger, adding this one proposition, |
hich seems to me, apart from all other considera-
ons, Conclusive Of the question. 1t has not been
zen averted to in the opinion given by Messrs.
lack and Gushing. They have argued exclu-
vely upon the general terms OF the twentieth
'ction Of the organic law. authorizing the Lsgis
ture to assess special taxes in particular wards,
ctons districts for their particular local i'm
rms Of the thirty-seventh section, which gives q
,ntrOl Of the streets, avenues, alleys and sewers
the city to the Board OF Public Works, and c
rescribes that they shall disburse, upon warrant,
i moneys appropriated collected from prop | 1
'ty-holders In pu suance Of law for the improve
ads and bridges, and shall assess in such man /
,r as shall be prescribed by law upon the prop {
ty adjoining and to be especially benefited by '
lie improvement, reasonable proportion OF the O
st Of improvement, not exceeding one third Of '
eh cost, which sum shall be collected as all '
her taxes are collected. Now, as the control of
wers is placed in the same sentence with streets
aced in the same Sentence with the power to {
lprove streets and avenues, and with the power O
make assessments, and the Limitation OF the n
te OF assessment to one third the cost Of the i'm
ovement how does IL follow that there can be I
different rule and rate Of taxation for sewers il
om those for streets and ayenuesi Gan human T
genuity suggest dlference2 The property to c
suecinliY benehtod bv fmDroye - n hnr. 4