Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-22

a afternoon to Star reporter that he be-
lieved this to be a critical period in the Dis
trict's history, and that he hoped every eff
fort would be made by the friends OF the
District in Congress to secure the adoption
of the federal advance bill, as establishing
the proper principle for financing the large
public works at this capital. He continued:
1--WE have had two critical periods in the
history of the District, just as suppose
every city in our country has had critical
periods or times when it was found to be
experiencing a transition stage. Our first
existed when Gov. Shepherd assumed con-
troll Of Washington. He found it with a
great plan or system Of streets such as
now exists in the new and greater Wash
ington. He also found the Old city without
pavements, without water mains or sewers,
without light facilities and with unlm-
proved parks. These advantages were pro-
vided, regretfully, in reckless and eX-
travagant manner The result, reverthe-
less was the unfolding of the Washington
of today and the creation OF beautiful
city out of what was then characterized as
a mud hole With his system we would
| not have to contend.
1--WE are now experiencing a second crisis.
A similar condition of affairs in the new
and greater Washington exists. The old
city has been built up and improved. and
some Of our best structures can now be
found beyond its limits, while the United
States government has gone over the line
with many Of it's public institutions-that
is, the municipal hospital, the bureau of
standards, the observatory. the Geological
Park and the Rock Creek Park.
District Suffering for improvements.
Congress has given the District g. great
national street extension plan upon paper,
with reference to the new and greater
Washington, which is very properly ma
tional In character, far beyond the power,
needs and necessities of the mere local tax
payer, but adequate means have not been
In1 % 70 NJ
has refused to do so, consequently we find
our people suffering for streets street i'm
provements, water MAINS electric light and
sewerage facilities.
Thus far the local taxpayer has not
only been required to make to a great ex-
tent national city at mere local expense,
but effort is being made to accom-
plish this purpose from current revenues
through the medium Of increased annual
taxation upon land owners already over
burdened as compared with other cities,
and this is being done in the face Of the
fact that no municipality in this country
has attempted nor will it ever attempt to
meet extraordinary requirements involving
extraordinary expense, such as great
bridges, trunk sewers, new streets, filtra-
ton plant, railway stations and municipal
| buildings from current revenues. Every
where these extraordinary expenses are
provided for by loans or bond issues. Why
not here?
when national improvements are made
IN the DlStrlct, as tney are everywhere
throughout the country at national ex-
pense, when Congress makes ample and
just provisions for executing great street
extension plan which Is beyond doubt or
question, of a national character, or re-
peals the act authorizing it, and permits
District land owners to make their own
streets of the width and in a direction
they may desire; when extraordinary i'm
provements, such as the construction Of
great bridges over the Potomac river, the
Eastern branch and Rock creek as well
as a trunk sewer system, the filtration
plant, the improvement of parks, the con-
struction of municipal hospital, munich
pal building and the dredging of the East
ern branch, to relieve our city of the ma
terial influences which have endangered
the health Of our people for almost one
hundred years, are provided for by loans
or bond issues; when public improvements
are made wherever the necessity exists for
them SO that private improvement can fol-
low and our land owners be relieved of
the disadvantage of owning property with
out being able. to utilize It,.
Unjust to the Nation.
1.-THE present situation, however, and The
present treatment of the land owners of
the District of Columbia. Is not only an
injustice to them. but injustice to the
nation, because the capital city Is oeing
circumscribed as well as restricted, in its
development and the long standing demand