Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-12-20
LETTERS FROM TIE PEOPLE.
Taxing Church Property,

Editor or the Star II have read your editorial
IN The STAR OF last evening on the subject of
ta&lng church property, and observe that You
advocate such taxation on the ground OF equity,
and that you also claim that newspapers should
De considered as entitled to equal privileges, in
the matter OF taxation, with churches Permit
me to say that, as rule. all church going people
are taxpayers, and II churches are taxed. the
congregations will have to pay the assessments,
thus you would double tax those who are trying
to do right Would you consider this fair7
AS to the comparison between churches and
newspapers, have only to say that for first
class exhibition Of cheek" commend me to a
newspaper man. A SUBSCRIBER
Executive Avenue and Executive
Roads.
Editor Star:-Mr. Editor, thanks to you for
calling attention to the unfinished condition of
18th street in front OF the Treasury. The want
OF attention on the part OF the District officials
to matters OF street distractions is a notorious
and increasing evil In this city. Contractors for
repairing streets, builders, railroad and gas en-
ployes have it all their own way on the streets
as to the amount of time they will take to do a
job and the care they will take TO prevent such
works becoming nuisance to the public. They
will tear up street or obstruct travel with
building and other heavy material, and keep 1t
in such condition to suit their own convenience
Tor months, and there seems to be nobody
authorized or appointed to prevent it. The
thing has become intOlerable, and should be de-
nounced on all hands. l wish you had called
attention to the state of the roadways about the
Treasury and State departments and through
the White lot to the monument grounds. The
road in front Of the State department, south,
has been for two years in a condition actually
unit for travel with any sort OF convenience
1t is at this date so cut up with deep mud holes
that you cannot drive carriage over it without
great care. The road through the Treasury
grounds from Pennsylvania avenue has been
for long time In a rough condition, and at any
time man could gather a CARLOAD of loose
stones from the track. The road down through
the White lot is not safe to-day with carriages,
unless you have gentle horses and skillful
drivers 1t is in a disgraceful condition. Now,
these several roadways constitute the uptown
approaches to Executive avenue, the most popu-
lar and pleasant drive in the city; and, besides,
thousands of tons Of heavy building and other
material are transported over them every
month. These roads are not graded, have
neither side bitches or gravel surface and they
are alternately either beds Of dust or mud. The
wonder is that government contractors and
government officials OF every grade have labored
over these dirty tracks back and forth for two
years without making any effective complaint.
All this Is poor economy and worse taste; and
such condition of things, furthermore about
the White House and executive departments,
Is d1screditable, highly so, to the officials who
have these matters in charge. Have they no
pride in our magnificent public buildings, and
In the reputation of the capital city? II would
seem they are deficient somewhere. b.