The Washington herald., 1907-01-18


ries S3o0O00 To resurface and patch con
crete pavements. AIr. Hepburn moved TO
make it 100000, and proceeded TO ex-
press an opinion of the condition Of the
streets Of Washington, and the District
Commissioners as responsible for them.
Il don't believe there is a provision in
this biu that affects more the comfort
and convenience of the people Of this city
than this. There is no good reason
know of why the streets of Washington
should not be in perfect condition, or as
nearly perfect as it is possible for streets
10 be. Many, J Jwever. are in deplorable
condition.
The respOn ibility, in my Judgment,
rests on the Commissioners, and they
are the ones who ought to be held Hp TO
reprobation. I for one. want to record
my reprobation. You cannot find on
Pennsylvania avenue, that ought to be the
most beautiful avenue in the United
States. or in the world, half a dozen rods
Of pavement over which you can ride
without lodging chuck holes. Almost
every other street in the city is as bad.
would like to have the House express its
ideas on this condition and bring these
gentlemen who are responsible to realiz-
ing sense OF the inefficient manner in
which they discharge grave public duties
Ample Basis of Taxation.
There is within the limits of this city
subject to taxation ample aggregate
wealth % furnish abundant means 10
carry on every one of these improve
ments ] have heard complaints many
and many times of the differentiation of
property for taxable purposes, but the
government always pays its full share.
a dozen members were willing 10 in
dorse what Mr.. Hepburn had said. Cen
Crosveuor said that the city was "a dis
srace in the matter of It's payements.
Mr.. Cooper. of Wisconsin, pressed the
point that the condition was due 20 want
OF proper auditing OF accounts. OF the
District government. He brought out
the point that there was no officer 10
audit the accounts.
4 do not intimate that there is any
wrong about il" said Gen. Grosveuor.
except iueifcieucy and iucompeteucy. /
should Ike 10 see tie Board OF Commis-
sioners of the District OF Columbia made
Up of thorough business men, men Of eX-
uersuce IN the expenditure Of money.
Gr Fitzgerald called attention 20 the
facts In the matter. He said that the
subcommittee iu going over the subject
had a list % fourteen streets furnished
them. Ct which five had been paved in
The period between 1SI2 and ISse. six be-
tween 1850 and 1880 and three between
1880 ard 1868. Ia another list Of sixty
IeNlu streets TWENTY-FIVE were paved be-
tween 1870 and 1880, and thirty-eght be-
tween 1850 and 1880, and seven between
1890 and 1895 No pavement, he said,
lasted more than eleven years. At one
time the contracts for laying asphalt
had a guaranty that they would last ten
years. Recently the guaranty had been
reduced 60 i've years. A great many OF
the Washington pavements We're laid
fifteen years ago and many thirty years
o. ago. He said the Commissioners had said
they could use more than S301.090, but
thought that would suffice as they need
ed money for other purposes. Mr.. Card
ner. Who is a member of the subcOmmit
lee that framed the bill, defended the
Commissioners on the score of impera-
tive economy.
Ask for what They Want.
To this Mr.. Hepburn replied that it mat
tered little whether the general govern
menJ was paid back in five years OF not.
He was in favor of extending the time and
Increased values Of property in the Dis
utct would easily pay the cost Of better
pavements. He claimed that bad ma
terial had gone into some Of the paving,
and pointed to the excellent stretch Of
pavement just west Of the Treasury Build
ing. which endures the most severe servi-
tude of any similar space in the city, and
is I'm good order. He auuded TO the army
OF inspectors when Pennsylvania avenue
was paved in the fail OF 1892, and asked
why the items for inspectors were scat
tered through the bill instead Of being con-
centrated in one place, where Il could be
seen what an army Of them there was
He then suggested that the COmmis-
siOners possibly We're afraid to ask for
enough money to put the streets in order.
To this Mr.. Giliett who was in charge
Of the biil answered that the Commission
ers were by no means intimidated. and no
one need be afraid they would not ask for
anything they wanted. They would ask
for a million and a half for this item"
said he. They always ask for what they
want" In this case they had asked what
they wanted, and that was $30OOO1 Mr..
Gillett thought that there should be some
patience with the streets. They averaged
up with the streets of other cities, he
thought. and would soon be put in fine
order
When the vote came, fifty stood up for
Mr HepbUrns amendment and thirty-five
against. Tellers being called for, the vote
resulted in a tie forty-six on each side
and was therefore declared lost.
The item of $7500) to buy more play
grounds was objected to by Champ Clark.
He said il was part of scheme to sell
.ff IN 1.r Of ~E-r
purpose was 10 get ultimately 100000
for IT, Mr. Gardner, replying 10 questions.
admitted that he had heard that this was
the scheme Mr.. Gillett tried TO make il
appear that the Fairgrounds We're a part
of the school system and so were a ne
cessity. MT. CrumpaCker urged that the
various parks OF the city belonged to the
general government, and could not De
used for Fairgrounds MT Giiett said he
was opposed to the item. but thought II
would be We'll 10 make the purchase this
year. No replied Champ Clark. you
and 1, by the vicissitudes OF life and poll
tics may go, bat these real estate fell
lows = this city are mere forever. eter-
naliy-"
Playground Item Goes Out.
Mr Mann, who was in the chair sus-
tanned the point Of order made by Mr..
Clark that the item was new legislation.
because It was not in that part of the
bin where the school appropriations were,
and so was not Serm3re where II stood
Mr.. Kline, of Pennsylvania. during the
consideration of the District bill spoke
at length in support of the bill introduced
by him giving the District of Columbia
two Delegates in the House. The speech
was the result Of long and careful study
into the history and growth OF Wash