Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-08-04

improvements In East Washington
To the Editor Of TIN EVENING STAR
In an interview with committee of gentle
men from East Washington with the Dstric
commissioners, notices of which have an
peared in the city papers,-it was asked by ono
OF the Commissioners. whether the rule for
estimating tor the improvements In East Wash
ipgton should not be largely determined hy their
proportion of annual taxation:"
Allow me TO suggest through the columns Of
your paper. that no such rule has governed In
the past, and none should control in the
future. The enormous debt sadded by
the government upon our people was osten-
sibly TO furnish funds for public improvements.
glance over the city shows where the great
bufk of this sum was expended. The northwest
has had the lions share. and for more than ten
years the other sections have been paying taxes
10 meet the interest on this old debt the ben
etts OF which were SO largely received by the
northwest have also been paving taxes TO
60 into the general Improvement fund on old
anpralsements upon property deprecated
by the neglected condition OF their streets
ana alleys, while the northwest has also
been paying taxes on old appraisements ON
property enhanced I'm value fouIfold ly reason Of
| improvements SO made from the funds repre-
sented by said debt, and carried forward and
perfected from the general Improvement fund,
In East Washington the character of the i'm
provement~ with slight exceptions are greatly
inferior TO those of the northwest In the first
there is not street or avenue flushed UP from
end TO end, and scarcely paved alley. Nearly
everything is in the rough. Just as il was left
over ten years ago by the old board of publio
works, after they had torn up our streets and cut
thein INTO canals to meet the new grades estab-
lished for the soe benefit of the Capitol build
ing.-'to give IL greater elevation" And tho
greater lart OF what dome N last Wush
lngton was under the old rule OF charging tho
adjacent property for supposed "bettermcnts
while the greater part of what has been done Ia
the northwest has been since the change of that
rule, and from funds contributed from the whole
city. While the so-called improvements of East
Washington have largely been positively dam
aging to property, those of the northwest have
consisted in finishing up whole lines OF streets
with asphalt payements sidewalks extensive
sewers, and water and gas mains camplete
And yet the cost of these dana ging excavations
aud tearing up of old grades IN East Washing
ton has been set off against the cost of the high
order of improvements made i'm the West End
| in attempts which have been made to show that
there has been an equality Of eNpendituresl
But the Commissioners ut such interview con-
coded all these causes OF grievance on the part
OF the people OF East Washington, and admitted
that they had been upjustly Disseminated
| against IN the past,-ior which the present Com
! mssoners were not responsible gayo
assurance that full Justice should DO
Gouo eiteW III the future, SO Tar q
their action could make it possible
The people of Capitol Hin feel grateful for these
| assurances and have every confidence I'm the
| Commissioners and the gentlemen I'm charge Of
streets and alleys. But what they fear is that
it may be thought Justice 20 merely set of for
| improvements in this section their proportion
| of annual taxes
| After working for more than ten wears under
the rule that to him who hath shall he given
and from him who hail not shall be taken avnv
l that which liza bafh"--if chs
made by the Commissioners, should il not be to
go clear over to that other and better rule-..do
unto others as ye would they should do unto
YOU"
The West End has been built up and finished
greatly at the expense OF the other sections.
In other words. money has been borrowed from
the common fund to complete her improve
ments. The West End must now contribute to
| bring up the neglected parts of the city to
something like an equality Of benefits The
West End must pay back what she has boz
| rowed during the last ten years and East and
South Washington must get back what they
have been called upon to advance for her ben
eft
1t IL therefore suggested to the Commission
ers that they should not limit the expendi-
lures for improvements in East and south
Washington. to the annual sums they may here.
aIter pay INTO the common fund. This would be
equivalent to saying to those sections after
they have been called upon to thus contribute
to build up the northwest, "Now make your
own improvements from your own impoverished
means, without aid from those whom YOU have
been called upon to assist" This would be
| saving to the northwest, "keep what you have
got. and get what you can" The thing must
be met squarey, and Ii II not time that q
halt should be made i'm estimating for further
improvements in the northwest-so nearly
finished up-and proper attention given
to tho necessities and equitable demands OF
other parts of the city? The people of these ne.
elected portions will never rest satisfied until
benefits are made even. as you and all lust
minds can see they should be made even And
in making estimates, therefore for future I'm
prOyement should the Commissioners i'm auy
manner be limited to the amount of annual tax
contributed 10y the section within which i'm
prorements are to be made? But looking over
the whole field, and considering all things
proper TO be taken into account. should they
not use nearly the whole Improvement fund
available for the purpose, for years 10 come. TO
bringing up the public works in East and South
Washington to something like par with those OF
the West End?
have interest in both East and Northwest
! Washington, but none in South Washington.
August LIST, 1883 SUGGEsToa.
Another Voice for the Sparrow.
To the Editor Of The EvESIsG STAR:
ia 70 fprc ifc tol