Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-06
CITIZENS HEARD
The District Bond Issue Discussed
Before the House Committee.
THE SEWER and STREET EXTENSION
Views of tho District Commissioners
and of Citizens.
THE SSING NEE D

THE PRESSIN ED
The House District committed today COM
menced the consideration of the bill author
izing the District to issue bonds for the
purpose of carrying out proposed sewer
extension and street Improvements. The
action today was in the form Of a hearing
given to the District Commissioners aid
other citizens upon the merits Of the bill
1t is a series of hearings which the COM
mittee will give. in order to arrive at a full
and complete understanding of the wishes
of the citizens in the premises. The hear
ing today was attended by a number of
| citizens, among whom were Commissioners
Ross. Truesdell and Powell, Mr.. b. H.
Warner. Mr.. S. W. Woodward, Mr. c. c.
Glover, John Joy Edison, John II. Magruder.
c. c. Duncanson. w. Riley Deeble Theo-
dcre w. Noyes, w. c. Dodge, ]. w. Friz-
zell Evan H. Tucker and others.
Commissioner Ross opened the discussion.
He aid that about five years ago Washing
ten was visited by disastrous freshet, the
results of which are still apparent in suits
| being brought against the District, aggre-
| eating many thousands of dollars, for
| damages incurred by the freshet.
| Shortly after the hood a board of sanitary
into cor sideration the entire question Of an
adequate sewerage system and protection
TO the city against foods. The commission
made report recommending the plan.
The orly question now is how to carry out
the plan. Capt. Powell estimated that with
the present annual appropriations made by
Cor gress IT will take fifty years to complete
the work which has been undertaken with
the sanction of Congress The question
therefore arises whether the District gov
ernment shall continue In the present way
or adopt some plan which will result in the
early completion of the work. He said that
the suburbs had sewers; there are
streets in Georgetown which are not grad
ed, ard there is a plan for the extension
of streets and highways provided by Con-
gress. with no means to carry IT out. 1t is
the opinion of many that before land be-
comes too valuable to be acquired at rea-
sonable rates for the extension OF the high
ways the property should be acquired now.
by the Issue of Bonds.
To do this It is proposed to issue bonds to
run fifty years at per cent interest. There
is no reason why this municipality should
not have the same privilege as others and
provide system of Improvement and place
a part of the burden OF II upon future gen.
erations.
Chairman Heard suggested that the main
question at issue is the one Of bonds The
bill provides that while the bonds be is
sued by the District the government shall
pay one-half of the interest. 1t is there
Il Il.
Glover explained that the language Of the
bill in this respect is almost precisely the
language used in the act authorizing the
issue of 3.G5 bonds issued by this District.
Commissioner Truesdell then addressed
the committed He said that this bill con-
templates carrying out to completion the
projects which are already under way. and
authorized by existing law. The sewerage
plan has been partlx carried out by the
joint appropriation provided by Congress.
If the work goes ON in the ordinary way
tie appropriations viii be made by Con-
gress from year to year, and the govern
ment Will pay one-haf of the cost. Now
this work is OF such magnitude and i'm
portance that citizens feel it would be more
economical for the government to provide
the means at one time To complete a system
to which Congress has committed itself
II should be done now, when materials are
cheapest and when the labor cost is lowest
II the work is conducted by piecemeal a
great deal of it will be destroyed.
The HaIf-nnd-HaIf Provision.
Mr.. Truesdell said that the medical So
ciety has found that many epidemic dis
eases rage In this city to a greater extent
than in some other cities, which should
not be the case. Physicians of the society
have prepared charts, showing the local
tiles in which the diseases occur. and
demonstrating that to a considerable ex-
tent they are the result of defective sew
erage and drainage and defective pumps
the committee, read their report and eX-
hibit the charts. which will present the
strongest reasons for better sewerage. As
to the question of bonds, IL is inmaterial
whether the government pays one-half of
the investment in the way of 4 sinking
fund or pays half of the apprcDria tion in
the usual method from year to year.
Mr.. Cooper OF Florida called Mr. TrueS-
delrs attention to the existing law providing
that the government shall stand no part of
the expense of the street extension in the
suburbs He said that under the pending
bill the United States would pay onc-half
Mr.. Truesde replied that this is one of the
important provisions of the bill. TIE act OF
Congress providing for the extension OF
suburban streets and highways was passed
under peculiar circumstances. II went
through the Senate without any question as
to the United States paying its half of the
expense. but opposition arose in the House
The session was a short one, the bill was
important, and there was not opportunity
to explain TO the House the justice of the
United States paying its share of the cost
just Arrangement.
1t was found that the bill. which was the
result of several years study and prepara-
tion was about to fail unless passed with a
condition that no Fart should be paid by the
United States. There is on the part of many
new members of Congress, who have not
investigated the relations between the
! United States and the District the feeling
that the United States is outraged in paying
q portion of the expenses of the District
But he felt that this question had been
thoroughly discussed and the justice Of the
United States responsibility thoroughly es-
tabliShed.
Mr.. Cooper asked IL the United States
owned any land in the vicinity of these
proposed highways Mr.. TrUeSdell answered
that the government owned vast amount
and was constantly increasing its holdings
Congressman Harmer suggested that the
United States owns nearly fifty per cent Of
the land in the vicinity of the proposed i'm
provemcnt. and Mr.. Trucsdell acquiesced in
this statement.
| Congressman Abbott asked about the rate
of taxation in the suburbs.
Mr.. Truesdell replied that all property in
the suburbs, save portion of agricultural
land in remote places, pays the same rate
of taxation as city property. Mr.. TrueS-
dell said there is no good reason why the
United States should not bear its portion Of
the expenses incurred in carrying out the
highway act. The Commissioners feel that
in presenting this bill II is proper that it
should provide for the money being ax-
pended jointly by the United States and the
District and to this extent the bill sus-
pendS the highway extension act
| He said the Commissioners can submit
figures that will establish in the minds of
every one the justice of the United States
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