The Evening critic., 1882-06-05
wc., E,a rdcaa of roir plny,

ToAc Editor Of The Ercailg Critic:
Your correspondent Mr.. McNamec, says ut
Is the first duty Of the Commissioners TO re.
place thcm Cthe wood pavements) with good
pavemcnts," TO return some consideration for
the taxpayers money. Let us sec how II
works, The West End was provided with wood
paid for out Of the general funds OF the whole
District, Of which, OF course, Capitol Hill paid
It's share. IL has now been x almost ,, ent,Iey yI
mcnts, the whole OF which are paid for out of
the general fund, OF which, OF course, Capitol
HIN again pays Its share. In tho meantime
Capitol Hin gets nothing. Whore is the con-
sideration its citizens get for their taxes?
And that West End says Is Just. Not only thGt,
but, originally, we had good graveled road
ways on the Hill. These the Board OF Works
dug up and cnrted away, leaving us instead
lot OF Dutch gap canals, in which we mire
when wet and suffocate with dust when dry.
For this injury we paid special assessment
taxes, and now West End is Indignant because
we ask 10 have the mud holes oiled up before
they have n second set OF No payements at
public expensei Queer ideas OF justice some
people have.
Then again nc says tho Commissioners deem
II not only an act OF Justice, but "sound busl-
ness sagacity," TO improve the streets "where
capitalists and strangers rush in largo num-
bers." Yes and why do capitalists and
Commissioners, in the Interest OF certain real
estate spectators, spend all our taxes there.
That's whyi one OF them said to friend this
winter that IL he wanted TO mako a strike, he
should invest in lots on New Hampshire ave
nue.; that they had already got the Commits
sioners TO expend about 100000 there, and
were going to get still more this season, and,
sure enough, the pending bill gives them
$26,100 more And that West End thinks is
right and proper, although there is not n
house In half a mile there, and not team q
week passes over I'll
one would naturally suppose that 1t was the
duty OF the Commissioners to spend the money
whore 1t would best accommodate the public,
on the main thoroughfares, and where the
resident taxpayers would be benehtod, In
stead of srendfpg 1t for the special benefit Of
"strangers" and nonresident Capitalists" or
resident real-estate epeculatOrs and rings.
But II seems the West End thinks differently,
and the Commissioners and the Engineer
officers, all Of whom are interested there, seem
to agree with him.
It is very significant fact, that OF the
eighteen executive and engineer officers who
have held position since the District Govern
ment was organized in 1871, all but two
(Messrs. Blake and Cluss) have been appointed
from west OF Thirteenth street and north OF
street north. That charmed circle, the
pool operated, has had 62k per cent, George.
town % per cent. and Mount Pleasant, outside
Of the city, 41o per cent, and all tho rest OF
the District 8 per cent. No wonder the north.
west quarter gets S273,500, TO tho northeast
quarters $4,000 And yet West End says that
is right What does he take us fora set oi
idiots? One would suppose so from the way
he talks.
By the time they get around with the con
templnted improvement OF the streets In the
West End, tho present pavement Will need re-
newing, and they will have to start again oven
the same route; and thus forever will they
travel round and round in that charmed cir.
Gle. OF course West End thinks that Is ali
right. Some of us, however, think differ
entity. CAPITOL HILL.