Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-12
NATION SHOULD REPAY
So Recommended a Senate
Committee in 1885.
DISTRICTS BALANCE
STRONG STATEMENT OF FEDERAL
CHARACTER OF THE CAPITAL.
Instructive Report Then Filed of Per-
tinent Interest at the Present
Juncture.

In 1885, the citizens of the District of Co
| lumbia having previously been forced by
circumstances to assume practically the en-
tire charge of the maintenance of the fed
eral capital, owing to the government s
| neglect, found themselves in a state Of vir-
tual bankruptcy. They had not only taxed
themselves to improve the streets and ave-
nues, but had borrowed money from Eu-
rope which they were unable to repay, and
so in the year mentioned they appealed to
Congress for relief. A committee of the
Senate, headed by Senator Southland, after
investigating the circumstances, rendered a
report which is Of exceptional interest at
this time with the Districts affairs under
close scrutiny in Congress. The report
says:
The committee deem it proper in the
first place to state that in the investigation
of the causes which have led to the en-
barrassed condition of the city they have
not found reason to rebuke and condemn
the imprudence or extravaganza Of the in
habitants and the city authorities to the
extent which they had anticipated. They
had it is believed, in some instances been
propriately belong to them, but the views
by which they were governed were of a
liberal and publc-spirited character Such
has been the fact in relation to the streets
Street Expenses.
1.-The first cause of embarrassment to
which the action of the committee was d.
rected was the expense incurred in the
opening and repairing of the streets. The
plan Of the city was one Of unusual magni-
tude and extent. The avenues and streets
are very WIDE and for the number of the in
habitants much greater in distance than
those Of any other city on this continent,
and necessarily require proportionate ex-
penditure to make and keep them In repair;
and as the city has not grown in the usual
manner, but has necessarily been created in
short space of time the pressure for the
public improvements has been alike sudden
and burdensome. The population is but lit
tie more than 10000, of whom nearly 1000
are people of color and slaves and large
number are temporary residents connected
with the government The avenues vary
from 12O to 16O feet in width the streets
from so to 147, the average being about so
feet. The avenues and streets which have
to be opened and repaired to fill up the
plan of the city embrace a distance Of more
than sixty miles. The total length was 22S
miles (since increased to 2541s miles). Upon
the streets then has been expended since
the year 1900 an average annual sum of
not less than $4,000, exclusive of a nearly
equal amount assessed upon the inhabitants
for the paVements, cutters, etc, a sum
enormous in it's amount when the character
and resources of the population and their
scattered position and the other improve
mentS which they have been compelled to
make are considered. While this burden
from the streets was upon them, and within
the short period since the city was founded
they have been compelled to create their
market houses, infirmaries, pumps, wells,
lamps, fire engines and houses, pay their
proportion for the county roads, and the
expense of their police, etc.
the circumstances, has unquestionably been
one of the principal causes Of the embar-
rassment of the city, and the committee be-
iieves that 1t is one which ought not to
have been thrown on the inhabitants to the
extent which it has been. They found this
opinion upon the early history of the city.
the object of the nation in it's establish
ment, and the contracts made by the gov
within its limits.
THE present seat Of government was
eventually selected and the location made
upon several plantations, upon which there
was not one building or other Improvement
for the public accommodation and USE
A National Plan.
1.-The plan of the city was formed by the
public authorities; the dimensions of the
streets determined by them, without inter-
ference by the inhabitants or regard to
their particular interest or convenience. 1t
tai of great nation, but oppressive from
it's very dimensions and arrangements to
the inhabitants, if its execution to any con-
siderable extent Is to be thrown upon them.
No people who anticipated the execution
ana subsequent support Of it out Of their
own fund would ever have dreamed of
forming such a plan. At that period
neither the government nor the proprietors
contemplated that the whole or even a
large proportion Of the burden should be
thrown upon the inhabitants Of the city.
This assertion is amply sustained by two
considerations. In the first place the con-
tracts between the government and the
owners of the land gave to the former a
large extent of public lots sufficient for all
the edifices and improvements which its
convenience should require, and in addition
thereto one-half Of all the building lots
within the limits Of the city, thus making
the nation itself an equal owner of all the
private property, and equally interested for
the benefit Of this private property in all
the improvements which might be made. In
the next place, the government assumed.
ana from that day to the present has
claimed and exercised, entire and absolute
control over all the streets Of the city. so
that the inhabitants or corporate authori-
ties have no power to enlarge or diminish
authority in these respects has been exer-
cised at all times by Congress- 1t has even
closed one of the streets and sold the
ground which formed part of it.
The Government Should Have Paid.
1T could not have entered into the con-
temptation Of any one at the date of the
contract. nor can 1t be now regarded as
either reasonable or just that the city
should bear the expense Of the streets the
property and control Of which was SO abso-
lutely in the government, and more than
one-half Of the land adjacent to which be-
longed to 1t, and which must be Increased
in value by their improvement The COM
mittee are of the opinion that the govern
ment was bound by every principle of
equity. right and justice to pay a proper
ton of the expense incurred upon this sub
which is held. and which was to be in
creased in value and benefited by 1t, and
this would have been greatly more than
and to be regarded as altogether under its
control, 1t is not easy to perceive why It
should call upon or permit others to Eeen