Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-12

In Opposition to the Bill Offered by
De Almond.
THE PAST AND THE PRESENT
The enactment Of the De Almond bill
Withdrawing the so per cent contributed to
the support of the District government by
the general government would create a de-
fcit of s., 594.O12 This could only be re-
duced by closing the schools, dismissing
the police, stop street repairs and improve
ments or suspending payment Of the inter-
est Of the funded debt"
These are the deductions arrived at by
the special committee. composed of Gen.
VIM. Birney, NJ. I. Weller Archibald Green
less. E. p Berry, ]. w. Somerville, w. L.
Cole and Gen. Ellis Spear, to which was in
trusted the duty of drafting a memorial to
Congress against the De Almond bill. Rep
resentatives of nine citizens associations of
Washington met in parlor E Of the Ar
lington Hotel last night to listen to this
report.
The following were present: East WASH
ington Associations. w. Babson. NJ. 1.
Weller. Gen. VIM. Birney, A. F. Sperry.
Northeast Washington Association-Evan
H. Tucker. ]. w. Frizzell. Walter A. John
ston. A. H. F. Holstein.
Georgetown Association-F. l.. Moore, c.
G. Boteler. G. W. King.
Anacostia Association-J W. FOLSOM R.
B. Buckley, Carl W. Smith.
Mt. Pleasant Association-Jas. W. Somer-
vile. T. s. Exley. F. L. Campbell, n. E.
Young. st. G. Raby.
Brightwood ciation-w. A. Galley, A.
s. King, T. L. Lay.
South Washington Association-O. T..
Thompson, J. Harrison Johnson, J. N.
Birckhead.
Takoma Observation-Disclosures Bien.
Brookland Association-J. A. Massie.
In the absence of Chairman Spear Mr..
G. G. Boteler Of the Georgetown Associa-
ton. the vice chairman, called the meeting
to order. A reading of the minutes by the
secretary, Mr. Evan HTucker. followed roll
CALL which showed twenty-seven present,
representing the executive committees of
nine citizens associations. The chairman
called for reports of committees. Under
the call Gen. VIM. Birney arose and stated
that the special committee to which the
De Almond bill was referred for report was
ready to submit its report. He was invited
The rNcts stated.
The reading of the report, which was in
the form of a memorial to Congress, occu-
pied large part Of an hour, but it was an
interesting document and intently listened
to. The report is as follows:
To the Senate and House of Representa-
tiyes of the United States of America in
Congress assembled: This memorial show
eth: In the act Of June IL, 1878, giving a
permanent form Of government to the Dis
trict of Columbia, ii is provided that the
District Commissioners shall annually sub
nit, the Secretary of the Treasury revise,
and the Commissioners transmit to Con-
gress, estimates of the amounts necessary
to defray the expenses Of the District OF Co.
lumbia To- the next fiscal year and TO the
extent to which Congress shall approve of
said estimates, Congress shall appropriate
the amount of fifty per centum thereof: and
the remaining fifty per centum Of such APP
proved estimates shall be levied and as
sessed upon the taxable property and priv
ileges in said District other than the prop
erty of the United States and Of the District
of Columbia"
The above law was adopted at time
when the relations of the District and the
capital city of the United States were fully
understood. Five years of successive in
vestigations by Congress- conducted by its
best talent and resulting in four large vol
umeS Of reports numerous debates in the
House and Senate and constant discussion
by the public press, had made the whole
nation familiar with District affairs. The
law Of 1878 was the expression of thorough
" Informed congressional wisdom and was
accepted by the intelligent minds of the
country as an equitable adjustment of a
question which had been left for eighty
seven years without definite settlement.
Not Adhered to.
But the membership of Congress has
greatly changed since 1878, and the facts
then familiar to Senators and Representa-
tives are remembered by only few. 1t is
chiefly to new members We owe the pass
age of laws ignoring the annual estimates
and charging the District revenues with
half the expenditures for improvements not
municipal but national, such as the one of
April 30. 1890. making the District respon-
sible for half the current expenses of the
Geological Park; the one of September 20,
1890. making the District responsible for
StaW.0OO, half the purchase money of the
Rock Creek Park, and for half the annual
expenses of its maintenance; the one of this
Congress, placing upon the District the
whole expense of opening North Capitol
street to the Soldiers Home: and the one
of March . 1893. providing for the extern
sion of the Washington city plan of streets
and avenues over the suburban part of the
District, at the sole cost of the District
and private owners of land. All these are
departures from the text and the principle
of the law of July IL, 1878.
Last year siXty-one members of the
House voted to reduce the annual appro-
priation in question from ~ to 20 per cent
and. at the present session, Mr.. DeArmond
i'm bill No. 4562. proposes to repeal alto
gether the 80 per cent appropriation laws
The enactment of this bill would throw
upon the $1,000 taxpayers of this District
the whole expense of local improvements
and administration. and would exempt from
taxation, it's equivalent, more than half
the real estate values in the District limits
Such a system is without precedent, and in
the limit of experience and existing facts
must be pronounced an impracticable va
gary Mr. Diamonds bill to remove the
capital is it's companion piece.
The Financial Phases.
We propose to pass in review the differ
ent methods used since 1857 by the national
government for the regulation of its finan-
cial relations with the capital city, to add
a statement of existing conditions and to
conclude with n presentation of the conse
quences of the innovation proposed by Mr.
DeArmOnd.
/. First period: 11S7-1I01-Congress shall
have power Ito exercise exclusive legisla-
ton in all cases whatsoever. over such Dis
trict mot exceeding ten miles square) as
may, by cession of particular states and the
acceptance of Congress, become the seat Of
the government Of the United States,'
(Const. Art ]. sec. 81 New York, PennsyI-
vania and MARYLAND ere each willing to