National Republican., 1882-11-27
EAsr AND sourH WASHINGTON.
why These SECTIONS Of the city should he
Observation-Disclosures Discrimination.

why These Sections Of the city should he |
Represcnted-UnIust Discrimination.
To the Editor of THE REPUBLICAN,
As shown by the official records there have boon
twenty executive officers appointed since the for
nation Of the so.called District government in |
1871, including government board Of works, COM
missioncrs, and engineer officers. OF these eigh-
teen Tor nnc-tentbs) have been appointed from |
west of Thirteenth street west and north ofG street
north Taking account of the length OF time the
different parties held their position the apportion
ment has been about as follows Georgetown has
had "a per cent. Mount Pleasant, 4; the West
End" west Of Thirteenth street, 6s; he eastern
part of northwest quarter, A. and East and South
Was hington, OF
STREET IMPROVEMENTS.
The expenditure Of the money for street im-
proveme nts has been in about the same ratio. For
instance the appropriation for the present fiscal
year, in round numbers is about as follows: For
the northwest quarter, $40 900; southwest $1,000
southeast, s2l0OO, and northeast $780, And OF
this 800 not cent is spent cast south Of the
Capitol, it being the half Of $1,000 expended on
North Capitol street. In the vicinity of the Gov.
eminent Printing 0hleeIa street that is g. not y and
more and Ohio Railroad and its depot -Four.
teenth street. although having concrete pave
ment on one side all the way TO Boundary, has II
| applied on the other side tljs year, while East
| Capitol is not completed TO Lincoln Park ON one
side New Hampshire avenue, on which about
$4,000 had previously been expended, gets s2i 900
| moro this year, while Maryland avenue, ON which
there is hundred times rs mucn travel, gets not
| n cent. And these are but samples Of all the rest
In South Washington it is but little If any better
and in addition to that, the streets are blockedup
| by the Baltimore and Potomnc Railroad, which
has greatly incommoded the citizens and injured
their property.
THE WATER SUPPLY.
The same discrimination has prevailed in re-
gard to the water supply. Even when Congress,
by act of June 10, 1879, Appropriated $4,000 to
increase the water supply OIL Capitol Hill, the
| Commissioners refused TO eNpend the money, aud
it actually lay in the Treasury uncalled for for
three year,. and until 1t lapsed all bpt sGlL2S,
which was expended for the benefit Of private
citizen in violation of law. Instead Of increasing
the supply on the Hill 1t has been decreased.
The official reports show that during the past
| three years water. mains have been laid aud paid
for out of the public funds in round numbers
follows: In the northwest quarter 10000 feet; in
the southwest quarter, over 4,O9O ieet; IN the
quarter, sSb feet During helast year not foot has
been laid i'll the northeast, and this season the au
thoritcS refuse to lay any unless the citizens Will
advance the funds to DO It, although Congress ap-
propriaied this year over $4,000 10 lay water
zens desiring TO build must build their own sewers
or go without, though thousands of feet nave
been laid i'll the northwest.
ASSESSMENTS
But still worse If possible is the injustice in refer
ence to the assessments on which the taxes are
collected. There has been no assessment since
1873. and in eonsequonee Of the expenditure OF
property has quadrupled there, while as the IS
SCISSOR says, ut has decreased in the east and
southeast" AS ilustl alton he states that
twenty squares between Fifteenth and Twenty
first streets and NJ ana p streets now assessed
at an average value Of thirty eight cents per foot,
while II is well known that the present value
would exceed l.S0, which value is calculated from
recent actual salts." While, therefore, the owners
OF property in the favored northwest quarter pay
taxes at but about one fourth of the actual value
Of their properly, those in East and South WASH
ingion pay on theirs at the original full value, al
though, according TO the assessor, has decreased
about % per cent. In other words, the citizens Of
East and south Washington pay about fve times
as much taxes. in proportion to the value of their
property, as do those in the favored northwest.
NO FAIR-NINDED PERSON
can justify such Discrimination and that it is the
direct result OF making all the appointments from
that one section is as clear as that effect follows
cause Can any one wonder that the citizens in
East and South Washington are becoming aroused
at such treatment? 1t is simply outrage Gus. Even
Lieutenant HoXie In his report for 1875 states that
the new buildings spring up along the line of the
improved streets, and the work is hardly COM
menced before the alterations of the old buildings
arc taken In hand to enlarge and improve them. "
And then he adds: I" Aud the buildings have fol-
lowed almost exclusively the line of the improved
Streets" Where then is the justice of extending
) all the money in one particular section? Why no
divide II equally in the four sections?