Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-15
MONEY FOR DISTRICT
Appropriation Bill in the
Senate.
PLEA FOR ECONOMY
MADE BY MR.. ELKINS IN ITEM
FOR PINEY BRANCH BRIDGE.
His Motion to Strike Out Defeated
MI. Hopkins Opposes the $500, 1000
Municipal Building.

trlct appropriation bill in Senate,
Mr.. Elkins made plea for econo-
| my, and said the amount could be
cut 100000 without harm. He
particularly objected to the item
for the Piney Branch bridge, which
he moved to strike out. The mo-
ton was defeated. Mr.. Hopkins
opposed the additional $4,000 for
the municipal building. The item
was laid over temporarily.
The Senate at 1890 today resumed the
consideration of the District appropriation
bill, having taken 1t up late yesterday aft
| ernoon.
When the Senate amendment increasing
| the limit of cost of the municipal building
| by an addition Of 100000 was reached Sem
ator Hopkins objected to the amendment,
| saying it was new legislation and came
within the restriction of rule 1G
| Senator Gallinger suggested that the
| adoption of the amendment was very i'm
portant and hoped there would be no adj
verse action on it,
Senator Allison asked that it be passed
|
Mr.. Elkins on Economy.
The Senate was rather taken by surprise
at the course adopted by Senator Elkins
| in making a speech that consumed about
| twenty-five or thirty minutes directed
against the appropriation for Piney Branch
| bridge and against appropriations gener-
| ally, with a view. as he claimed, to prac-
| ticing economy in order to meet the deficit
e,t non lnn hat tJ,a ,art hoe apd
| to prevent an additional deficit which, he
| said was staring the government in the
| face Senator Elkins started into this cam
paign against appropriations for the Dis
trict of Columbia by declaring that II he
had his way he would cut the bill down a
million dollars. He called attention to the
| fact that that bill appropriates $4,000
more than the House appropriated
1T seems to me- said Mr.. Elkins the
| House gave very careful consideration to
the District bill. We have a deficit of S24,-
900 600 today and facing an increased
deficit of S25, 100000 additional if We pass
the deficiency, rivers and harbors and 9TH
er bills that will soon come before u.s. .....
Mr.. Elkins read from committee hearings
what the Commissioners had said in rela-
| ton to this bill, but he said he had not OBJ
served that any petitions for the bridge
were before the appropriations committee
of which he was member. He said he
had fought for economy while on the COM
mttee when they had this bill, and would
|
he could not accomplish anything, and
| therefore brought his cause into the Sem
ate
| He said there were very few people be-
yond this bridge, sometimes referring to it
as Piney Street BRIDGE again as Piney
Creek bridge and again at times as Piney
| Branch bridge. He said the extension OF
| Massa chusetts avenue had cost million
dollars and had improved real estate. but
| he did not propose to appropriate money
to improve real estate.
He read an interview in a New York pa
per with Senator Allison in which the
| senator said that the only way to meet the
deficiency was TO cut down the expenses or
| the government. That, he said, was what
he wanted to do, too, and he proposed to
be gin right here. He remarked that there
| were several other items in the District bill
| that could be cut out to reduce expenses,
and the public interest would not be affect
ed one way or the other.
Mr.. Allison's Reply.
| Senator Allison replied to Mr.. Elkins, and
| expressed surprise that he had begun his
| campaign of economy on Piney Branch
| bridge which involved small amount.
| Mr.. Allison said that the bill appropriates
| for that purpose only $4,000, and of that
| amount only $4,000 will come from the
| treasury of the United States.
| 'It seems to me- said Mr.. Allison, eff we
| are going to install a new system of econ
| omy we must begin with some larger item
| committee examined this matter very fully,
! and we believe it is one OF the necessary
| appropriations to be made for the improve
| ment of the District.
| Mr. EIkins then went to to say he had
| tried to oppose Anacostia bridge and Con-
| necticut avenue bridge in the committee.
| but he overruled
| ''If we do not begin somewhere We VIII
not begin at ALL" continued Mr.. Elkns.
| 'If 1 had my way l would cut million
dollars out of this bill and 1 would reduce
ft,n1a /, J,iraerc
| have some merit in them, but when the
| government is faced by deficit and we go
| on piing up debt against the government
| it is time to stop and consider"
| Senator Gallinger reminded Mr.. Elkns
| that this bill as reported to the Senate
| carries a million and a half dollars less
than the Commissioners asked for
| Mr. Elkins insisted that that was no argu-
| noent as they never proposed to give the
Commissioners all they want
senator Eikins began talking about econ
omy in the government generally, and Sem
| ator Foraker remarked that before he left
| Pney branch to talk about governmental
| economy generally he would like to say that
| he had driven out in the section in which
| this bridge is to be built and that 10th
| street comes to abrupt end at that point,
| and if it is to be continued some sort of
bridge must be built. He insisted that the
| bridge had been petitioned for by people
| living in that part of the city The bridge
| was part of the plan for a broad avenue
| leading out into Military road, and the
| bridge was necessary to allow the driveway
to be made continuous.
| Mr. Elkins insisted that he had never
| heard of a petition of citizens for this
bridge. The only thing he had heard from
It was by the District Commissioners by the
| Engineer Commissioner. He said he knew
that property had been improved by extend
ing Massachusetts, and connecticut asenues'
but he did not feel called upon to appro-
| pirate money to increase real estate values.
| SIT will also increase the amount CT taxes
| we can raise to pay for improvements
| suggested Senator Gallnger.
1 Senator Eakins continued TO talk OF econ
omy in general and economy in relation TO
| Piney branch bridge in particular. He was
i a young member, he said, Of the appropri1-
l tions committee. but more talk Of this kind
| would be heard in the Senate before this
thing is over, he remarked.
IT am a young man on this committee,