National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-01-31

ho NOhlAlllnhAOutIh HIbBVaO w pave
with asphalt nine blocks Of Sixth street
east (threo northeast and six southeast)
at an aggregate cost of S33,021, the prop
erty bounding which on both sides has an
aggregate assessed value of Sl7l ,602.
Eight bloces in the northwest not Sc
lectcd, but taken in evory case at the
present extremity of asphalt OF granite
pavomonts, can be paved with that mate
rial for $320l5, and the aggregate as
sessed value Of the property bounding
tho same is SiI8,20l.
If these eight blocks in tho northwest
be substituted for Sixth street east, the
division OF the appropriation will be-
slIL4oi or 81 per cent.
Northeast aud southeast 17bo3 or "a per cent.
WHY SHOULD THIS SUBSTITUTION NOT BE
MADE2
If made, tho northwest will still receive
only 81 per cent. of tho appropriation,
whom it is entitled to 40 per cent, and
the eastern section will receive "a per
cent, when It is only entitled to 10 per
cent.
But we desire TO point out that IL Is not
inequitable to make comparisons and state
proportions between tho large city divi-
sions taken rs entiretios. In the north
west, for illustration, the owners of prop
tlIg ~ WV puNblOh VI hhO SUI
ton already provided with pavemonts
have direct and peculiar interest in
tho extension Of these pavemonts, with
the natural sequence Of increase of resid-
ence structures and population in the un-
improved or less improved portion TO the
north. The value of property in the
southern portion is largely Influenced by
the extent and character of improvement
in the adjacent northern portion. Ten
years ago X street may be said to have
been the skirmish line in tho north
ward march of building improve
ment. Since then ground values on
that street and in the district south
of IL have more than doubled. No
Intelligent man doubts that the explana.
ton of this increaseis to be found mainly
in tho extensive improvements since that
time made beyond and to tho north. If
any one questions this let i'm imagine
what would BIO the effect upon values to
the south of X street If all the residences
to the north of IL were taken away or
transferred to some other section of the
city. 1t Is not, therefore, o mistake to
say that nine-tenths of those who pay
taxes in the northwest have direct in
terest in the question whether a street
Improvement is to be made north of Mas
sachusetts avenue west or east of the capt.
tol aud, as consequence, we fairly rep
resent the interests of this entire section
in asking that the amount of street i'm
provements within its limits may be
PRoPoRTIoNATE TO THE TAXEs PAID
THEREIN.
One feature of the above comparative
tax table deserves particular attention.
In the northwest, and especially in that
portion wost,of Thirteenth street, the as
sessed values consist largely in value of
ground, Independent of building improve
ments The ground in this section is as
sessed at from four to five times as much per
foot as that portion Of the eastern section
under consideration. In respect to the
equities of individual property owners,
this distinction has no particular import
ance, If one man pays tax upon lot
valued at $1,000 and upon q building
thereon valued at $1,000, and another
upon a lot alone of the same size valued
ats 900, their claims upon an improve
ment fund raised by taxation are equal.
AS the value of the unimproved lot is
based solely upon its supposed desiraDility
as a building site, and as for this reason
alone it is high priced, and so assessed, the
interest of its owner. as we'll as his
equity, in street improvement is not
essentially different in character or de-
| gree from that OF the owner of the lot al
ready improved. But, considering the
general interest of the city as an entirety
there is marked difference in favor of
the high-priced unimproved against the
low-priced improved lot Washington,
being in no sense business city, is de-
pendent for its growth and prosperity
upon an increase of its residence popula-
tion, and largely upon an increase from that
class of persons who do not como here to
make money, but who, having made
money elsewhere, choose to,live at the ma
tional capital on account Of its superior
ATTRAcTIvENEss AS A PLACE OF RES
lDENCE.
| In tho immigration of this class, il is
not the lot owner only, but the merchant,
the mechanic, the laborer, the business
man of every character, who Is interested.
To induce this immigration, the one thing
necessary is to make the city attractive,
and, what is the essential here, that part
of il must, as respects street improve
ments, be made attractive where, for
other reasons, this class prefer TO reside.
As an indication of their selection, there
is no guido SO reliable as the ASSESSOR
books. People do not build high priced
houses on low priced ground, for ground
desirable for first class residences cannot
remain low-priced. Any attempt to con-
troll their selection by discrimination in
the distribution Of q general improve
ment fund is obviously unjust, aud OK
perience shows that the effort would be
futile. Tho elements in choice Of place
for residence are too numerous and com.
plicated to permit it to be forced to any
particular place or in any particular di.
rection by legislation of this character.
Yet, inasmuch as in Washington a first
class street pavement is almost neces-
sity to q tirst-class residence building, il
is easy to sec that improvements Of thii
character may DO materially accelerated
or retarded by the course pursued in ref
erence to street improvements. The man
who has purchased building site for q
handsome residence is not likely to
change its location; but he is likely to
postpone the improvement until
THE NECESSARY STREET FACILITIES ARE
PROVIDED.
Had the appropriation for the present
year been alone in question, we should
have contented ourselves with saying
much less. But as bad decisions, if un
challenged, eventually make authorita-
tive precedents, we have thought il
proper to enter our protest with such dis
cussion as seemed necessary against what
seems to us Especially in connection
with the distribution of the appropria-
tions for the preceding year, q persistent
intention to deprive our section Of the
city of its just share Of those improve
ments. We have no hostility to any soc
ton, and should be pleased to 500 our
beautiful paVements stretch to the East