The Washington times., 1895-02-15
RR. sIKRoNs' ANSWER.
Reply 10 Mr.. Ross Perry's Arguments on
the Bond Fill.

Reply 10 Mr.. Ross Perry's Arguments on
the Bond Fill.
Master Workman Simmons, OF District As
semb!y &c, knights of Labor, sent yesterday
the following answer 10 the reply OF Mr. Ross
Perry TO the objections raised by the Knights
ofLabor to the District bond bill.
!. The labor organizations favor necessary
sewers. But iaTorng sewers and iavorIng
the bond bill are two different things. There
is a way TO get sewers ana a way not 10 get
them. The advocates OF the bond bill have
ins sted OF the way not 10 get them. They ask
for "a. $50. 600 Tor sewers. but they nail their
request 10 demand lor S3, 10000 more Tor
suburban land syndicaies and Tor an Issue OF
81 600 n09 of bonds. Last year the labor or
ganizations petItioned Congress 10 let the
District lave SSO9.000 OF IFS own surplus rev
enues for sewers, even If ii Was not duplicated
from TIE Treasury, and the star, which noW
hOwls for sewers. then objected tGtiousiy to
the proposition. Il preierrel typhoid ever
TO a vocation OF the 20 per cent. arrange
mcnt.
2. There are Just three simple things nee
essary 10 get all the sewers we need:
First. An honest Rss' ssment OF property.
Second. Prompt COLLECTION OF taxes from
citizens and corporations.
Third. The appropr alton Of the entire rev.
enue Of the District
The a Ivoeates Of the bond bill are not sin
cere in their profession OF anxiety for the
pubic health They have waited four years
sacc The plans for sewer extension were pre-
cared by the board OF sanitary engineers in
1890 Now they load tie proposition with
unpopular ana impnss bic conditions. Let
them separate the sewer bill from the street
extension bill. so each can stand on iIs
merits. a2d then we can get the sewers. and
the labor organizations Will give elective
help. The men back Of the bond bil Will
never consent 10 this. They sill keep Us out
or sewers until they get The street onds il
they can. The sewers arc simply the stalking
horse 10 carry through the land speculators
scheme The sewers and street extension
have no necessary relation II street exten-
sicn bends are right. let them win alone on
their merits.
8. There is not the slightest necessity FOR
bonds Tor sewers. Ia 1884 the District tax
PAYERS paid $500, 900 more than Was expended.
In 1888 they paid S50)e00 more. liz 1896.
even il the Senate amendments to the appro-
pria,icn Iii are adopted, they will pay $780,
900 mora. Right here We have 81, ,30O0)0 OF
our Own money available for sewers. II
Congress will duplicate il We stall have =.
$50 00a il is claimed tha, Congress Will moi
appEOi riaie il. Aet Congress must apprO-
pirate tie money secured by the sale OF the
LonGs and whY will il not more readily a:s-
taxes aad IN the Treasury: This is part OF
the insincerity Of tie advorates of tue bond
bill. If they will labor rs earnestly 10 gei
Congress 10 let US Use our revenues rs they
do to pass the bond bill the sewers will be
under way next summer.
4. Il is c.aiTGeG that sewers cannot be built
piecemeal, and :hst s7e must have the entire
q, 4,500 900 all at ohcS Che truth is that such
sun cannot be apples all III once. The or
Ganizatioa Of the force OF workers aud the
procuring Of material take time. One mil
lion dollars year is as much IS need be OF
can economically be expended by the Com
missiOners on sewers. The attempt 10 do
more T.ll lead to demoraization and extrav-
agancc without any gain in time. The Dis
trict revenues, duplicated by Congress. will
gireus a clear million year fer this purpose
and ohyiate any necessity for bonds
5. The bond bill would have the work
done 10y contract. This means that con-
tractors from Baltimore, Philadelphia. and
New York viii get the work. and they will, a:
usual, import a large part Of their lG5or-the
scabs that wander about wherever there is z
chance 10 cut wages. There is no honest
work done by contract. The Washington
IN aqueduct. The New York aqueduct. the Albany
eaptOl, The fiimsy gunLoais, and the fraudu.
Ent armor plates from Homestead attest thi:
ct. No Intelligent workinSman can consent
70 have the sewers. so essential 10 health
constructed by this infamous system. de-
fectiye sewer is farmore meaacIag TO health
than nc sewer at all.
6. We owe now SIS, 900, 900, which costs u:
annually 81 200 600. If we add s., 200 .00j
% this debt We shall have TO pay 81 600 00t
out Of cur revenues every year before we ear
spend penny on our current public needs
THAI means that our schools our streets ouI
health, our safety must be neglected TO tha
extent Every workingman Will suffel
through the restricted expenditures whicl
tuls debt will enforce.
z. The people ought not be plunged in 20 deb
without their consent If the bond bill is FOL
their good they gill know it. The committe,
OF the board of trade takes high aristocra,i il
and paternai ground and claims that caba
OF spectators are safer TO decide what is bes
for the people than the people are them
selves Let the question of sewers be sub
mitted to the people without the land dea
attachment and the verdict need not b.
feared.
6. The attempts to make the labor organi
zatioas appear as opposed to proper meas
ures for public health are dishonest. The
were two years in the field before the boarC
Of trade entered. For years they alone hay,
made any organized fight in the interest o
the public schools. Their advice to Secre
tary lincoln would have saved the none,
lost on the dry water tunnel and avoided
great scandal IL he had adopted il
They always lead in every moyemen
for the public good which is genu
lns and untainted with persona
advantage to few schemers. They hay.
been advised TO study public affairs. Tn,
advice should be given TO the board of trade
OF which not one member in forty has eve
read the ridiculous bond bill. The YER
members OF the board OF directors OF thi
board OF trade, with the exception of Ia,
three who got up the bill, had not read
when the labor committee addressed then
on the subject. The board of trade has in
dorsed a monstrous and ridiculous schemt
thinking they were indorsing a plan fo
proper sewers.
8. 1t may as well be understood. once fol
all, that nobody opposes necessary sewers
that the labor organizations Will do their bes
10 get them: but that any scheme that IS no
singiy and honestly for this purpose or whicl
has attached TO il measure for the enrichmen
OF few spectators ia real estate cannot e
through. The men who speak for the boar,
Of trade underestimate the ability. patriotism
and influence OF the labor organizations, ant
they are about to have their eyes opened il
the near future. W. H. G. SIMMONS.
District Master Workman,
n A 81