The morning times., 1896-03-25
QUOTE THE HIGHWAY act
Commissioners Invoke Dead Law
to Excuse Adverse Reports.
REFUSE STREET EXTENSIONS
Evident Determination to Report Ad.
versely ON All Bills Which They
Deem in Conflict With the Big
Bond Bill-Sewers Given Second Con.
sideration.

The various sections of Washington,
eacn In turn, are getting taste or what
the Commissioners deem their duty with
out regard TO any authority or desire cx.
cept their own.
Within lie IasUten days the Commissioners
nave reported adversely on propositions 10
extend four streets. Each of these street,
Was considered by the petitioners as neeu
ing extension, and they gave reasons for
tue blliS which were sent TO the Senate
ana House i'll such interests.
The two former cases were recently
referred to by The Times. The new cases
wuich lnaterlanzed yesterday were lile
extension or Connecticut avenue and OF
Seventeenth street to Park street.
The sole reason for the adverse report
by the Commissioners in bolh OF these
latter cases, as on the former, although it
was not al first stated, is that any street
extension Is "inimical to the public in
terests" and wodiI establish preCelents
involving departure from The wise and
comprehensive purpose OF the highway
act"
WILL AMUSE CONGRESS.
IF this Is the language OF the Commits
Sioners,' said one OF the gentlemen in in
terest yesterday, "anl l have not the
slightest doubt that it is, because there
could possibly be no other reason assigned
1t is most remarkable statement.
wish you would say in The Times that the
Commissioners speak of q dead and de-
ciared unconstitutional act rs a precedent
from which there should not be u de-
parture.
This, at least, ought to amuse Con-
Sress if ii does nothing else. 1t certainly
ought 10 anIuse IL rs much d know one
OF the Senator'S was amused, who read
the statement of Commits ioner Powell, who
IS an Army officer, tnat IL was impossible
or lmpracticable TO build or construct
sewers i'll the county unless the streets
were rirSt made or eXtenlel from Wash
ington into the wilderness.
EveryoodY KNOWS lhaJ sewers ought 10
follow and do follow the lay OF the land
and not tue streets, which are usually lad
down IN some mathematical fern. 1t was
easy To see that the Commissioners fired
OFF this theory in order to iLduce the
country people 10 favor street eA tensions
Iirst and sewers secoLd. Besides this
every schooiboy in Washington already
knows that If all the sewers were built
hat the county wants they would serve nc
purpose whatever except TO fill the already
overcharged city sewers with rdInwGter.
To make county sewer available the
whole system along the water front
must be complete.
CONFLICT WITH THE BOND BILL.
at is said, AID there now appears to
be no doubt about it, that the CommiSsiuL-
ers are using their authority TO report
adversely on all Dil.s that iii any way arr
considered by them as conflicting with
tie prospect OF the passage or the $50,
600, zoo bond bilI. They I'd nit as much
IN the reasons Which they ass IN as gOou
ones FOR CbStructi1g the wishes of any
ciuZen or citizens who desre anything
done with the highways. This is serving
open notice also on tic board OF trcde
that 1t need not apply Tor any assistance
n the hiI winch has been iudorsGd by the
citizens generally for the speedy com
pletion Of the sewers.
ut would be interesting to know from
the Commissioners what possible oh. &c
ton there can be to the sewer bill except
,nr oue they Lave made, tndu Is tnat VOC
can't build sewer unless there is a street
along which to run it. That IS their whelt
argument III Il nitstelI. Things have come
10 such pass now down about tht
District building that the Comm. .ssioners
undertake to falsify the record in Their
statements to Congress.
when they renewed the highway act
they knew That the most repre- sentative
oody in Washington, composed OF It's busi-
less interests, and men who own very
largely the real estate Of the county. had
officially ueciared that the sewers were
the first consideration and that the obtru-
would be an utterly futile proceeding anu
would certainly kill the chances for the
sewer bill.
AN EDITOR IN IT.
Notwithstanding the impression felt
in Congress and everywhere in Washington.
the Commissioners sprang the high
way act again, and are now using il as
pivot Oil which 10 turn all their petty
dunoyances Tor people who desire street
extension. one two at q fime.r
, 'One OF the peculiar circumstances, or
rather Developments, of the recent days"
said member OF the board of trade ''is
that an editor of your evening contemporary
is first vice president of the board of trade
anu, OF course, must Sand 10y the acton
of the board, which is now logically in
opposition to the Commissioners In self
defense. The fight in that quarter is a
rather interesting one.
The first vice president and his news
paper must either abandon the board of
-.s>iS ana ltS sO-enH. I-srrIved-at conciu-
sion that there is no chance of passing
the highway act, and that the only feasible
thIng TO urge forward tue sewer bill
or it must be consistent, stick 10 the sewer
bill, land deal with the Commissioners as the
public thinks ii bout them.
The issue is simply now between the
board Of trade and the Commissioners
The latter say, drop your sewer bill or we
shall XIII 1t by piiing on top Of il the high
way act, which we know cannot be passed,
aud YOU and the public can suffer for your
temerity in daring TO suggest anything to
.."e@ress without our consent and censor
ship.''
OPPOSE THE SCHEME.
Millions for honest, legitimate, bona
fide Improvements, which will bring com
pensatory benefits 10 all II e TeCple OF the
District hut not Ecnny TO enrich the real
estate ring.
That is The slogan of the anti-bond sena-
tors.
Wien Senator Mcmillan. chairman OF the
Senate Committee on tie District OF
Columbia, lugs in his bond bill there will
20 up such a storm CT protests that he
Will not know what struck him.
When the bond scheme was before the
last Congress one of the most telling
speeches delivered against 1T was made
~ Mr.. Allen Of Nebraska. That gentleman
isjust as earnest in his opposition this year
as he was last. Speaking to a Times repre-
sentative on the subject last night Senator
Allen said:
"Iamopposed, is you know, to an issuance
OF all bonds. / cannot see the slightest
reason for extending the streets OF Wash
ngton at this time unless 1t is to further
the Interests of certain SPECTATORS, at the
expense OF the government. / antagonized
the pond Dill III the last congress On that
ground and on the ground that there was
not the slightest reason for interest bear
ing obligations for that or any ether pur-
pose.
IF the legitimate growth of the city re-
1uired opening streets / should certainly
be in favor of making the most liberal ap-
as Congress cannot afford to
be niggardly in legitimate demand for
street extension; but where tits confessedly
for the purpose Of assisting speculators and
advancing the value OF theirproperty at the
expense Of the axpayers, it is the duty
Of every member OF Congress- whose oath