The evening times., 1896-02-12
Passed After a Long Attack
Upon Ii By Nj. Blanchard.
REVENUESfoR THE DISTRICT
He Insisted That the Time Hns Come
When the United States Should No
Longer Pay Half the Expcnses-Mr.
Sherman and. Others Expose the
Weakness of His Argument.

Inc biH was Drought up on the motiOn OF
Mr.. Vest to reconsider the vote upon Mr..
Blancbard's amendment Chat the District
should pay half the cost. This reconsider
| alton was made and the bill cane up as If
the amendment had not been presented.
Mr.. Shcrman-I think II is right the people
of the district OF Columbia should pay half
the cost.
Mr.. Blanchard said: when this bill
was under consideration two weeks ago
suggested that the District of Columbia pay
half the cost, and as amended the bill
passed.
Missouri entered the chamber and moved
reconsideration. II Is always an un-
grateful task TO run counter to the wishes
of the agreeable and pleasant people OF the
District. Much has been said in the Dis
trict press about it.
PAYING HALF THE EXPENSE.
mo one is more proud of this Capital
City than I. But we should be just to the
taxpayers of the United States when 1t
comes TO appropriation. For the past
eighteen years the government has been
paying one-haif the entire expense OF run
ming this city.
1T was well for the government when the
city was small, to pay half the expenses.
Now the policy should not longer obtain in
justice to the large body OF taxpayers OF
the United States. The whole matter was
considered at length In 1874. and in 1873
this commission reported what would be
fair for the government 30 pay. Their re-
port then was that 40 per cent was the
proper amount. but Congress changed II to
so per cent and since then the government
has been paying this amount"
Mr. Blanchard then read the reasons from
a copy of the report why 40 per cent should
be fair proposition
There are now" he continued. 10000
taxpay yers in the cit y. aud the value Of prop
erty is Sl91 ,O00.OU0. II is safer to say
there is not less than $3.50, 100000 worth
OF orproperty, twice rs much as when the CON-
mission recommended 40 per cent.
The property owned by the government
is $19S.Oo0.OOo, as shown by the assess
ors. To do this these assessors have
charged up all parks ard streets at SO
much per foot.
The Capitol park. the Mall, the Potan-
ical Gardens. Lafayette square, Jackson
square. all the triangular spaces, are all
charged up against the government to ar
rive at the valuation OF SlSS,000 900.
This IS not fair. These PARIS should not
be counted in. 1t would be fair TO assess
against the government grounds and build
ings used by the Federal government.
But II Is not Just 10 charge the govern
n1ent up with all the parks.
These parks are not only charged up
against the government, but the govern
ment is taxed the whole amount to beautify
and keep them in shape. The two excep-
tons. 1 believe. are the Rock Creek Park
and Geological Garden Congress imposed
on the District, one-balf the expense over
one-half OF the maintenance. This fact
OF taxing one-halr expense against the
District evidences the fact that Congress
is going TO change all this.
&. .fN.zr, n hi OH y<ray not
Iassed Congress meant that the whole
cost should be paid by the people OF the
District. All these evidence a change on
the part OF Congress. The District was
taxed for the empty reservoir. Down on
the Potomac there are 100 acres OF land
being reclaimed. This is to be great
driving park.
Heretofore this cost has been carried
by the Rivers and Harbors Committee be-
cause it was to benefit the harbor. About
two millions ard 4 quarter has been Snent
at the cost of the Cnited States. 1 under
stand there are senators who agree with
me. l do not oppose this bridge. l am in
favor of it. 1t ought to be undertaken at
this time.
WHO SHOULD PAY?
The only difference is who should bear
the expense. / believe that since IT is TO
greatly benefit the city the District should
pay half the expense. l think the govern
nent now ssould be paying about S3 1-3
per cent of District taxes, but so long as
the Federal government pays more than its
Just proportion the District revenues should
be taxed with one-baif OF this expense.
Last year the government paid S2,-
100000 to maintain the District of CO.
,unbia. Every policeman on the streets
OF Washington is paid one-half OF his
salary from the Treasury, and the schools
of the District get 90 per cent from the
Treasury. The Federal government pays
half the sewer appropriations, and so on
down the list. Now, all other cities pay
all these. and fortunate. indeed, Is the
city of Washington that she has the Fed
eral Treasury here. / find that when
this bill was introduced in the House in
1894 it contained a provision that the
District was to be taxed one-half the
cost. The District Committee cut out this
amendment and the House did not pass IT."
Mr.. Proctor-I am opposed to this amend
ment. The bridge Is to be memorial
bridge The government should pay for
it, 1t has been suggested that 1t be
called the Bridge OF Peace" binding the
bloody chasm. II is not made for the ben
efit of the District, as others. The use
of tramways is prohibited. ] hope the
bill will pass.
Mr. Hawley thought because it was the
National pital the District should not pay
one cent OF the cost. He thought it was
of too national a character for that.
Mr.. Vest said this bill had been repeatedly
discussed and decided always in accordance
with the rule that the United States should
pay for the structure. "If this is a COM
mercal bridge" he said, "the cost should
be divided. II it is memorial bridge,
the government should pay. This city
will always be the capital of this country.
On popular vote today the city of WASH
ington would be chosen almost unanimously
the enternal cayatal of what hope will be
an eternal republic.
1--WE did not adopt precedent in the
case of Rock Greek Park and Geological
Garden. The case Is different. This is to
be a bridge betYeen Virginia ard the Dis
trict of Columbia. The necessity has been
urged on me personally. The Secretary of
VI ar urges its building for military pur-
poses. II the District OF Columbia should
pay one.half Virginia should pay the
other half"
The question was discussed until O'Clock
the only Senator advocating the amend
ment being Mr.. blanchard himself. Then
the vote was taken and the amendment was
rejected: Yeas mays "a, and the bill was
passed. rrf
1t directs the Secretary OF War to con-
struct memorial bridge from the Observa-
tory grounds across the Potomac River
to the Arlington estate, and it appropri-
ates 100000 for the necessary surveys.