Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-22
NO DISSENTING VIEW
Citizens Emphatically, Favor
the Federal Loan Bill.
SURPRISE AZ QUESTION
OF PLAN UNBRoKEN.
Situation Of the Capital Regarded as
Critical If Congress Rejects
the Proposition.

the Proposition.
So often have the people of the District
expressed themselves in favor of the propo-
sitfon to meet the extraordinary expenses
connected with the execution of large pub
lie works by means Of either bond issue
| or, federal loan to- the District that the
| question now raised as to their desires in
the premises is incemprehensible to them.
There has been practically no organization
OF citizens interested in the public welfare
which has not in some manner, at some
time during the past few years, declared
explicitly in favor OF this policy Of finance.
So that the reported hesitation Of members
of the House to approve the pending S10,-
100000 advance bill because the District
does not desire it meets everywhere with
expressions Of surprise. Representatives of
The Star making inquiries along'this line
today were on all sides assured that the To-
cal sentiment Is virtually unanimous in this
respect Citizens who have studied the
that Congress should attempt to force the
District to do that which no other city in
the United States asks it's taxpayers to DO,
namely, to assume without the aid of flu
ture taxpayers the entire burden of the cost
Of great permanent works.
Preparations for bringing evidence OF the
prevailing local sentiment on this subject
squarely to the attention of the House
were actively forwarded today. Letters
were sent to Chairman Babcock OF the Dis
trict committee by individual citizens, ana
arrangements were urged for the holding OF
meetings of organizations to take such &C
ton as will enable Mr.. Babcock next Mon
day to assure the House without fear OF
contradiction that the District Is today
practically a unit in demanding the pro-
posed loan as an act of justice to the capt.
tai.
John Joy Edson's Views.
"It is rule with all cities,'' said Mr..
John Joy Edison, president Of the Washing
ton Loan and Trust Company, today, Ito
have municipal buildings, proper sewerage,
bridges, extensions of streets and other
general and lasting Improvements. and they
are provided for by making loans covering
a period of years that prevents the cost OF
such necessities becoming burden, and
justly enabling those who enjoy them mere
after to aid in their payment. Why does
Congress deny to Washington, the capital
of the nation, what all other cities are ac-
corded under their governments? Is there
any other city in the Union of the size OF
Washington or even smaller, which has
not suitable municipal building in which
to deposit records and conduct government
business? What city has not inaugurated
and completed sanitary sewerage system;
improved, Strengthened and extended
streets; established ample water works,
built school houses and other improvements
essential to a properly equipped city: And
vet the capital city of the nation is behind
them ALL No city in the Union has been
for many years, or was at the last session
of Congress, in a better financial situation
than Washington, and the District OF CO.
lumbia. -,
Its revenues were more than its current
expenses, and have been for years, and yet
our assessors were instructed to increase
assessments on real estate, and personal
tv,,v, cd
they were, with the normal increase Of the
ordinary three-year revision, without ex-
traordinary instructions to increase, would
have been amply sufficient to meet current
annual expenses, pay the interest on the
desired loan, and a sufficient annual curtall
os the same.
An Easy Problem to Solve.
mo problem of finances was ever in bet
ter condition to be easily handled A great
mistake was made Washington as every
body knows, not being a commercial or
manufacturing city, with less wealth than
any other city Of it's size in the Union, less
able to pay burdensome taxes, has had an
unnecessary increase of taxation placed
upon it. In the condition In which the Dis
trct is placed, 1t seems to me just and
proper course for Congress to pursue is to
authorize a loan sufficient to at once es-
tablish these necessary improvements that
all other cities enjoy, pay the interest
thereon from the current revenues, and
curtai Of four or five hundred thousand
dollars a year on the principal And then
If the current revenues largely exceed these
obligations, in justice to the taxpayers,
assessments should be again restored to
proper basis.
TT is felt by the public that Congress has
been misled and misinformed, and mis-
understood the true situation; that the
members of the committee having to Go
with the legislation and appropriations for
the District are frequently changed, unac-
t,,tn ,ttl,
whose statements to fully rely upon and
are more or less at sea; while other cities,
having their municipal councils, spend
weeks upon public measures annual and
extraordinary, and the citizens and the
councils are well acquainted and know all
the questions involved.
Authorize the loan already too long
postponed and let these necessary pubic
improvements be made The people of
Washington, l sure, do not want these
improvements unless provided for by
Loan
Action by Business Mems Association.
Secretary Buckley of the Business Mems
Association today placed in Chairman Bah
cocks hands the following letter transmit
ting resolutions recently adopted by that
organization relative to the proposed fed
eral loan:
Association, which numbers over seven
hundred of the representative business men
of the national capital, to invite your at
tention to the inclosed resolutions passed
by unanimous vote of the association at its
last regular monthly meeting held on the
18th of January, 1903.
II am further instructed to say that the
association is in hearty accord with the
petition of the Brightwood Citizens Asso-
citation, presented to the Commissioners OF
the District and through them to Congress
in October, 1907 and with a paper pre-
pared by Mr.. Lopis p. Shoemaker, presi-
dent of that association, and entitled Who
Can Afford to Disapprove the Proposed
Bond Issue or D6an?a I have the honor
to inclose copies OF these papers.
The resolutions are as follows:
whereas, the pressing necessity for the
prompt extension and Improvement of
streets as provided by the highway act, the
construction Of the sewerage system plan
ned by the board Of experts, and for the en-
largement of the water supply, is apparent
tc every taxpayer and citizen, who is in
terested in the grewfh and DEVELOPMENT Of