Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-14
PRETT|ER THAN PARIS
What Mr.. Mercer Hopes
Washington Will Be.
MUNICIPAL BUILDING
NEBRASKA REPRESENTATIVE
ADDRESS TO CITIZENS.
Association Opposes Policy of Con-
gress in Requiring District to Bear
Expense of Improvements.

|
Expense of Improvements.
| The Brightwood Citizens Association held
| Its final meeting before adjourning for the
] summer at the Brightwood Hotel last even
| ing. At the conclusion of the regular order
| of business, Mr.. Louis p. Shoemaker, presi-
| dent of the association, introduced Repre-
| sentative David II. 4aercer of Nebraska,
| chairman of the House committee on public
buildings and grounds. who made an ad-
| dress Mr.. Mercer was frequently inter
rupted during his remarks by bursts of APP
| plause. He said, in part. as follows:
| L have seen the capital cities of every
country on the globe. All of the capital
| cities of the older civilized countries have
had special attention paid TO them Ma
| poleon despoiled the French treasury to
make Paris what she is. The United States
| should have a capital even more beautiful
than Paris. Members of Congress must not
| be so narrow minded regarding the ques-
| ton OF beautifying the national capital |
| know that many of the representatives who
| come here have never before seen sewers
! on an electric light
Citizens associations are good things for
| any community, and | am glad to see in
| terest taken by the members of this organ
| izatlon. Resolutions passed by these asso-
| cations are a credit to them and IL the
| associations keep up in membership they
| will have great influence through their
| meetings. In time your euorts will bear
| fruit and your labors will be rewarded
In speaking of the municipal building Mr.
| Mercer said: Il took an interest in the
| municipal building over four years ago and
| corresponded with all the important cities
| In the United States and was informed that
| many had good buildings, while Washing
ton District offices tod in
| places, and as L had taken much interest
In the District municipal building / decided
| that IL must receive an appropriation this
| year. Influential and powerful forces came
| to me to urge that | should put nothing in
| the bill for the District and | protested
| that public buildings for the District should
| go IN before other things, and 1 won out.
Supreme Court Building.
| Il might say that 1 have a pet scheme
| that shall force to success if | stay here
| long enough, and that is to construct a
Supreme Court BUILDING just north of the
| library, thus locating three of the most
| beautiful buildings in the world at the ma
| tons capital, and L venture to say that no
| citizen of this country who visits Washing
| ton regrets his share in the library build
ing, the most beautiful on the footstool.
| me taxpayers of the country would not
object to twenty such buildings being To-
| Gated at this nations capital
m
| sylvania avenue. The government now
| at once, should purchase every bit of land
south or the avenue between the Capitol
| and the Treasury and to the Mall. Let it
reap the benefits of the rental until money
| is appropriated for palatial buildings along
! that thoroughfare. The time will come
when that will be done. / am for beauti-
Tying washington and the plans of the
Park Commission, which will surely make
the American capital the finest capital city
| in the world
Mr.. Mercer called attention to the new
puphc library, which is nearing completion.
| When the new public library is completed
and sod is laid on the parking surrounding
| the building" he said, eft will be a beauti-
full place and will not be used as a loafing
| spot, as was the case when the library site
| formed park
Aiding G. A. R. Encampment.
Secretary John G. Keene offered a reso-
luton with reference to the coming en-
campment of the Grand Army, which was
to the effect that 1T has been arranged to
have the Grand Army of the Republic meet
| in Washington during the autumn of this
year, and it is important that all of our
people should render some assistance finan-
cially and otherwise to enable the proper
committees to entertain our guests on that
important occasion and to make the en-
campment success and a credit to the
national capital.
Therefore, as such a gathering ought to
help Washington and become a general
public advantage to the District of Column
bia and consequently benefit Brightwood
our members are urged to assist, even al
though the amount be small
Further, our secretary is hereby directed
to contribute an amount, in the name of the
association, which, in his Judgment, our
treasury will permit, not exceeding SO"
Resolutions thanking Representative
David II. Mercer of Nebraska and Senator
Daniel of Virginia for their efforts in be-
half of the District mel,
ADOPTED.
President Shoemaker offered a resolution
expressing regret and respect in regard
to the death of the late Judge Andrew c.
Bradley. The resolution was unanimously
adopted. Mr.. Burgdorf offered a similar
resolution in relation to the death of Mr.
r. NJ johnson, former member of the as
ISOLATION. 1t was also adopted.
Half and Half Principle.
A resolution offered by A. E. Mclaughlin
was adopted and is as follows:
washington being the national capital,
it should be embellished and improved
along national lines and in keeping with the
dignity of the United States. 1t is, there
fore, proper for Congress to declare that
great parks, buildings, bridges, streets,
boulevards, avenues and other improve
ments should be extensive and costly, so
that Washington. or rather the District If
Columbia. shall become the admiration Of
the world.
1T is not, however, proper that Congress
should direct these extensive improvements
for the beenfit of the people of the United
States and compel the few taxpayers of the
District to bear an enormous burden which
will cause taxation to operate as a coniis-
cation of their property
Therefore the Brightwood Citizens AS
ISOLATION is of the opinion that Congress
will at once recognize the error and injus-
tice of the present policy and grant the DE-
sired relief. We further believe that the
people of this county desire to see Wash
ington what it ought to be as the capital
city and at national expense, and lnat they
are opposed to the imposition of national
burdens upon District land owners"
Sixteenth Street Extension.
Mr. Wilton ]. Lambert introduced resp
luton regarding the extension of 10th
street 1t was adopted unanimously and re-
cites: THAT as this association has always
advocated the extension of 10th street as a
great public and private necessity and as
several Of its members have worked con-
stantly for years to secure the donations
and the completion Of the condemnation