Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-05-10

ERNAENT-iHE ENORMOUS LOAD OF DEBT UPON
THE PEOPLE HERE-wHAT SHOULD BE DONE IN THE
WAY OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. GROWTH OF
THE CITY-ITs ATTRACTIvENEss.
The House being In the committee of the whole
on the state Of the union to-day, and having under
consideration the bill H. r. No. $3.50 making
appropriations to provide for the expenses Of the
government OF the District OF Columbia for the
fiscal year ending June Goth, 1888, and for other
purposes" Mr.. Ketcham said:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: In calling up the annual apefo-
priation bill to provide for the expenses OF the
government or the District of Columbia for the
fiscal year ending June 30, 1888, beg the indul-
gence Of the committee for a few remarks.
which is less IL than mt the ei esti
mates, and $33,7S0.64 in excess of the approprfa-
ions for the current fiscal year, the increase being
sewers
or the sum to be appropriated one-half is paid
Oy the United states In pursuance Of the act of
congress approved June IL, 1873, providing per-
manent form OF government for the District. and
the other half is furnished by the revenues of the
District from taxation and other sources. These
figures Go not fnclu1e the water department. as
this branch OF the District government is held not
10 De embraced in the law requiring the general
government to pay One-half of the District eX-
penseS. The revenues OF that department, amount
ing to SILL O5050 are sufficient for its support and
for interest and sinking fund on the water debt.
The estimated receipts of the District from
taxes, licenses and minor sources for the coming
year are u, iZ),Slb AZ.
AN ENORMOUS DEBT.
or the whole amount necessary to carry on the
District government, over one-thjrd, or S1213.-
9f.97, is required for interest and sinking fund on
the funded debt OF the District, debt created
chiefly by the territorial government established
by Congress in 1871 and abolished in 1874 The
total debt, apart from the water bonds, which
amount to $4,000, Ia now S21 ,SS3, 45O-an enOr-
nous sum to rest upon district embracing only
q
having a population of less than 100000. The
amount per capita of debt to population is about
sllO and the annual interest and sinking fund
charge is over IS for each man. woman and child
IN the District BY the provisions Of the act Of
assumed bv the e 91s hesoy burden nd5
even this relief - Thought by some to
be generous, but in reality only just
which possesses neither manufactures nor COM
merce, and has but a small store of accumulated
wealth. The amount Of debt PEI. cdpito to DOpu-
latiOn in New York city is In round numbers 500:
In Boston, $40; in Chicago, $50, and in Phiadel-
phla s16 considerable reduction in the interest
burden or the Districts liabilities has been effected
by the 365 loan. which embraces about two-thfrds
OF all the outstanding Indebtedness. The amount
appropriated In the bill for interest and sinking
1und Is the sum estimated by the commissioner OF
the sinking fund as necessary to be regularly pro-
vlded every year under the policy adopted by Con-
gresS four years ago to meet current interest OBJ
legations and extinguish the whole debt by the
time the 3.65 bonds mature iii 1924.
FAIRNESS NOT GENEROSITY.
nave said that the assumption by the federal
government OF one-half of the expenses of the Dis
trict is measure Of fairness only not of generos-
ity. The United States own fully one-half of the
property In the District. The total value of real
estate. when the last assessment In 1880 was made
was s1:9,010,543, of which sSS9J3,O7S was taxable
property; sS3,416,111 United States property, ex-
elusive of streets and avenues in the city of WASH
lngtOn. which comprise about 43 per cent OF its
total area of Clio acres the sole title to which is
vested In the United States, and Sc 34 property
non-taxable other than that belonging to the gov
eminent During the past year the value OF new
improvements added 81 ,525. $40 to the amount of
taxable real estate. The last assessment on per-
sonal property aggregates 1866 272 OF course
there is no valuation Of the personal property in
the possession OF the general government, but If
the whole account could be stated as between the
property or the United States in the District and
that OF private citizens, it would, am confident
appear that the government owns the larger
amount
CONGRESS WAS VERY SLOW
to recognize its obligations toward the District set
apart as the seat OF the national authority, and
placed under the exclusive control of the national
legislature. Until the adoption of the present
form of local government but little was con-
tributed from the United States Treasury towards
District expenses except for the improvement OF
streets around public reservations and the support
OF charitable institutions, and what was given
was doled out without system or regularity.
so Inc C city OF Washington was laid out upon
nation; but for nearly three-uuarterS of a century
the realization OF the plan was left almost eXc,,-
SlEely 10 Scantv population, whose means were
wholly inadeGU atS TO the task OF improving and
Deautlfylng the br ,ld streets and st itey avenues
? 10 tne time when the territorial government OF
lol came into existence the capital was but
Wretchedly equipped with the ordinary city cOnye-
nlences OF paved streets, sewers, sidewalks, gas
and water.
TOO HEAVY BURDEN.
That government went to work to supply the OBJ
vious needs OF the city, but without due regard to
the capacity OF the people to sustain the burden of
heavy debt need not here discuss the merits
and dement's OF the system they set on foot. 1t is
sufficient to say that while the general plan was
in the main, wise and far sighted the magnitude
of the work undertaken ct the outset was SO great
that without the cooperation OF the general gov
eminent financial difficulties were inevitable.
one or the heaviest items OF District expenses in
late years mas been FOR replacing the decayed
wooden pavements, represented by millions of
debt, with durable substitute. Washington NAV
now boast OF being
THE BEST PAVED CITY ON THE CONTINENT
but IT has attained this position at great cost
Many OF the first payementS were hardly COM
peted before they became an impeachment instead
OF an aid to travel. Twenty-four miles of almost
impossible wooden pavementS have been renewed
with asphalt or stone since 1875 leaving about ten
miles for future work to complete the renovation
OF the wood paved streets.
In 1874 Congress abolished the complicated and
costly territorial scheme OF government and put in
Its place the simple system Of a commission COM
posed OF three members vested with full authority
to manage the affairs OF the District This svstem
with some notifications, was made permanent by
the act OF 1873, which at the same time assumed
on behalf Of the general government, one-half OF
the total annual outlay OF the District Including
interest and sinking fund charges. Four years
experience under what is known as the permanent
government act has shown the system it provides
TO be comparatively economical and efficient and
to amply meet the needs OF Washington as the
national capital
THE SUFFRAGE QUESTION.
The only objection urged to this system Is
against its principle rather than It's operation
1t has no connection with popular suffrage
and thus appears to violate the most essential
feature OF our political institutions The citizens
or the District OF Columbia vote for no public Off
GERS The laws they obey are made by Congress,
and their execution is placed in the hands OF Com
mi5slOnerS named by the President All minor
Offices are filled by the Commissioners so that
the local government at no point touches or de-
pendS upon the Will OF the governed. This Objec-
ton may seem theoretically to be a grave one
but 1t has but little practical weight The people OF
the District are apparently satisfied with their
present form OF government The tax-paying
classes, at least seem almost unanimous In its
IaVor ana nave no desire TO revive the costly ex-
pertinent or suffrage and local legislation which
the commission government displaced.
Ii should be borne In mind by those who are dis
posed 10 think the citizens of the District unstly
treated because they have no voice through the