Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-09
TAXFORSNOWREMOVAL
FORMER SENATOR HENDERSON'S
VIEWS APPROVED.

Commissioner Macfarland favors the
proposition that the District clean the
snow from the sidewalks of the city, but
he believes the ice should be cleaned by the
individual citizens. Mr.. mcfarland ex-
pressed this opinion to reporter for The
Star today in discussing the suggestions
made in a letter he has received from
former Senator j. B. Henderson, who pro-
posed that a tax be levied against prop
erty in the city sufficient to cover the ex-
pense of removing the snow and ice from
sidewalks by the District.
The letter of former Senator Henderson
suggesting legislation which he believes
would relieve the conditions which exist
with respect to snow and ice in the national
capital is, in part, as follows:
"a sidewalk is, like the streets, public
property, differing only in character or
quality of use, the streets being used for
vehicular transportation and the sidewalks
for pedestrians If streets are, or ought to
be- cleaned at public expense, SO s..ould the
sidewalks-the necessity in the latter case
being, If possible, more urgent than in the
former. If one-half or even one-fourth in
the length of sidewalks be unclaimed the
inconvenience and danger is put slightly
lessened by cleaning the remainder. Ii the
streets are to be cleaned at public expense,
l.. e., out of the general revenues of the
same way? If the revenues of the District
be insufficient, then let an amendment be
attached to the District bill now pending
imposing tax of, say, cents on every
street, and collected along with other
taxes With this fund the Commits
sioners can contract for cleaning
sidewalks as they now contract for
that the government should duplicate the
amount of this tax, and then the sidewalks
in front of parks and public buildings
should in the same manner be cleaned of
snow ice and other Instructions. If how
ever, the Congress shall reIuse to duplicate
under the act of 1878, then let the tax on
front lots as above provided be sufficient to
clean all sidewalks on which private prop
erty abuts, and leave the government to
take care of those in front of all public
buildings and parks.
while 1 have suggested that this tax
levy be made on lots fronting on paved
streets, l see no possible objection to i'm
posing the tax on all the real estate in the
District. Indeed. the latter plan would be
more equitable and just. Every person in
the District uses, on equal terms with own
ers of abutting lots, all the sidewalks in
the city.
''The power Of taxation by Congress in
this District is without limit, Congress hav-
ing here the combined powers of the fed
eral and state governments in one of the
states. No court can deny to Congress the
power to tax, and the tax can be enforced
under sales for delinquency In payment.
And when once the money is in the treas
ury it can be appropriated by Congress,
from year to year, for cleaning sidewalks
in the same manner as appropriations are
made for building, improving or cleaning
streets.
"And this plan, In my opinion, formed
upon long experience, is the only means by
which the object SO earnestly prayed for
by all can ever be accomplished"
In commenting on Mr.. Henderson's sug
gestions, Mr.. Mcfarland said the District
has never been authorized by Congress to
clean the roadways, but only the cross
walks and cutters. He said in Montreal
Canada. the city removes the snow from