The Washington herald., 1911-02-17

Charges OF a much more definite ma
ture than those delivered recently in the
House by Representative William S.
Bennett, of New York, are to be leveled
against the District Commissioners when
the District appropriation bill comes up
in the House for assignment to confer
ence, according to the admissions of three
Representatives who are preparing plans
to block the course of that measure
A fine little tea party, in fact, appears
TO be awaiting the District bills attempt
to get from the Speakers table into con-
ference. Representative Bennet is to be
at the head of the marauding contingent.
Representative Foster, of Illinois, and
Representative Cox, of Indiana, both
Democrats, are scheduled to assist in the
throtting programme, which consists in
sending the District bill back to the Com
mittee of the Whole, if possible, where
several of its items are TO be either bad
ly crippled or stricken out entirely.
VIII Block Pay Item.
The removal of the Senate provision for
raised pay for the Commissioners is to
be among the first of the operations at
tempted. This is to lead, according to
the plan. into the old Bennett charges that
there has been discrimination in the as
sessment of property in the District, and
up to the main piece of pyrotechnics of
the occasion, which will be a charge that
the District Commissioners, in recon-
mending plans for the purchase of GER
tain property for additions to the park
system of the District disclose the fact
that they propose to pay for these tracts
prices which are many times their as
seSSed value, as disclosed by the books
at the District offices.
Either the property in question has
been underassesSed, said Representative
roster yesterday, "or the District author
tiles are proposing to pay outrageous
prices for il. We propose to find out and
the attempt to send the District bill to
conference will give US an opportunity. l
understand that in the case of a provi-
sion to purchase certain park property
added to the bill by the Senate, an ap-
preparation equal to six times the as
sessed valuation OF the land has been
provided"
Assessment More Serious.
Representative Foster admitted that he
was one of certain three members who
we're engaged in drawing up a little
schedule of items included in the Dis
trICt bill Senate amendments, which
II was proposed to ask the House TO
throw out. Mr.. Foster said that the
salary increase for the Commissioners
headed the list but that the alleged dis
crepancy in th' assessment of proposed
Tark property and the price offered by
the District was a far more serious mat
ter.
Representative Bennett said yesterday
that he was not through with District
affairs: that three weeks ago he had
promised a sequel to his charges con-
Cernlng assessments in the District
which sequel could be looked for inst
as soon as the Speaker took the District |
bill from his table and offered il to the |
House with its Senate amendments. That |
operation, Mr. Bennett said. could be |
looked for almost any time beginning to- !
day.
For House Consideration.
II is understood that the plan of Mr.. |
Eennet and his associates is to object |
to unanimous consent to send the Dis
trict bill to conference and demand that
it be taken up by the Committee of the |
Whole of the House, there to have its |
amendments considered and disposed Of |
in turn. BY this means it is proposed |
10 put the House on record in regard TO |
the salary increases, and perhaps vote |
them down.
In this debate, also. the matter of as
sessments in the District can be aired in |
49, = P04 'N0UIai' MI. btnnel, IN TACT, is |
expecting TO prove what he only hinted |
at IN debate in the House when the |
proposition 10 increase the pay of the |
commissioners was brought up and de- |
feated. At that time it will be recalled. |
in answer to charges that they had been !
remIss in their duties as regarded a
proper control of assessments, Commits
sloners Johnston, Rudolph, and Judson |
replied that Mr.. Bennett was influenced /
in his attack by the fact that a certain
assessorship appointment had been re-
fused one of his clients
The Representatives who propose TO at
tack the District bill are as vet UNWILLING