Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-18

iectionable which II is hoped will be reme-
died by favorable construction by the courts
or by amendment.
"(S) In regard to sales under the new law
of liens heretofore acquired by the District
at regular annual sales for delinquent taxes,
your committee desires to report that at
meeting held on January % last resoiu-
ton was adopted and presented TO the
Board of Trade directing that the Commits
sioners be requested to withhold delivery OF
the deeds, for a short time at least, to give
to those persons whose property was aHect-
ed an opportunity to redeem the sales that
were made on January 10. The request was
made and granted, and while deeds for
forty-one lots, the first to be sold, were de-
livered before the request reached the Com
missioners, your committee is pleased 10 re-
port that subsequently out Of 1870 deeds pre-
pared but nineteen were delivered to the
purchasers, resulting in a saving to the
owners of the bonus to be charged. since
that time there have been further and nu-
merous sales of the liens, but the owners
have been notified by the authorities. and
the sales have been conducted publicly, and
not privately, were those held at the time
your committee took action"
DR.. Fardon's Suggestion.
DR.. A. P. Pardon called the attention
of the board to the wording of one of the
paragraphs relating to the personal tax
law. He said he did not believe it would
be polite for the board to state that the
personal tax law always is obnoxious.
The District depends on Congress for its
support or for the appropriations of money
for its support he said, and it did not seem
right to criticise the action of Congress in
this manner.
DR.. Pardon declared that his attention
had been called to. this practice on one or
two occasions by members of Congress and
at least once by no less distinguished
person than the present Speaker of the
House. 1t is not tactful nor diplomatic,
he said, and he desired to have the words
always" and obnoxious struck from the
report.
Mr.. Ralston objected to striking the
words from the report because they ex-
pressed exactly what the committee de-
sired to state.
Capt. Kelley entered the debate at this
juncture and said he believed the per-
sonal tax law to be obnoxious and that
everybody else did. and he could see no
reason why the words objected to should
be stricken from the report.
DR.. Fardon's motion was lost and the re-
port was adopted in full.
Report on Railroads.
Mr.. A. r. Server then presented the re-
port Of the committee on railroads, which
in part follows:
Your committee is looking hopefully for
ward to the time when the Wabash and
the Norfolk and Western railroads may
also secure entrance into the District 1t
has been the aim of this committee in the
past to aid and encourage all efforts that
seemed to promise increase in the number
of railroads having entrance to our city.
1t is believed that earnest work at this
time may be successful in securing an
early entrance for one or both of the
above-named roads. This committee
pledges itself to do all 1t possibly can to
| obtain this desirable result
while the committee desires to bear tes-
timony to the high character of our street
car facilities as compared with those of
tla, a;%x l.,
dent that something still remains to be
done. 1t is believed that the best inter-
ests of our city demand that all of our
suburban car lines running out into the
surrounding country should be privileged
to operate such suitable freight cars as are
necessary over their lines for the purpose
of bringing in country produce and thus
better supply our public markets. This
ought not only to increase the supply of
fresh vegetables. fruits. ETC., but should
also materially reduce the cost of them to
the consumer. Because of the bad roads
leading out from our city and the con-
sequent irregularity of service of farmers
and truck raisers this class of provisions
is at times needlessly expensive in Wash
ington, and anything tending to improve
the present condition is very desirable.
The additional facility thus favored would
benefit all interests and be hurtful to none.
Recommendations Renewed.
THE committee renews it's recommended
ton that an east and west cross-town
line should be provided for the upper north
west section of the city, which should also
be continued a north and south cross
town line for the eastern section. 1t is
not thought wise that a new company
should be chartered for this purpose, but
Congress should require one of the exist
ing systems to construct and operate such
a line a part of its service.
''In reviewing the entire railroad situa-
ton in the District of Columbia your COM
mittee feels that there is at present much
promise to expect that the time will soon
come when will be able to claim as
much superiority over other cities in steam
railroad facilities as we now possess in
street car facilities, namely, that of hav-
ing the best in the world.
1T is the opinion of your committee that
the time has come when the attention of
cur District officials and of Congress
should be called to the lack of facilities
for reaching Rock Creek Park. While the
present car lines afford fairly easy and
convenient access to the Geological Park
it is thought that not more than / or per
cent of our population has ever had even
glimpse of the wonderful beauty of the
interior of the park Its picturesque glens
its wooded dells, at every turn presenting
new and inviting panoramic landscape
to delight the lover of the beautiful ard
revive the tagging powers of the worn and
part. Few cities of our land can boast OF
its equal. Should not provision be at once
made so that those who do not have horses
and carriages and other costly conveyances
Can be enabled to share in the enjoyment
and benefits of this magnificent park at a
cost not above the purse of the average
citizen? Your committee believes it should
Spirited Debate Follows.
In discussing the report Mr.. Server said
the committee wished to draw especial at
tention to that portion of it which related
to the extension of the existing street rail-
road lines or the building of others which
would give the people of the District a bet
ter service to and through Rock Creek
Park. The committee had given careful
consideration to this matter and desired to
impress it strongly on the members.
Mr.. r. Ross Perry then called attention to
the sentence in the report which placed the
committee on record favoring the SUI
pervision of the railroads by the Commits
sioners of the District Mr.. Perry said this
was a dangerous move. The commission
governing the District has very broad pow
ers anyhow, he said, but it was certainly
not conceivable that these powers should
be widened to such an extent as to give
the governing power authority to supervise