The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-08-27
.OFFER.AMENDMENT'
TO CONSTITUTION |: J
Macl1cn to Propose That Prop
crty Holders Assist III Street
improvements.
RYAN NOT OUT OF POLITICS
Just Resting 4 While Ex-
4 Speaker Of House Declares.
Typhoid iii asllington.

Typhoid iii Washington.
(t'r6m Our Regular Correspondent.]
WASHINGTON, D.. c., August 90
Henry N. Craven. Of the Railway Postal
Service. with headquarters In Richmond
Va, lins Just returned from Nh extended
tour. In Europe. f1a attended the Inter-
national Baptist Congress- In London,
and visited many points In Scotland,
England France Germany and Belgium.
There were many yirginians, North Car
oliniuns apd Kehtucklans In the party,
or wh!ch he was Il member A Cincinnati
gave fifty young ladies q
complimentary trip, and they were in
the same purity rho young ladies were
known as tho fifty American beauties.
and they attracted considerable atter-
ton wherever they went. The London
Times stated that the fact that they
were all single did not speak we'll for tho
Sinen III America. Di1e Of the most inter-
cstlng Incidents OF thcy trip to Mr.. Cra-
ven was attending the celebration Of the
seventy fifth anniversary OF Belgian In
dependence. He was presented to King
Leopold who IL one Of the Richest men
In the world and Is feptlted to have vast
holdings in tho railways Of America,
s. was ABOUT 10 uS III
sells" said MR. Craven. i"for displaying
NJ little patriotism. There they celebrate
the Independence anniversary for ten
days instead OF one, and never SAY
anything like It In my life have Wis
tied every prominent celebration In this
country III the last quarter Of CEN
tury but i have never seen anything to
compare With the Belgihti celebration
was sitting In n carriage atchins
King Leopold review the vast throns
that passed before him. 1 saw every
flag that floats except the Stars and
Stripes in that procession. That did not
suit me. had fairly good sized star
spanglcd silk banner In my pocket, and
1 took 1t out. fastened lt on my cane
and waved 1t vigorously, emitting a
couple Of rebel yels as ] did so. was
politely informed that was violating
the law OF the land, that no flag OF g
foreign country could be waved without
permit. SO the restsiof the procession
passed without the waving Of the good
old stars and Strlpes
Appeals to Congress.
washington Is Just now very much ex-,
erclsed about tho condition of the Potot
mac waters he'd Fl Just now the city Is
wrestling with 4 very serious epidemic
OF typhoid, 4attributable,bit is elaine !. to
the con Examination OF the Potomac River
There Is d proposition on foot to appeal
TO Congress forNthe enactment of a law
to protect tho Potomac from such con :
domination. When I'LL Is, considered that
the greater portion Of the northern end
OF West Virginia and thet entire Shenan-
doai Vnlley'northiofT iIub Der Rt9ge ROCK
bridge county. deliyerr, tf cir, drainage into
the Potomac, to say'Nnothing Of the
western half Of the State of Maryland
one will see how absolutely unfsasible
II would be to pass a law to protect I he
Potomac from COMMUNICATIONS; IN the
Shenandoah Valley, there are thousands
Of little streams. cling from spring
branches 10 small rivers, which deliver
their Drainage into Tie Potomac So long
as there IS typhoid fever in that SEQ
ton there is bound to be mora or less
contamination Of these little lncons Y
quentinl streams. The drainage of this
Important section of the State is bound
to be delivered to the Potomac, and In
| d country SO prosperous and tthickly pop
| ulated as the Shonandoall Valley con-
| Illumination Is bound to follow. TO stop
It., It would be necessaryi, !! dep opull te
| the country and to stop Its Industries.
| There are more than a half-dozen tan
nerics in the Section under fire. and saw
| mills and siaughtcr-housesf innufhsrable,
| to say nothing Of the canning establ sll-
| merts and other industries. Virginia and
West Virginia repres antatlyes In Con-
.gress may be relied upon to see to y
| that Washington's water supply Is not
| protected at the expense or tho hundreds
Of thousands OF people inhabl,ing the ter
| ritory drained by the Potomac It Is
| believed that the new filtration plant,
4 which Will soon be completed WILL cor
| rect all the evils now complained OF, and
that there will be neither occasion to
| protect the Potomac watershed nor 10
! change the source Of tho Washington
| water supply. .3
For Constitutional Amendment.
State Senator Louis II. AIachrii. OF tbs
! iAlexahdriai District. Will lpopoBe al,
amendment to the Constitution Of Viz
ginia, at the next session of the Legls-
| laturo. It will be to enable the nunlci-
pallties of the State to tax AUDITING prop
| erty holders for half Of the expense In
| yolved lin street improvements and the
| like The new Constitution prohibits that
being done and Mr., Nlachen SAWS that
| 1t hns very much hmpered tho work
OF Improving the cities and the towns
| of the State. The amendment lie VIII
| propose Will not make 1t mandatory | o
| tax the nbuttlng property. bit VIII leave
1T discretionary With each municipal
| government whether 1t shall be done or
not. Anu 1t Will further provide that
IN no. case Slldil tlle asScssIlielt,t OH am
| AUDITING property be more than the
actual benefit the said property will dc
rive from tho Improvement
Mr.. Machen- says It Ia no more than
| right that nbuttlng property should pay
| its share towards the improvements, rs
| Its value Is enhanced THEREBY, to an
extent fur beyond TINT OF The non-aLlitt-
Ing property and that It IS not Just and
| equitable that non-abuttsng ,rrnperty
| should DO required to pay ms much To-
ward the Improvement as that which
ahuts on the improvement and thereby
| gains more FROM It,
| To become effective tho amendment
! would have to pass the legislature by
| n constitutional vote and then hG stih-
mittel to the electorate OF the Stote, II
| ID realized that It viii be far ehsler to
get the bin through the Legislature than
| It will to carry It pnst the electorate
OF tho State. SO many town residents
! VIII 10 opposed to 1t, and so few country
people will have any interest IN II,
l. 10, tt,N h orp,,