The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-06-18
ON DISTRICT DAY.
There Are Great Times in the
House,
When District of Columbia Mat
tiers Are Discussed.
SOME BIG SCH EMES.
BIG SCHEMES.
A Plan to Establish a Great
National Exposition.

WASHINGTON, June Especial -
District day, which comes around once a
month, has of late been regular field day
in the house, because almost every bill af-
fecting the District involved some great or
long disputed principle in government,
and while one member is frantic lest the
District be imposed on another is perfect
ly willing to try experiments here for gen
eral application elsewhere. There are now
pending schemes to establish a great ma
tional exposition so that all visitors, espe-
cially foreigners, may see the products of
all the states here; to construct a vast
boulevard and vast bordering park clear
around the city. to establish the biggest
water filter in the world and make the
muddy Potomac fluid clear alcohol; to
establish a great electric plant on new and
original principles for the instruction of
the world and finally to issue bonds to the
extent of 81, 500, 900 to complete the sewer
age system of the city and vicinity. Yet
all these momentou5 subjects have not ex-
cited as much interest or, at any rate, such
furious discussion d little bit of a prop
osition concerning the police pension
fund. For, 10, these many years certain lit
tie sources of revenue have been given to
this fund, and at present 10 disabled po-
1icemen, 80 widows and % children are
supported from it at a monthly cost of ST.,
6S5. The proposition of the committee
was to set aside certain liquor license fees
in order to sustain this annuity.
The Liquor Question.
OF course there was disturbance. Those
people who think any license to sell liquor
a mortal sin were on the points of their
hoofs at once, and even some of the advO-
Gates of license thought it of doubtful pro-
priety When the matter got into the
house, Mr.. Coombs made an interesting
statement on the experience of Brooklyn,
which, as he thought, had proved it very
unwise to connect this fund or any other
fund in which the police are interested
lice have to deal directly with the enforce
ment of the liquor license law.
Mr.. Dingley of Maine claimed that the
district attorney had recently rendered
decision which was nothing less than
deliberate attempt to override the law,
and other members pointed out that the
plan of diverting revenues was un-Ameri-
can, undemocratic and all the other
things that are bad in fiscal science. They
wanted all the revenues to go into the
treasury first and then be voted out to the
special purposes, as required Having
thus discussed the relations of temperance
and the police, whisky and political econ
omy, the house fell next upon the great
and practically inexhaustible subject of
civil pension list. Mr.. Holman got into
such state of mind that he seemed to be
almost shedding tears he implored the
members not to enter upon such policy
as that of civil pensions, and Mr. Cox of
Tennessee backed him up with an argu-
hcemen would carry with it that of civil
pension list made up of superannuated
and disabled employees in the depart
ments-
Tom Reed Looms Up.
When the Democrats had worked them
selves into really painful state of mind,
Tom Reed, as usual, doomed upon the
scene. He introduced some new lines of
discussion on the general subject of gov
ernment and of the country duties to this
0fcfr- f.1r Int r1cI r1ra-~
agreeing substantially with Mr.. Holman.
He feared that if a civil pension list were
once started it would grow into an abuse
as government employees spend all they
make, and each head of department is
confronted with the alternative of keeping
old men who are past their usefulness or
throwing them oct on the world as objects
of charity. He suggested an entirely new
plan of paying department clerks-that
they should start with very low salaries
say $500, and that be steadily increased
with length of service to SO, 500 or 81, 600,
and that these salaries should be taxed, at
an increasing rate if you like, to create
fund for the superannuated. IF, - said he
these clerks won't save enough to sup
port them in their old age, the govern
ment must do it for them AS it is, in
the revenue marine service we have a force
of old and disabled men drawing full sal
aries and retarCling the promotions of
younger men. There may be propriety in
pensiCning policemen as we do soldiers,
but 10 extend the policy would be bad
Mr.. Reed was listened to with even more
than tho usual attention, and after some
moro spirited controversy the bill was
committed
That there should be so much time Civ
en- in great national legislature to a mat
ter so trihing in itself would be ridiculous
were 1T not that every member instructive
" suspects a job or the introduction of an
entering wedge to some great scheme in
almost everything that is proposed for the
District While this heated controversy
was raging in the house the senate was
stirred up, though in much more enter
tanning way, by the same subject. Some
body had stated that Mr.. Quay was pro-
noting scheme by which Philadelphia
nrm could get control of the surface roads
OF Washington, and the matter had gone
lar enough to be the subject of a newspa-
per interview in which Senator Chandler
was represented as criticising the scheme
pretty savagely. Mr.. Quay made a re-
markably good humored explanation Of it
as a question of personal privilege and vet
managed to leave Mr.. Chandler in a rather
uncomfortable fix, so the latter declared
that he had not assailed any senator, and
the whole matter was referred for investi-
cation to the Gray sugar bribery commit
tee, to the great amusement of the Demo-
Gratis.
City improvements.
The grand scheme for boulevard and
bordering park is not yet in shape to be
put into bill, but the citizens commit
tee, which has it in charge, presents
beautiful plan The whole fat along the
eastern branch of the Potomac is to be
turned into park, and from the northeast
end of it the boulevard is to turn west
ward and then SOuthxvarf7 AGAIN CONNECT