The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1888-02-12
MISRULE IN WASHINGTON.
HOW THE COMMISSIONERS "hQUAL-
IzEpS THE VA Rents

Peop,e withsut Auv Trace ef seiG9sv.
errnert-Irre.peusible Authority Lead.
,nr Il. Exteries. Iriustiee. and Oppressien
WASHINGTON, Feb. l0.-It Is sixteen years
since The SUN opened its batteries upon the
Shepherd Ring in this District. pouring the hot
shots OF truth into their strongholds until their
ranks became 80 demoraljzed that they were
obliged to succumb.
It will be remembered that after the inves-
tieation into District affairs In 1874 Congress
established q temporary Government, COM
posed OF three Commissioners from civil lie.
which continued until 1878. when what is called
"a permanent government" was established.
consisting OF W civilian Commissioner and
one officer, not below the rank OF Major. to DO
detailed from the Engineer Corps OF the regu-
lar army.
This form Of government, bad In It's concep-
ton. and badly administered from tho start.
has continued to grow from bad to worse.
There seems to DO but ono remedy for our
troubles, and that is for Congress to stop de-
priving the 100000 people Of this District OF
the rights Of American citizenship.
Our position is most unnatural. 1t IL not q
pleasant thing that for all time the people ofths
District Of Columbia are to have no voice In
the selection OF their local officers, not even a
school trustee, or a word to say as to how their
taxes shall be assessed and collected.
The recent raising Of water rents, or what the
Commissioner term Euualizing Water Rents.
was most outrageous. az well as illegal. for the
law Of Congress, approved June 10. 1879, which
confers upon tho Commissioners "the same
powers. and subjects them to tho same limita-
tons" as the old corporation. respecting the
Potomac water. concludes In those words:
Provided that the water main taxes and water
rents shall b uniform In said District"
In fixing tho water rates the old corporation
provided that stores SHOULD pay a water rent Of
from 90 to so each. No one ever thought OF
twenty Years tn, practice OF the Water once
upon this law. and charge for water only whom
water was used. That such was the, meaning
81 srs .h IS l prov snd b the The int ias. That at t ,hs ls oid % Gity
Councils met every Monday evening for ten
years after the passage Of this act. during which
eyery member Of the City Councils knew how
The. Board OF District Commissioner con-
strned this law, up, to the present year. Just as
their predecessors had construed 1t. But on rails
ing the water rents the past summer they con-
Guided to put a technical construction upon the
law. and proceeded to charge every little toy
they had water fixtures or not, threatening to
cut on the supply OF water from the house ad.
! paIa. TIN 6e' v stsre ts sRlsss s es's Y Iast res sa4 n aps
piled to the courts for redress. which was re-
fused, the decision being. a verbal one. which
the Judge that rendered 1t promised the attor-
ney for the citizens to give in writing, that they
might take, an appeal to the, supreme, Court.
-Four months have elapsed since this decision
that the District Commissioners have q right
to charge one citizen three times as much as an
other for water was rendered, and yet not ono
the Judge who spoke the decision has promised
q dozen times to file it In the Clerks office,
The following. which IL one o., hundreds OF
outrageous Injustice Of tho Commissioner aud
Of the courts In sustaining them:
vi Mes; B 4sslSes h 1t Ip'G an 7 industrious stEest n w. ae Wb.re
honest living BY Keeping a little toy and CON
fectionerv store. The house is but two stories
high. and thirteen feet front. and contains but
four small rooms. Its full assessed value 10
house. the only supply having been from =
hydrant, In the extreme end OF the back yard.
from which Mrs. Kropp states ehe has not
averaged to take over ten gallons. OF water per
entire family Being herself and two Children.
few years ago it was raised to $3.50. which
she continued to pay up to the present year:
IS, $50. and because she would not pay 1t. de-
Commissioner Wheatisy resides In a four
f isp2cvs ssitss.;fs sa ISL hp Thiirti Safh s sla %G 4! "
valuable as thai, OF Barbara Kropp's.i is assessed
at only $500: Last year he was charged 9
1915, an incE.ass Of tl.5O. or about twenty, per
cent. while Barbara kropp. with water only In
the back yard. is charged an increase Of $3.50.
or nearly, three hundred per cent.
tho more clearly understood, / present tho fol-
diagrams: |