Evening star., 1901-02-05
Sectional Differences Over Streets and
Roads Aired in Senate.
EAST side OF ROCK CREEK vs.. WEST
Objection Made to Authority to
String Overhead Wires.
COMMENT AND CRITICISM

| his comment on the way appropriations are
distributed for the street and road sched-
| ules, said the complaints that had been
made to him ABOUT these schedules were
| by people living between Rock creek ana
| the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. who
| claimed that the population OF that section
| was three and half times as great as the
population west Of Rock creek. and that the
value of property Of the section between
| Rock creek and the railroad was six times
| as great as west of Rock creek and the
building improvements of the former during
! the last nine years was four times as great
| as In the latter section. Notwithstanding
| these facts the appropriations for the Sec
| ton west of Rock creek were greater than
they are between the creek and the ran.
| roads
Mr.. Allison Explains.
Senator Allison said the schedules Mr..
Jones referred to were within the cities OF
| Washington and Georgetown. These sched-
ules, as reported by the committee, pro-
vides more for the section east OF North
Capitol and South Capitol streets than for
| the city west of that dividing line. ana
Mr. Allison thought the division was falr
| one There had been more money eXpend-
| ed for county roads west of North Capitol
| than east of that street, for the reason
that the development had been chiefly west
| of North Capitol street He believed that
Mr.. Jones criticism did not apply TO INC
| schedule of streets.
Other Criticisms Made.
When the appropriations for construction
| of county roads was reached Mr Jones
again renewed his comment concerning The
criticism that less had been appropriated
for the section east than that west of Rock
creek. Mr. Jones said the memoranda CIV
en- him by those who made the complaint
referred to contained an item for an ap-
preparation of 100000 for the bridging and
improving 10th street. Mr.. Allison said
that the Commissioners and the Senate
committee opposed the idea Of further I'M
proving 18th street until that street has
been opened throughout it's entire length.
Mr. Jones said his informant told him
that in nine years $4OO,OOO had been con-
tributed by the section west or ROCK creek
in the form Of taxes, while appropriations
for that section for street improvements
and bridges had amounted to S456o3s On
the other hand, between ROCK creek ana
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad In nina
years 81, 500, 900 had been secured by tho
District in the form of taxes. While thar
section had received IN that time only
SsS7 900 for street Improvements anu
bridges.
Mr.. Mcmillan States Facts.
Mr.. Mcmillan said more money had been
expended east Of Rock creek than IN any
other section, and 10th street and 11th
was now obliged to borrow money from tho
national treasury because OIL tNdl heaNS
expense involved.
Mr. Allison said the damages Tor tne
opening of 10th street amounted to sso4,Vw.
and he regarded them as excessive He
didn't doubt that the gentleman VINO nan
made the complaint was a good citizen.
but like other good citizens. he thought
he was looking out to advance MS interests.
Mr.. Jones concluded by saying he was not
tad wit
suggest amendments in order to do justice
to the land east of Rock creek. but he sim
ply called attention to that matter, IN nope
that before the District bill was disposed OK
the committee would properly ADJUST inc
bill.
The bill then went over until today.
At / o'clock the presiding omcer an
nounced that under the regular order the
shipping bill would come before the Senate
but Mr. Allison moved that II be laid aside
temporarily in order that the DISTRICT pll.
might be disposed of. Mr.. Jones objected
to this motion and spoke against the plan
of keeping the shipping bill before the SEN
ate as the unfinished business. The District
bill was again resumed.
objection to Overhead Wires.
Mr. Ga,linger objected to COMMITTEES
amendments, which, he said. permitted
overhead wires over more than a half OF
the District. He had worked on the Dis
trict of Columbia committee in order to get
U
to see legislation authorizing the stringins
of more wires enacted. These amendments
allowed the stringing of wires east OF ROCK
creek and outside of the fire limits as wen
as on Brightwood avenue outside the Guy
of Washington. He thought that mater
should be dealt with by the committee on
the District of Columbia and not on an
Appropriation bill, and for that reason no
made the point of order that the amend
ments were new legislation and should be
excluded from the appropriation Dill
Mr.; Allison replied that now outside ,,.he me
wires strung, and the people could not
have underground conduits: The amend
ments were to allow electric arc lighting
and incandeScent electric lighting OUTSIDE
of the fire limits. He did not want TO
antagonize the committee on the District
of Columbia
Mr.. Aliens Contention.
Mr. Allen of Nebraska said he thought
the government should not light streets
outside of the city limits. The general
government should not pay any part or the
cost of lighting streets outside or the CITY
limits He was in favor OF having the gov
ernment pay its share toward the expenses
of the capital city, but he did not think
there was reason why 1t should pay 10
light the roads outside of the city ifmits.
Mr Kenney of Delaware asked whether
II was not a fact that the people OUTSIDE
the old city limits did not pay tnelr taxes
as other people and whether they were noe
equally entitled to the lighting of their
streets. .,s ,,,o. hi,
nersonal view and was not intended to De
the expression of the committee on 1ne
District of Columbia
Mr.. Clay Of Georgia said the matter IN
yolyed in the amendments was so import
ant that It should be put In separate Dill.
Mr. Gallinger began to speak furtner on
his point of order when Mr.. Jones OF Ar
kansas suggested that a quorum Oh INC
Amendments RuIed Out.
Mr.. McComas spoke against the amend
ments. and said further erection Of poles
and the stringing Of wires should be stop
ped in the District Of Columbia. He was
satisfied the amendments would act as
repeal Of existing law.
The president Of the Senate decided that
| the amendments were out of order.
| Mr.. Allison said he regretted that the peo.
| PIE who live east of Rock creek have not
] the same opportunity to secure electric