Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-17
street Extension and bankruptcy.

street Extension and bankruptcy.
Chairman Babcock made the statement
that all legislation TINS far upon street
extensions had been in accordance with tue
views of leading financial men, He could
cali off twenty names names OF prominent
men who had urged that the streets ne
opened ana let the cost he divided between
the District and the abutting property
nw nr1s. The Evening Star alone, he SAID,
presented an execution. dissenting from
this 'policy.-Report of District Committee
hearing.
The Star appreciates the conspicuous
tribute To its intelligence and public spirit
involved in Chairman Bahcock's assertion
that il alone Of all the representatives OF
local public opinion opposed street extern
sion on the grand scale of the original plan
at the city in violation of the organic act
and entirely at local expense. The compi-
mrutary suggestion of a monopoly OF merit
in this regard is. however. undeserved. The
Star vigorously and reneatedly denounced
the strcet-extension outrage and pointed
cut the disastrous results of this abandon
mrnt of principle and sound policy which
are now beng experienced. But far from
b,ing alone in this attitude it had as
~oc!atrs every representative local organl-
cation which gave public expression to it,
Views on the subject.
Tn, Board of Trade repeatedly and for
maIIy declared that proper tionate contri-
hutton 10y the United States under the act
of 1878 j a vital feature OF such extern
~ions.' lacking which they should not be
mad ut all on the proposed grand and ma
tiunai scale Its latest declaration on the
general subject r.or to the st-eet-eXten-
sion legislation is contained in resolution
cd IN
AIRY. 1s.'S. as follows:
Resolved that in the opinion of the Beard
of Trade it is the duty of the District oh-
cials and citizens generally not to propose
or give assent publicly or privately to APP
preparations being made for any mumcipal
purposes other than those made in accord
arrr with the act of June II, 1878; and that
il should be made manifest to Congress.
whenever necessary. in an earnest and I'M
iristakahlc but respectful manner, that
appropriations made otherwise are not de-
Siry,bic or acceptable
\ number of Citizens Associations. while
the legislation Was pending acted In quick
succession ON the same general lines, pleug-
ing themselves in the most emphatic terms
to the principle of the maintenance Of the
organic act in the matter of street extern
SionS. There were absolutely no public Or
.aniZed expressions of the contrary view.
50 that il became possible for the then
president of the Board of Trade 10 say in
1898 To- the congressional committees with
oIi fear ,.f contradiction: I'm every posi-
ilc way the people of the District have
protes ed against the proposed imposition
whether the street extensions arc presented
q time or in bunch"
There were citizens, however. who not
publicly hut privately and not in the pub
lie but in private interest urged Congress
Ia extend the streets, on any terms. regard
less Of the effect Of the step upon the or
eanic act and the local welfare. The pres
ident of the Board of Trade in the annual
report of 1899 said in ,..scussing the street
extension legislation:
The violation of the organic act with
reference 10 the expense of condemning
land In suburban street extension APP
parcDtly largely due TO an uneasy spend
thrift inclination on the part of some of
our Legislators and citizens TO get rid of our
SO-called surplus which represents money
raised by local taxation in excess Of the
amount required by the organic act to meet
the Districts half of local municipal ex-
penditures. Being eXacted in violation OF
the spirit of that act, 1t has seemed apprO-
pirate also to spend il in LAKE, violation of
che same law. Many an advocate of some
specific suburban street Improvement no
matter how warm a champion general
principles of the half-and-half principle he
might be. has seemed ready to sacrifice that
principle for the special benefit of his own
particular street. and has joined In the
scramble for II share of the surplus, thus
shntdering Il part of the responsibility for
tile grossly inequitablc and unwise princi-
Ile of distributing that surplus which pre-
walled
This debauch is now over Our surplus
discounted and wasted 10 per cent in the
expenditure. has been disposed of. The So
ering effect of its lack Is now felt in the
ueceSSar'- cutting and cramping and stint
al TOO IN he
within the limits of the probable local rev
The strength of the argument in defense
al the equity OF the organic act is more
;tad more recognized every year and an
parcntty the District is not liable to cx-
phrience soon the disaster of its overthrow
aud is threatened with tbs danger not 50
seriously by any national dissatisfaction
with the arrangement as by the short
sighted SelfiShneSS Of individual citizens
who. In too many instances, seem ready ia
!"tray and abandon principle of vital
consequence to the community for some
immediate personal advantage"
II seems that Mr.. Babcock disregarded
the pubiic and unanimous expressions of
III" Beard of Trade and the various Citi-
ZenS Associations as declaring public opin-
Ion in The matter of the street extensions
1od accepted instead the privately urged
views of prominent and leading finan-
ciai nen whom 10 the number of twenty
five he indicates ability and readiness to
name iiy all means. both IN self-vndica-
tinG and for the welfare Of the community
Mr.. babcock should make public the names
of the twenty-five representative citizens
upon Whose counsel he places the RESPONSE
biiity Of legislative action which as pre-
dicted at the time of enactment, has
brought the District face TO face with
threatened temporary bankruptcy in its
current receipts and expenditures. and with
the menace of wreck of the organic act and
of an increase in the already heavy burden
IT local taxation.
The London Daily News says, treaties
would never be concluded if they were L
ne considered binding under an conccivabl,
circumstances and for all ina gina bi,
times. This general principle is wha
make the Chinese so willing to promise
THE New Democracy
Immediately upon election To the Scnat,