Evening star., 1898-10-05
Z! = - s
Meeting Of the East Washington
Citizens Association.
REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES
Resolution Favoting Retention Of
Engineer Commissioner Beach.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS S

members were on hand to participate. 1t
was the annual meeting and the principal
business was the reading of reports from
the several committees and the election Of
officers.
During the session resolution was offer
ed and passed urging the retention of Cap
tain Lansing H. Beach as Engineer Com
missioner. The association was very much
in earnest in this matter, and when the
resolution came to vote it went through
with rush. The resolution recited the
facts in the case, pointing out the circum-
stances which elevated Captain Beach to
the head of the engineer department, and
expressing the earnest hope that he be re-
tained in the position where he had accom-
plished so much good.
Upon motion committee, consisting of
Messrs. Thomas W. Smith, M. 1. Weller.
]. D. Creissant, Tracy L. Jeffords and ].
W. Babson, was appointed to confer with
the chief of engineers and the President,
urging the retention Of Captain Beach.
Reports of Committees.
Under the call of committees, the fol-
lowing submitted reports:
The executive committee, through Presi-
dent Smith, submitted its annual report,
follows:
THE prospect for better times financially
and otherwise is very good. The general
conditions are very much better this year
than at the end of our last fiscal year. 1t
Is desirable that a greater number of
streets be graded and graveled SO that
within the next four or five years all of
the streets in Northeast and Southeast
Washington to the AnacoStia river will be
In nrSt-claSS condition.
"All citizens should be willing to bear a
fair amount of taxation for local improve
mentS but la of WasbiDprton-
ians who enjoy the benefits of our schools
our police, our fire departments, our street
improvements and other conveniences that
go to make up a great city do not pay 81
per year into the treasury of the District
to support the form of government under
which we live. Nearly all of the financial
support given to our local government is
derived from taxation of real estate
Whlle there was little or no complaint up
to 1892 as to the rate, because of the pros
pcrity and the earning power of real es-
tate, there has beer" a great unrest in the
minds of taxpayers,the past few years be-
cause the amount of taxes on real estate
Is largely disproportiouate to the amount
of benefit accruing. A large number of
wealthy resident citizens and large num-
Der OF business enterprises go free of tax
alton In this city, and yet help to increase
the yearly cost of schools, fire departments
police. Improvement in streets, extension
of streets, etc." r. -
Committee on Railroads.
J. d. Croissant chairman of the COM
mittee on railroads, said:
Your committee has earnestly espoused
every movement that has looked toward
removing the obnoxious steam cars from
our public streets and reservations that
are set aside for the, safe and unrestr ed
use, of our citizens, and we believe they
should be sacredly preserved for such A pr
pose. There is, perhaps, no city of this
no tTtr ttnt
wholesale abandonment of the public do.
mains to the unrestricted and uncompen-
sated use of corporations .a,
IN view OF these facts we would respect
fuily recommend: First that such strin-
gent precautions be adopted and strenuous
ly enforced as will effectually prevent the
repetition of such fatal accidents as have
SO frequently occurred during the past
year. and, second that such legislation be
lot only enacted, but effectually enforced
as Will relieve our streets and reservations
from all surface steam railroad tracks
either by elevating depressing the same,
SO as to open to the general public their
Tree and sale passage
Police and Health.
S. S. Yoder of the committee on police
and health said:
1.-The disposal of garbage and improper
sewer system problems to be yet solved
before We can have perfect sanitary condi-
diseases
'All these insanttary conditions sink
into insignifcance when compared to the
ceSSpool of disease, the pestilential. death
dealing sewer-polluted Anacostia flats
which are a stencil in the nostrils of all
the inhabitants of this section of our city
and a menace to the health of all citizens
OF the capital of our nation. Malarial
fever, chills and pernicous fevers arc the
result of the proximity of this vast area
n licpI pI,ar
by the flow and ebb of the tide and the
brOiling sun.
When we consider all that has been said
by officials, experts and eminent sanitary
authorities disinterested government ex-
perts, medical societies and the superinten-
dcnt of our public asylum as to this intol-
cradle nuisance, and when we consider the
ease and ever-profitable investment that
would result in the reclamation Of this val
liable land conversion into a beautiful
park for the use of the public at SO small
expense, 1t becomes simply incredible that
such a disease breeding deathtrap should
be allowed to exist in the most beautiful
city in the world. and in sight of the dome
of tie Capitol of the nation
Appropriations COnsidercd
M. 1. Weller of the committee on assess
ments and apportionment of appropriations.
said:
Imposing taxation for improvements
upon unoccupied dwellings is ineauitable.
and the only fair solution would be to tax
the revenues derived from rentals.
THE imposition Of personal tax in lieu
of license upon stocks owned by mercantile
traders is unequally collected and opens the
door to evasion of just taxes by the dishon-
est taxpayer, and to dOrrect that evil it
would be advantageous to inaugurate a
properly graded LICENSE System applicable
to the richly rewaraed professions as well
as to dealers in merchandise, sos. that the
highly remunerated,I in the absence of an
income tax, should alseO contribute a fair
proportion to our municipal expenses.
'As an encourageMentJto TO the requirement
of homes 1t would be aTwise policy to ex-
empt all improVemeAtssrof moderate value
on the workingmanfs home from taxation,
when occupied by the owners
Omcers REFLECTED.
After the reading of reports the associa-
ton proceeded to the election of officers for
the ensuing year. With the result that all
the old officers were re.slected, as follows:
President, Thomas NV. ISmith; vice presi-
dent, Tracy L. JeffordsS secretary, A. F.
Sperry. and treasurer, B. W. Clark
The meeting them adjourned. Hereafter
the association will meet the first Tuesday
in each month.
Rich Pearl Fields Discovered.
New paarl fields Of great riohnasc ,,ya