The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1886-08-01

Is destroyed.
This has been a poor session of Congress for |
speculator in District franchises. The gas
speculators fell into their own trap, and the
cable railroad men ologged the wheels of
District legislation TO no purpose.
We believe the time has come when the |
District Commissioners should purchase
school textbooks at wholesale prices and
sell them to parents at cost. The yearly
tax for school books, sold as they are, at ex-
orbitant profits, ia very onerous one.
There have been deficiency bills covering
all classes of Indebtedness, except one. II
has never yet been necessary to provide a
deficiency for the payment of the salaries,
mileage, and stationery account of members.
They never practice two cent economy on |
themselves.
Those must bs India-rubber lules Of the
Senate which allow an amendment to def
cheney bill providing for the payment of a
years unearned salary to the heirs of de-
funct legislator, and at the same time forbid
an amendment providing for the usual extra
months pay for living legislative employees.
The Lincoln-Grsnt memorial bridge meets
with universal favor. II has been popular
from the first inception of the idea. II com
bines the useful with the beautiful and the
sentimental. The movement will result in
giving US one bridge that will not be dis
grace to the country and the Capital.
There was the usual annual deficiency for
the expenses of United States courts. and
innumerable witnesses as we'll as employees
had to 90 without pay, until the deficiency
slowly fought its way through Congress-. 1t
will be the same next year. The approprla-
tions for the fiscal year ending June 80,
1887, will prove insufficient to run the
courts. This is called ECONOMY" In the
case of an individual It would be called dis
honesty.
tanning the nations guests-f'reign and
domestic-on the occasion of the dedication
of the Bartholdi Statue, can be spent in
drinks, New York will have to raise some
money for the occasion. As the commercial
metropolis is already behind some $3.50, 900
on the Grant Monument scheme, and an I'M
determined amount behind in the proposed
memorial to highlands "Grand old man." it
is expected the guests will have a dry time
OF it,
In the distribution of the District fund for
the relief of the poor the physicians get the
lions share, $3.50, while something over
s3,5o0 goes to the druggists, making $3.50
for drugs and doctors out of an allotment of
$l4, 500. The small balance left of this
amount, viz: s5.74O, is split up into frac-
tional amounts to be used by seven different
agencies. Inasmuch as the doctors and
drug stores get nearly two.thirds of the
amount, it is in order to ask, what allotment
is made for the undertakersf
The Library site jury, it is said, will get
through the condemnation Of property for
that purpose this week OF course no one
can say what their figures will bs. II their
awards, together with those OF the former
jury which have been accepted. 60 beyond
the limit Of S550,O00 fixed in the bill, some
of the propsrty-ownsrs may have to wait for
their money until Congress passes a def
cheney bill. This need not, however, inter.
fere with the work of commencing the new
building, for which the additional sum of
$500, has been appropriated.
1t looks as il there was big job in the
Fortifcstion bill as reconstructed by the
Joint efforts of the Senate Committees on
Appropriation and Ordnance. We want to
see the big guns built at the Washington
Navy Yard. II the Government cannot con-
struct its own guns, It certainly ought to
begin TO try. But the fact Ia they can bs
constructed more scomicaly and with better
satisfaction at the Washington Navy Yard
than anywhere else in this country. This
has been proven by all the testimony that
has been taken by committees and commits
sions.
There Ia great deal of loose talk about
there being big job in the proposed pur-
chase Of three houses on street and New
Jersey avenue belonging to Benjamin +.
Butler. The price set upon them by the
Senate was s275, 900. The Government now |
rents one Of these houses at an annual rem |
tai Of $1,000. 1t would. therefore, be econ.
omy to purchase the three houses. as the
Coast Survey now rents one at the price abo vs
named, and also another building at SIC, 500
per year, while both the Coast Survey and
the Geological Bureau (Which pays 500, 900
per annum rent for the Hooe building) could
be accommodated in the three Butlsr houses.
II the House was swayed by wisdom in
stead Of being influenced by fear, II would
stop its annual quarrel with the Senate over
the Insignificant appropriation of clerks for
Senators, and provide likewise for session |
clerk for every member OF Congress not the
chairman of committee. As II now is |
there is not q member Of either body, who at |
tends to his business, who does not have 10 |
employ a clerk or stenographer, or failing |
that to use the voluntary service OF some
employe Of the House or Senate. In this |
latter way members Of the House who are |
sin" with the Clerk or Doorkespsr manage
10 get their clerical work done for nothing, |
and then sci up the cry Of ECONOMY" AS |
long as they can escape paying any money |
out Of their pocket in this undsrhsnd way |
they will pose as economists at the expense
Of the overworked employees.
II is a striking indication Of the great fu-
ture in store tor Washington, that while the
price Of real estate in other cities is not ad
vancing rapidly, nor holding its own In fact,
yet In Washington prices are stiff, and hold
ers Of real estate are in no hurry to part
with II. While 6ne buildings are In course