Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-12
not to be regarded as inexcusably impor-
tunate when it asks for their alienation.
Large Local Sums Spent.

while this had been done the govern
ment and nation has expended upon their
own streets which they formed for their
own purposes and to answer their own OBJ.
jects, in which they have the exclusive prop
erty, over which they have exercised unlim-
tied control. and which they may close and sell
at pleasure, only sos, 925, and the whole
voted to Pennsylvania avenue and streets
Immediately around and adjoining the Cap
itol ana PRESIDENTS squares alone, the i'm
provement OF which were indispensable to
the government ITSELF and promotive of its
own interest in the convenience Of its
oh1cers and the transaction of the public
business congress has expended nothing
except to form streets which adjoin the
pubic squares, and even upon such has
only made some pavements and walks
and set out some trees along the squares,
leaving the rest of the expense Of even
those streets to be borne by the city. While
on the other hand the city has not only ex-
pended the money on its streets wherever
the population was scattered over Its i'm
mense area but has especially opened and
improved those leading to the national es-
ADJUSTMENTS al the navy yard and arsenal
and those leading to and around the public
squares and reservations belonging to the
| nation, and thus by it's own means enhanc-
ed the value of the public property.
Inere mas been appropriated for the
| streets and paid out of the city treasury
the sum OF $429,911, and in addition to this
very large sum it is low estimate to say
that not less than 100000 has been paid by
the inhabitants for the Improvement of the
streets in various directions Previous to the
year 1880 there had been 1O6.371 running
rect OF pavement made, besides the curb
stones and paved cutters, and paid for by
special taxes upon the lots to which the
private building lots of the government had
contributed no part, although they derived
an equal benefit therefrom.
One-half Should Be Repaid.
while they do not think that the city
was bound to expend the money Of the in
habitants upon the streets which the ma
I ton claimed and regulated, they believe the
narrowest measure Of justice would have
required, and does now require that the gov
eminent. having in it's private building lots
| and public reservations at least an equal
interest in the improvements of the streets,
| should pay at least one-half of the eX-
| penSeS OF those streets, and that one-half
of the money expended by the city for this
! purpose ought now to be refunded to 1t, be-
| ing $214. 965
Should this sum be appropriated by Con-
| gress the city will receive only the prin-
| c1pal money, and unless interest be paid
upon 1t 1t will lose many thousand dollars
The committee therefore conclude that Con-
| gress ought to make an appropriation to
! reimburse to the city the amount of money
which it has expended for the benefit Of
| the government.
I'm the acts of incorporation, which gave
to the city partial control and regulation
over the streets, there is no exemption Of
the property of the government from tax
alton. and it might perhaps be properly in
ferred that Congress did not intend that it
should be exempted, but that it should be
equally subjected to those burdens which
| become necessary for the common benefit
Of the whole. But the corporate authori
ties have with prudence and propriety alb
stained from levying taxes upon it, and
| have laid the whole weight upon that part
Of the property which belongs to individ
uals,. while the government has been
| or q tffir, ovt IN he hinh
have resulted from them. The assessments
| have been regularly made upon all, public
and private alike; the taxes have been col
| lected only from the private holders Of
property.
THE streets were not only oppressive
| from their size and extent in their original
formation, but they will, from the same
cause, continue to be an unending source of
| expense in their repair. They must an
| nually cost nearly double the amount OF
streets Of the same length Of moderate di-
| this condition of things, ought not to be
very deaf to the complaint of those upon
whom such burden has fallen.
The Governments Bargain.
For this extent Of land equal to all its
present and prospective wants, the govern
ment- paid, nominally, the sum of $36,099 to
the proprietors of the soil, but in reality
| nothing. This sum was not drawn from the
| general treasury, nor one cent Of 1t con-
| tributed by the people Of the United States.
| The whole of it was taken out Of the pro-
| ceeds of the sales of the building lots which
| had also been secured by the government In
! the contract with the land owners. 1t thus
| appears that the people Of the United States
| have paid nothing for all their public lots.
| nor the property in the streets. They pro-
cured them, and now own them, without
| the expenditure of a single dollar.
This property is purely the property OF
the Union. Part of the payments which
| have been made for the buildings and i'm
| provements were appropriately taken out
| of the common treasury. And the commit
| tee are of the opinion that it would have
comported quite as well with the character
and interests Of the Union If the whole
property had been drawn from that source,
| and portion Of the money extracted by
| contract from individuals and by donations
| from states. The people of the United
States were at all times, and they are now,
| unquestionably, able to provide from their
| common fund for the accommodation OF
| their government, without relying upon
| grants, induced either by feeling Of liber-
| atty toward or by any consideration of eX-
| elusive benefit to be derived from its pres
ence.
1.-The number of building lots acquired by
| the government was 10, 1876. A large proper
| ton of them have been sold and given away
by Congress-, and it appears, by records, in
! the office of the commissioner of public
buildings, that the account of the govern
| ment in regard to them may be thus stated.
The cost of said lots was nothing.
More Than Two Millions.
There have been received from the
sale of building lots .............. $741, 524 As
There have been given away to chart
table and literary institutions lots to
the value OF. 10000 90
$500 Of which were given to a college
out Of the city,
The lots undispoSed Of according to
the assessment OF 1924, were worth. 100, 221 81
There was received by the government
in grants from the states Of Mary
land and Virginia in the. years 1880
and 1871. ......................... 1872 900 90
Amounting in all to..............s1,l12 IL, TAG 20
And If 1t be a correct estimate to put
the value Of the whole public
ervation at 81, SOC, Co., the amount
viii be-. 50 612 746 %
THUS it appears that the government has
received from grants and donations made
| to it of lands and money for the benefit Of
! the city and it's accommodation therein,
| more than $2000,OOO.
1.-The only appropriation. of money which
appears to have been made exclusively for
| the city was that of $4,000, to enable it to
| complete the canal which unites the waters
| of the Potomac with the Eastern branch,
| and yet even this was a concern originally
| belonging to the government, which it