Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-26


test.
How the Work should BE Done.
Further. the work is to be done under the
infamous contract system, Of which the
Lydecker tunnel Is an example. Sewers are
finished. accepted and buried, and the
crime of fraudulent work is safe from de-
lection. The bill ought to provide for the
execution of the work under the super
vision of disinterested public agents, as the
only guarantee that the people will not
be SwiEdled by scamped work, and the
employees will not be imported from other
cities and cheated and oppressed after they
are here. The Italian colony of the aQue-
duct times Is not yet forgotten.
The bill introduced had provision
that in making the improvements the
Commissioners should employ as many
persons might be necessary to do the
work speedily and properly, at wages cur
rent at the time in the District" and this
was stricken out before the bill was
ported to the Senate. Why?
The details of the bill we will not criti-
else. except to say that in substance
81 $50 900 is handed over to the Commits
sioners to expend on certain object Is, prac-
tically without restriction, and with such
phraseology that nearly the entire amount
can be applied outside Of the cities Of
Washington and Georgetown. 1t Is such
bill as that if Tammany had the execution
of 1T not one cent on dollar would bene-'
fit the public. Our Commissioners would,
no doubt, spend the money carefully, jul
diciously and honestly. but they wouldn't
have to-"
Concluding with the statement that the
interests he represented desired the ex-
penditure of the money in the inhabited
districts and not where people might per-
haps, live hereafter, Mr.. Bowen stated that
while there were more minor objections to
the bill, he had stated the substantial ones.
In reply to inquiries from President
Warner. he stated that he voiced the Ia
boring interests Of the whole District, the
Assembly n membership
not less than 5000. representing nearly
every trade.
The Boards Action.
President Warner expressed the pleasure
of the board In having heard the visiting
committee. and he extended to them Ger
dial and pressing invitation to become
mem ber5 of the board of trade. Upon the
departure of the committee, motion to go
into executive session was voted, 1t being
explained that as the representatives had
been permitted to listen to the address OF
the visiting committee, they should in all
propriety bs allow ed to remain while the
directors discussed that statement.
Mr.. Moore moved that committee OF
three be appointed to consider and frame
a reply to the statements made by Mr..
Bowen. The motion was discussed for
some time, and. after the number had been
increased to five. the motion was adopted.
The following were appointed members OF
the committee: r. Ross Perry. ]. M. john
ston. Samuel Ross. 8. w. Woodward and
Thos. w. Smith.
In the discussion Mr. Perry made quite
an extended address, which was applauded
as expressive of the views Of the board of
directors.
Mr.. Perry's Address.
Mr.. Perry said: agree that a committee
should be appointed to consider carefully
the communication of the delegation from
the District Assembly of knights of Labor.
want, however, to say few words about
the main points of objection made orally
by the delegation. As / listened to the
words of MIR. Bowen l was indeed. glad
to hear him say that all classes in our city
agreed that something must be done to at
once develop and perfect a general sewage
system here. We all agree that 1t will not
do to let the present fatal condition con-
tinue. We must protect our families and
ourselves from disease. This capital city
est death rate from typhoid fever among
severed cities-a rate pressing close upon
even the unSewered towns.
We start, then, with unanimity. We must
have good ard effective sewage system.
Objections are urged to some of the minor
details Of the bond bill. These are hardly
matters upon which there will be any Sc
rious difference of opinion; whatever de-
fects the pending bill has in these respects
can readily be remedied.
As l understand the delegation their
main objection is to the raising of money
by the issue and sale of bonds, for the
sive sewage plan.
Grounds of Objection Considered.
The grounds Of objection are several
1. 1t Is claimed by the delegation that the
District has now large surplus to It's
credit in the United States treasury, and
that we should rot borrow money to pay
for our improvements when we have the
ready money to apply to that purpose. OF
course, we are here considering practical
and not theoretical methods of accomplish
ing the great public results which we have
in view. For even had the District the
whole seven millions u use round numbers)
of dollars actually in the treasury to it's
credit, Ii could not use that money without
the sanction of Congress. We must there
fore, for practical purposes consider not
what the District has. but what it can
induce Congress to appropriate. 1t Is said
that by the end of another year the Dis
trict will have so much to its credit in the
treasury that, If Congress will add its pro-
portion thereto. We shall have more than
100000 wherewith to begin the sewage
system. But do not we all know that Con-
a substantial. real thing? Does any one
believe for one moment that Congress will
recognize any surplus of District revenue
as a call upon 1t for a corresponding amount
to be added to that surplus? Congress ap-
ptopriate5 annually its own dollar to each
District dollar for the necessary current
expenses. 1t cuts down ruthlessly the
yearly estimates of our energetic and hard
not only with no regard to our surplus, but
with scant consideration of our urgent and
usual needs. / think that this surplus is
not among our practical resources.
IDadequacy of the Surplus.
2. But even If we could hope to realize
something tangible and substantial from
this surplus, the real inadequacy Of that
source of supply is disclosed by reflection.
1 regret that our friends who are here pres
ent as delegates are not members of the
board of trade, for If they had listened
to Mr. Reads able report the other night
they would have heard that this sewer
system cannot be constructed in piecemeal.
1t scarcely needed engineers TO tell US this.
The plan of this city existed a whole
before single house was built. The storm
water of the District must be provided for.
The surface filter from slaughter houses,
box privies and stables must be kept out of
Rock creek. otherwise 1T will soak into and
permeate the soil along the banks clear
down to it's mouth right in the midst Of
the city. Look at the blacklist spot on the
map accompanying the recent and superb
report of the Medical Society, and you will
find typhoid rampant right there. 1 say
no experts are required to convince us that
for every reason the system must be con-
structed as a whole. Now our friends
agree that we must have 1t. We are per-
suaded that we can't get 1T bit by bit to