Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-26

~ A1Os w AOl1l4NO LOANl
privileged to work. If I may say 80. by
the side Of Mr.. Gardner, he has never
item simply to crafty a friend or to win
the applause of the thoughtless: No
man in Washington owes him thank
you for special favor. His is me
record. although, in the nature or the
case, it can be known to but few or US.
II bear witness, then, to the sterhnS
qualities Of this man. His honesty, IN
finite patience and intelligent application
are too unworthily recognized In any mere
public dinner. And in giving this sllght
token Of our respect we feel that we
honor ourselves more than we do MIN.
Peculiar Function of This City.
THE city of Washington. because 1t is
the seat of government and the capltai
city of the United States. possesses among
all American cities a peculiar functloh'
which is to attract and hold the sentl-
mental regard of all the nation and aoo
to its patriotic feeling. Its physical CHAR
|acteriStics must be such as are conslSten'
with this function.
I'm a sense. the capital city OF a nation
is symbolic of it's stability and aspirations.
I'm fulfilling this function it acts. In
certain degree. as does the national nag
centering about itself the affection OF the
people and inspiring them to healths
national feeling. In time OF war ma
tional capital is often made the objective
Of hostile operations by reason OF the
moral effect that would result from It's
capture. injury or destruction. and gov
eminent would rely largely upon the love
of a people for it's capital to stir the ma
ton to a successful resistance.
I'VE hope that in the future Mr. Gard
ner will often return to Washington. and
when he sees it growing into the grand
and beautiful capital that the people or
the whole country have a right to de-
mand we hope he will feel great pleasure
in the thought that he was doing some
thing for his country when he was work.
ing here for Washington"
Arose and Cheered Gardner.
No greater welcome has been accorded
a guest of honor than was given to
Representative Gardner when Toastmas-
ter Edison introduced him. The entire
company arose and cheered him nightly.
Flowers and shandkerchiefs were tossed
toward him. At length when the tumult
subsidized he spoke.
ut is difficult to express my apprecia-
ton Of the tribute manifested by you
here tonight. Two things pertaining to
this function are embarrassing to me;
first, my own sense of unWorthinesS. ana,
second. that my respected colleagues ana
are not made co-sharers in the honor in
tended to be conveyed by this generous
manifestation of your appreciation.
1T has been my fortune to have serv-
ed ten years on the appropriations com
mittee. I began by sitting at the foot
Of the table with Joseph G. Cannon.
who was then chairman of that COM
mittee. l may say of him as Garfield
said of Mark hopkins. that II Hopkins
sat on one end of a log and student
%L~ ot1 N va
a college. So the young green mem
Der at the far end OF the table with j.
G. Cannon at the head has a liberal edu-
cation.
There have been completed or are
now in course of construction In the Dis
plant, an addition to the sewage disposal
system, the Connecticut avenue bridge.
the Highway bridge. replacing the old
Long bridge. the Anacostia bridge. the
new Police Court building and the
municipal building. the Union station. be-
sides the separation of the grades which
makes 1T possible for trains to enter and
leave this city at comparatively fast
rate of speed. and money has been al
lowed for Fairgrounds and the tubercu-
osis hospital.
There are all permanent improve
ments and involve an expenditure or
about 100000: In the meantime
Sis. 900 900 to s8.sS9.000. the unfunded
debt from a maximum of 100000 to
So. 465.000. In other words the entire
funded and unfunded debt of the Dis
trict of Columbia on the first of July
next will not exceed $5,677,000. I
doubt if there is another city Of this
size and wealth in the country that
can make this showing.
Money in Sight, He Says.
"The financial end of Washington is
secure. The money is in sight with
which to make this Capital city what it
shoulud be, the pride Of the nation and
the mecca of patriotic Americans. I am
of the opinion that the present method
Of contribution by the government should
continue indefinitely and the division of
money should be according to the or
ganic act. The selection of a system OF
parks is important to the ci.y's future.
There is Meridian hill and the Montrose
tract and Willow Tree alley which will
involve quite an expenditure; then there Is
the extension of Rock Creek Park to the
Potomac river, and the redemption of
the Anacostia flats which are bound to
follow. We are apt to be most impressed
by that which appeals to sight. but as long
as there is future it seems to me that
what is more important than the planning
for beautiful buildings and avenues Is the
lHdlteT VI pTONlhlHS loI the CddSdtioii "a
the people, which is represented by our
system of public schools.
I'm my opinion, no one feature OF our
city today demands more solicitous care
or more wisdom in direction than our
public school system. In the six years
ending July 1 next the total money used
for schools will have been $21,67S,OD; So
10000 being for sites and buildings, and
SIG 600, 900 for salaries of teachers"
Representative Gardner spoke Of details
of District affairs with knowledge that
the casual observer would say scarcely
ficials of the District government. He
spoke Of the jail and his visits to it, he
spoke of the various hospitals. he men
toned the need for reclamation ST the
Anacostia flats. He spoke of Occoquan
and its uses and it's great future as a site
for a penal institution. He urged a great
municipal hospital and gave concrete in
stances, personal observations, to bear
out his statements.
He dwelt at length on the need for a
home for the feeble minded. and gave
concrete examples. He asked for CO.
operation and coordination among the
citizens and the civic bodies, claiming
that some of the greatest improvements
the city has seen have sprung not from
congressman or even Commissioners. but
from the ideas of citizens of the city.
Congress will go and come. but
Washington will remain he sa d near
the end of his speech. THE Commits
sioners will change. but 1T is doubtful
if the District ever had or will have
a better board of Commissioners than
cnh 70 o,.it}