Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-21

ties throughout the country and very much
more in proportion to taxable real estate.
"A. new assessment will be entered upon
about the beginning of next year. We sug
gest that the Board of Trade take some
action recommending that the taxpayers
cooperate with the board of assessors in
securing, as far as practicable, a just and
equal assessment of valuation of all tax
able real estate under the law, and thus
discharge duty not only incumbent upon.
but the object sought to be attained by
EACH
Favors Single Tax.
Mr.. Ralston. vice chairman, favored the
single tax system and hoped the committee
would give that system of taxation con-
sideration in the near future. He said the
| manufacturing success of Philadelphia,
Baltimore and many other cities is due to
| the fact that they do not tax such plants.
Mr.. Weller spoke forcibly against any
| return to the system of taxing agricultural
| property at the rate of only 81 per S100 of
| valuation, and finally a motion made
| to recommit the report to the committee on
! taxation, which was carried.
In commenting on the report Mr. Weller
| said he had the utmost confidence in the
chairman of the committee, but he differed
| from him and did not like to have the
| port before the board as the result of the
| elaboration of the entire committee when
he understood but two members of the COM
mittee were present when the report was
adopted.
Parks and Parking.
| Mr.. Charles S. Bundy, vice chairman of
| the committee on parks and parking. read
| the report Of that committee. The report
| was opposed to the tunneling of Rock
Creek valley, and that feature was the SUBJ
| ject of lively criticism.
| Mr.. Singleton moved that that part of the
report be recommitted to the committee,
T.;
report had been prepared by the late Major
LOCKER and was one Of the last acts of his
| life.
Mr.. Siddons moved that SO much of the
report as criticised the retrocession Of
eleven acres of public park near Howard
University be eliminated from the report,
but the motion was lost.
The report, as made to the board by the
committee, states, in connection with work
ON Rock Creek Park that during the fiscal
year ending the 30th of last June the grad
ing of Blagden avenue was undertaken,
In order to connect the finished portion of
the avenue with the Beach driveway at
Pierce mill. Blagden avenue has been bent
to the southwark, using the Pierce Mill
bridge as a connection over the creek, a
connection being made with Broad Branch
road by means of a ford below the mouth
of Broad branch. The old wooden dam at
Pierce mill having been washed out new
dam Of concrete has been built, which pro-
duces very considerable space of level
water in Rock creek and waterfall about
seven feet high. North of the Military
road the Milk House ford has been paved.
The grading of Ross road has been part
ly completed, and 1t is now possible to
drive through this road from the mouth of
Broad branch to the Military road.
About $12 600 in all has been expended on
care and improvements in Rock Creek Park
during the fiscal year ending 1904; $4,000
was appropriated by the last Congress for
the fiscal year closing 1905, for various
Items of repair and Improvement. About
$50 600 has been estimated for by Mr.. w.
p. Richards, assistant engineer In charge
of Rock Creek Park, to be expended during
the fiscal year ending in June, 1905.
Provision in Sundry Civil Bill.
The terms of a provision In the sundry
civil appropriation act for the fiscal year
ending June 80. 1905, were recited, showing
that Howard Park, a space between 4th
and 9th streets and between Pomeroy and
College Streets containing eleven acres and
covered by a very fine grove of old oak
trees. was retroceded to Howard Uni
versity as a site for the new hospital build
Ing for the Freedmen's Hospital. Any use
of public park property for building pur-
poses, particularly such as is covered by
a fine growth of timber is a matter to be
deplored In view Of the fact that there is
no public park space, other than this
eleven-acre tract, which could be utilized
as a breathing space by the teeming popu-
latfon of this neighborhood, we cannot re-
gard this matter as anything but a serious
n.istake-one showing unfortunately in
creasing tendency of Congress to destroy
public park spaces merely because of the
expense attendant upon purchases of pri-
vate ground for such building sites as are
required for the rapidly increasing needs of
the general government in the District
There is no real line of demarkation be-
tween the original city of Washington and
the handsomely built-up sections ~imme-
dately outside of Florida avenue, but there
is already apparent to the visitor to WASH
ington the fact that the system of reserva-
lions so wisely planned by the founders of
the city has not been extended beyond
Florida avenue. resulting in detriment to
the outer section. and the abandonment of
the comprehensive ider of parks, which
more than almost anything else has during
the last century helped to make Washing
ton what 1t Is and set the pace for the COM
plete development of the federal district
The outer line of the original city has now
become purely theoretical boundary"
The work of improvement under the
direction of the officer in charge of public
buildings was outlined in the report.
Opposed to Tunnel.
The committee states 1t is emphaticaliy
opposed to the idea of carrying lower Rock
creek through tunnel and filling the val
ley up to the general level, although 1t does