Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-19

facing upon the street, would not pay one
cent more for the repair or the con
struction of the street in front OF !,
| than the poorest man in the OUTSKIRTS
of the District would have to pay upon
his property and that seems to ME un-
just. After all the streets in the prlhcl-
pal parts of the city have been COIL
structed under the present system r.,n moM
to say to the people in the more remote
parts of the District. where the proper.S
is cheap where perhaps it is not worm
! more than dollar front 1901. Ina.
they shall in turn pay just as much pei
front foot for the construction and main.
tenance Of q road as would the owners OF
the New Willard Hotel. or of the Hish-
lands, or of some of the great pulidihg Is
in the city of Washington that cost ha'l
- million dollars each.
II am glad that the senator is INTERESTED
in the little places on the outside, sen
ator Smith of Georgia replied. and tniIihs
that the owners Of the New W illaro t1ote'
and of the big property on the lnsiue
should pay their share. shall assuilH
that they will pay their share. Inc s"haii
! houses in the outlying sections are on
narrower streets, as RUE. ana III. e"i,
acter of the streets is different. lou ~
not put asphalt on streets away out III 'le
suburbs. and the expense is far less.
When you put down sidewalks or Improve
streets there they do not nave the VOL
ume of use and will last much longer anu
by adopting the pTOpOSltloH tho.
they wear out they are to be repaved at
the expense of adjacent property holders
you put upon the property In the center
of the city, of much more value the p1i-
den of repaving when the increased traiic
wears out the roadway.
Based on Experience.
II have had some experience in this
matter. I am fortunate enough to own
70 unite grow
ing and prosperous city. The sidewalks
are made and charged to my property
When the street in front is improved
two-thirds of the expense is charged TO
the adjacent property holders and one
third to the city at large. l think that
Is a practice that exists in all cities eX-
cept this.
piled to the city of Washington the same
rule with regard to taxing and paving
and improvements. and the same rules
with regard to traction companies. that
are applied in other cities. When we say
that the property owners on each side OF
a street are to pay one-fourth for i'm
prOvements of this kind, we do not even
then make the property holders pay FOR
all of the benefit they receive. 1t is an
equitable arrangement.
It is proposed by this bill to pave. The
public at large are not concerned in
them. The real value is to the adjacent
property: and these are. in SO far as
have been able to judge them, the kinds
of property, away out on the outskirts
where the poor mans home, to which
the senator from Utah refers, has been
built.
II am asking only, and the House pro-
vision will require only, that where
street improvement is made the benefit
Of which goes especially to the adjacent
| property holder he shall pay somewhat
in proportion to the benefit he gets: and
where it goes but in small part to the
public at large the public Treasury shall
carry only a part of the burden. That is
what the House provision means
Defends Committees Action.
Senator Curtis came to the defense of
the committees action in rejecting the
Borland plan on the ground that it
| changes the organic law of the District.
II want to read the organic law" said
Mr. Curtis, land then I want to call at
tention to the difference of the rights in
the streets in the city of Washington as
compared with other cities. 1 propose to
take only a few moments.
THE organic act provides:
THE cost of laying down said pave
ment, sewers and other works. or of re-
pairing the same shall be paid in the
following proportions and manner, to wit:
which a street railway runs shall be
paved. such railway company shall bear
all of the expense for that portion of
the work lying between the exterior
rails of the tracks of such roads, and
for a distance of two feet from and
exterior to such track or tracks on
euch side thereof. and of keeping the
same in repair; but the said railway
companies, having conformed to the
grades established by the Commission
ers. may use such cobblestone or Bel
gian blocks for paving their tracks, or
the space between their tracks. as the
Commissioners may direct The United
States shall pay One-half of the cost of
all work done under the provisions of
this section. except that done by the
railway companies. which payment shall
be credited as part Of the so per cent
which the United States contributes to-
ward the expenses of the District of
Columbia for that year; and all pay
ments shall be made by the Secretary of
the Treasury on the warrant or order
of the Commissioners Of the District Of
Columbia or majority thereof. in
such amounts and at such times as
they may deem safe and proper in view
Of the progress of the work.
Additional Reason Given.