Evening star., 1898-10-26
NEEDS OF7DHE CITIES
Continued 'front.' First Page.)

much as the land fronting on the streets
through which their grants and privileges
exteno. Iney nave recognized value 10
buy and sell, and their earnings and divi-
dends bear out that value; but when 1t
comes to the valuation on which they pay
taxes there is wonderful drop, and the
result ls that they bear only a small part
of the public burdens that properly belong
to them, and the tax burdens of others are
proportionally increased. / know of no
reason why, according to the true value OF
these properties, they should rot contribute
their share to the support of the public
schools, to the cost Of maintaining our
courts, and all the other expenses Of city
and state government, the same as other
property.
True, in nearly all cases these franchises
were given away as If they had no value
but Is that any reason why, aiter tneit
enormous value Is fully established. they
should not be treated other property anu
annually contribute their full share to the
tax collector2 -... =, g.. ----.'--..- :
Beyond our churches and schools and
charitable institutions, we want no favored
class, and our influence should be eHerted
to see that all property stands equally be-
fore the law"
District Omcia1s Join.
Applications for membership were receiv-
ed from large number Of persons. Com
missioner Beach proposed the names Of DR..
Woodward. health officer; B. E. McComb,
superintendent Of sewers of the District OF
Columbia; w. P. Richards, surveyor; A. T..
Phillips, assistant engineer, sewer depart
ment; w. F. Mcfarland superintendent,
water department. and A. w. Dow, lnspec-
tor OF aSphltc payements, all Of the DISTRICT
of Columbia.
Other names proposed for membership
were: James Owens, Montclair, Nj; Jas.
NJ. Seymour, mayor of Newark, Nj; Theo-
dore c. Hewson, Joseph Byrne, NJ. L. Nc
Laughlin. New ark. NJ: Horace Andrews,
Albany, NY; Mr.. Vickery, Bangor, Me-;
A. w. Burns. c. H. Rust. city engineer:
George Wilson, secretary to the mayor; -:
Toronto; Oscar Knebel. Rochester. NY:
Maurice J. Freiberg, c. NJ. Holloway, L..
Msrkbrick, VIM. B. Mslish, Cincinnati,
Ohio; Theodore A. Neeson, superintendent
commissioner Of public works, Milwaukee.
Wis; VIM M. Leftwick, jr., Nashville
Tenn. All were elected to membership.
Secretary d. l.. Fulton made his annual
report showing receipts from all sources
to be S601.5O, this amount being disbursed
for printing the last annual report, and
other expenses of the organization The
secretary recommended that all members
of the association send to him names of
any city officials likely to join Il.
The reports of the treasurer, finance and
executive committees were read.
The society adopted a resolution limiting
debate by any member on a single subject
to ten minutes.
At 11:30 o'clock the convention adjourned
until pm.
The Members Present.
Up to the time of adjournment the fol-
lowing members of the society had recorded
their names as being present: D. l.. Fulton
superintendent Of highways, Allegheny
Pa; Aug Hermann. Maurice j. Freiberg.
L. Markbreitt, VIM. 3. Melish C. NJ. Hol-
loway. Geo. A. Vandegrift, John B. Wash
burn. John Frey. A. P. Butterfield, Alfred
II. Cox of Cincinnati Ohio; A. D. Thomp
son. Peoria H.; q. G. Sargenheim, Ale
gheny, Pa; James A Ryan, Peoria. Ill;
Horace Andrews, Albany, N. Y; A. W.
Dow, Washington. D., c., Gilbert S. Mich
cry, Bangor, Me-; G. II. Benzenberg. Mil
waukee, Wis; Harold P. Brown, New York
Harry c. Meyer, New York; b. Saunders,
J. w. Burns. Chas. H. Rust, Geo. Wilson.
A. w: Campbell E. II. Keating, Toronto.
Canada; M 1; HOLMAN. St; Louis,
Edwin A Fisher! Rochester. N. Y; John
Jones, Toronto. Canada; 8. J. Brockman
Paul Nuremberg and Daniel B. Bush, Mil
waukee, Wis; Geo. NJ. Ames, Fred A
Twamley and Thomas Twamley, Grand
Y; r. H. Thomas. c. c. Martin and w. N.
Chancellor. Parkersburg, w. Va; James
NJ Seymour. Theo c. Hewson, H Van
Duyne. Peter Ulrich. Chas. F. Herr, ]. NJ
Byrne, NJ. F. Mclaughlin, NJ R. Sherrett
w. E. Greathead and Ernest Adam, New
ark, n. j.; D. Hunter. jr., Allegheny, Pa;
W. X. Eldridge and F. J. O'Brein, Oswego,
N. Y; Kenneth Allen, Baltimore Md.
John L. Kennedy and VIM. N. Leftwich,
York.
The society was called to order at 2:2O
o'clock by President Van Duyne.
Capt. Beach's Report.
Capt. Lansing H. Beach, Engineer Com
missioner Of the District of Columbia, read
a lengthy and exceedingly valuable report OF
a commission of experts concerning the ag-
ricultural utilization of Vienna sewage.
The translation was by Capt. Beach 1t
comprised forty-three typewriter pages,
with tabulated statements showing details
of the project. The sewage of Vienna is
emptfed in the Danube, and by the ma
tional law Of July is, 1892 concerning the
accomplishment of the commercial plan in
the national capital and residence city of
Vienna, provisiOH was made, among other
things, for the construction of trunk inter-
cepting sewers which should take sewage
and cary 1t to the main channel of the
Danube.
The utilization of this sewage for agri-
mission making this report was com
posed of distinguished experts on the sub.
ject under consideration.
The report Of the commission gave an es-
innate of from $500 to IA, 700 forms per day.
or from 200 900 to $500 900 forms per an
mum, as the value of this sewage as fer
tlllZer.
The report showed that in other Euro
pean cities land irrigated with sewage is
much more valuable than other land. and
that no i'll effects on the health of the
neighborhoods are shown.
Mr.. Kenneth Allen, principal assistant
engineer sewage commission OF Baltimore
read a paper on Tie Sewage Of Balti-
re-"
Mr.. McComb's Paper.
Superintendent McComb, in charge of the
sewers Of the city, read an interesting pa
per on the Proposed Sewage Disposal Sys-
tenn for Washington" 1t Is as follows:
The city of Washington is situated at the
junction of the Potomac and Anacostia
rivers. Rock creek forming a portion of it's
western boundary.
The main drainage areas were originally
Tiber creek, $3.50 acres, 1850 acres of
which were outside. Of the city limits; ST.
James creek, 600 acres, and Slash run, $40
acres. 100 acres of which were outside of
the city limits. Inladdftion, 200 acres drain
ed directly to Rock creek, 1900 acres
drained directly to the rAnacostia river and
100 acres drained directly to the Potomac
river The SURFACE elevation of the lower
portion Of the Tiber creek valley and of
the valley Of ST. James creek were but few
feet above mean high tide level in the Po-
tomac river, and; the street grades over a
norton Of these, areas. COutainInp about