Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-11

TO satisfy his suspicion and his contempt
On Monday the array Of adjectiyes used
was unusually pungent.
Apart from mere verbal details, the on
slaught upon the Oleott bill was pitched In
a most unfair well as illogical key. Rep
resentatiye Sims, usually the advocate Of
square deal for the District, voiced a most
remarkable proposition. He said, In part:
1T looks exceedingly unjust to the people
of the District OF Columbia that Congress
shall with its iron hand say you shall open
a certain street, where the damages far ex-
coed the benefits, and then say that the
citizens shall pay all of the damages. There
has been nothing of that kind done since
have been on the committee. The city gov
eminent has had to go in debt and borrow
money from the national government on ac-
count of street extension, where the dam
ages far exceeded the benefits. But suppose
we do pay one-half of all the damages In
excess OF the benefits On street-openine
propositions? The jurors of the District OF
Columbia are the people who live here, and
naturally the tendency will be, and you can
not help it. for we are all human, TO make
the damage exceed the benefit. especially
when only one-half of II Is coming out OF
the city taxpayers and all the rest out OF
the government. Now, IL some gentlemen
or people want street opened the people
of the District know that they have got 10
pay the excess of damages over benefits
They are thus interested in coming to Con-
gress to defeat the bill, to prevent Its pas
sage, but whenever the government OF the
United States has to pay one-half the other
half will be so light and the beneht OF tne
street-opening so great that every street
opening proposition will be advocated prac-
tically By every man in the city OF w ASH
ington. Is not that true? Now, TO keep II
like it is, and require the amount OF dam
ages in excess of benefits to be PAID Dy the
District of Columbia, will at least be a chech
upon the opening of streets that are I'M
necessary or where they are sought Simply
to enhance some outlying property.
So here the cat is out of the bag at last.
and we have fairly lucid explanation OF
why Congress will not pay any of the cost
of street extensions. Reduced to Its SIM
plest terms Mr.. Sims idea Is that the DIS
trict will not allow itself to be muicteo III
damages when 1t has to pay all the cost,
but it will allow the widest extravaganza
OF street opening and damage assessment
when 1t pays half the cost. The simplest
bit of mental arithmetic will demonstrate
how much the District would save If this
were the case and the United States as
sumed its rightful share of the expense of
the federal capital expansion according 10
the original plans and exercised proper
degree of caution in restricting street-open-
ing enactments to the actual needs. Thus
the House. by adopting Mr.. Sims amend
ment, together with his reasoning, declares
to the District: 1.-The United States really
ought to pay for these public works, mas
much as 1t takes absolute title to the LANDS
you donate and buy for streets, but 1t fears
that If 1t does it's moral duty 1t VIII be
compelled to pay too much, whereas II you
stand for the whole transacton-save the
ordering-you will protect your own pocket
more carefully than if we paid our proper
share. You cannot be trusted to dispense
our funds for these works which we compel
you to undertake and which we are In
honor and by statute bound te finance
equally with you. So, right and wrong all
aside. you must hold the bag"
A very satisfactory position, indeed, for
the House. but calculated to puzzle the
clear-reading and clear-thinking District
taxpayer, who fails to understand just why
the organic act should apply when the
House says thumbs up" and should not
apply when 1t says thumbs down."