Evening star., 1899-11-21
MUNICIPAL EXPENDITURES
Discussion of Question by Takoma Park
Citizens Association.
Committee to Confer with Other As
Standing Committees Named.

The Takoma Park Citizens Association
held regular meeting at Takona Hall
| last night. Several members were
| elected. .nclcding Messrs. Walter Criitt
| Woodbridge Clapp. August T. Crenshaw
| ald Benjamin +. Peters. The officers elect
| ed at the last meeting of the association.
j. b. Kinnear. president: ]. Vance Lewis,
vice president; Ben G. Davis. secretary, and
| q. F. Williams, treasurer. we're all present
and were in eir respe tive stations
Several important questions were ,aker.
| up for consideration and acted upon. Mir.
| Blair Lee explained at length the action Of
| the f'rishtvcod Citizens Association upon
| the resolutions adopted at Its last meeting
| These resolutions were TO the effect that
| a committee of five he appointed 10 con
| Ter with all other citizens associations in
| u.e IIstlict OF CoiumGia east Of l!ith street
and Rock Creen Park. TO discuss matters
oi mutual interest. Among them: That nau-
| nlClpal expenditures hereafter mad, IN IN.
| portions of the District outside of Florida
| avenue hall be made pro2ortionatey To
| me amounts raised by taxation or the To-
| cation Of the gf,ater humher OF p.,,oL
in given areas radiating from the city as
center. That any expenditures which may
| have been made in the past ten years IN
violation OF these just principles shall be
| equalized and accounted for I'm the appro-
| priations Of the future; and that ali OF
| the citizens associations IN tn. uarr OF
| the District named shall unite I'm petition
| ing congress to order investigation Of
| municipal expenditures # the past ton
years, and for appointment OF a commit
| tte to confer with the commissioners m
| relation thereto.
Mr. Lee Explains.
| In explanation of the resolution Mr.. Lee
| said, substantially, that thorough investf-
cation revealed the fact that much larger
| expenditures for public improvements. ia
! Proportion TO the amount OF taxes paid
| lad been made in the region west OF Rock
| Creek Park. After Mr.. Lee had discussed
the question in detail, a similar resolution
| vas unanimously adopted by the Takoma
| Association.
Mr.. George A. Warren, chairman OF the
| committee on water and lights. reported
| that Mr.. Pressy, the engineer in charge OF
the water works construction in the Mary
| land portion OF the town, and the council
| were now considering the Takoma spring
| as source Of water supply instead Of the
| Sligo stream. He stated. however. that no
| definite action looking toward using the
| spring for the supply would be taken until
| 1t was shown that there a daily flow
| OF at least 10000 gallons Of water.
Mr.. Homer Query, chairman OF the COM
| mittee on streets and walks, reported TO
| the effect that the committee, with the in
| dorsement of the association, submitted to
| the District Commissioners plans and rec
| concentrations for the opening OF a new
| short street, or, rather, an extension OF 18th
| street, in the park from Vermilion avenue
| nOrtherly to the railroad embankment,
| within the Baltimore and Ohio right Of
| way; thence DETECTED northeasterly through
| the embankment and continued in the same
| direction to Magnolia avenue. the portion
| OF the street south of the railroad 10 be
| ninety feet wide and that north seventy
| feet. Upon the request of the committee
| 1t was reported. Captain Lansing II. Beach,
| Engineer Commissioner. has caused sur
| veys and estimates of cost to be made and
| had submitted to the associa ton alterna-
| tive plans for the new street.
IL xt-aS doc rod in 10 ba
| sociation should unanimously express its
| preference for the 9Th street extension to
Magnolia avenue, substantially as planned
| by its committee, with such notifications
| in detail as may hereafter be found.
| The association unanimously adopted the
report, and the Commissioners were re-
| Quested to aid in securing an appropriation
| for opening the thoroughfare-
school Matters.
Mr. j. H Clark from the committee on
schools, reported that Architect Palmer 10
preparing a preliminary sketch for the new
school building, which is to be built OF brick
with the latest modern appliances for heat
| ing and ventilation
Resolutions We're introduced and adopted
| requesting Superintendent Powell to restore
| arithmetic IN the eighth grade of the pub
lie schools of the District
| In the course of the discussion 1t was
stated by Mr.. w G. Platt that the meth
DDS of Instruction in the public schools OF
the District are very Objectionable 1t is
preposterous. he said, to maintain that
child twelve or thirteen years old has mas
tered the arithmetic. Ark any OF the grad
yates of the high schools the simplest Ques-
ton in arithmetic, he continued. and they
fail to answer. They do not understand
percentage. There glaring errors in
their photography.
THE school system in the District" he
declared, lis no system. What does a child
have to do with algebra, philosophy and
tronomy?' His boy, he said ten years old,
brings home volumes OF Longfellow. What
for? ITO make pen pictures of Evan
geline."
Mr.. Platt expressed himself as favoring
the exclusion of algebra from the schools.
Mr.. Fred Harries said the object OF the
| superintendent OF public schools IN bis
opinion, is generally misunderstood He
had learned, he said, that 1t is not the in
tention Of the school authorities to elirni-
| nate the study of arithmetic.
Prof ]. ]. Campbell. former teacher I'm
| the public schools said he did not believe
child could master all the branches of
| arithmetic in the seven grades allotted TO
, the study. 1t had been shown. he thought.
that the child learns more in his home than
| at school.
The subject of telephone accommodations
for the park was gone into extensively. and
, | Mr.. Augustus p. Crenshaw. representing a
telephone company. said that local phones
would be furnished the citizens at S24 per
annum, with 10 cents additional on each
, | city message.
A resolution offered by Mr. G. M Heaton
was adopted, requesting the District Com
missioners to furnish hose for use at fire
| plugs in case of fire in that portion OF Ia
, koma lying in the District of Columbia.
George A. Warren, ]. Vance Lewis and
| Ashley M Gould were appointed q COM
: mittee to prepare amendments to the char
ter of the town of Takoma, Nd. for sub
. mission to the legislature. which will meet
next January.
Appointment of Committees.
The following committees for the ensu-
| ing year were appointed:
On sewers and sanitation-R. 6. Brown,
DR.. c. G. Stone, H. A. Cady. l. b. Bur
dett, +. c. Adams
Raiiroads-W. G. Platt s. s. Shedd. ].
s. Swormstedt, A M. Gould c. NJ. Heaton.
Water and Hghts-G. A. Warren. Milton
Whitney, Geo. H Bailey, Z. NJ. Douglass,
VIM. White.
Streets and walks-Homer Guerry, ]. II.
. Clark, Blair Lee, G. F. Williams, L. p.
Shoemaker.
Schools and library; H. Clark. L. NJ.