Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-02-23
HAYES AND S|SSON
HAVE W0RDy WAR
Bitter Clash EnIivens Debate
in House Over Bill of Rep
resentative Igoe.
MEASURE is HELD UNJUST
TO SMALL HOME OWNERS
Law Placing Cost of Sidewalk Work
on Property Holders May Be
Passed Today, However.


sentative Hayes of California and Repre-
livened the debate in the House on the
1goe bill, which puts the entire cost of
sidewalk improvements, construction and
repair on the property owners Of the
District OF Columbia. After Represent
atives Mann. Kahn and Hayes had as
sailed the bill as being unjust to thou
sand of small home owners, Represent
ative Sisson declared in his loudest tone
that members of Congress who defend
the District so freely and who object to
proposed Increases of taxation must
necessarily be heavily interested in real
estate.
Representative Hayes jumped to his
feet and replied that he certainly did
own real estate here, but resented the
suggestion that he allowed it to influence
his judgment in the House Of Represent
atives. Representative Mann told Mr..
sisson that any such innuendo was not
worthy of member of the House. The
Igoe bill probably will be passed this
afternoon.
MI. Igoe Explains Features.
Representative Igoe Of Missouri. who
made the report on the bill, opened the
debate by explaining its features.
THE bill provides tho same methods for
assessment as the present law" he said.
The principal features Of the bill place
the entire cost Of repair and construction
Of sidewalks on the property owner. and
second, It gives the property owner the
right to have the work done by a pri-
vate contractor"
ford asked whether the District commit
tee is considering legislation which will
require property owners to keep side
walks clear Of snow.
Don't you think there is more need
for such law than for this proposition
to change the present method of paying
for repair of sidewalks? I arise to call
this condition.
Patriotism Appealed to.
Representative Isoe made . reply.
drowned in the hum of voices, in which
he appealed to the patriotism Of the
city to. remove the shsh.
Representative Stafford, believing more
in snow shovels than patriotism, said
that law to put snow shovels in effect
Is needed at once.
Representative Mann Of Illinois de-
nounced the general policy Of the Dis
trict committee in this sidewalk matter,
saying it is only fair that the government
should pay its own share of the expense.
"I can see no reason for changing the
existing method" he said. Many people
believe that sidewalks in new subdivisions
are paid for by the United States. but
that is not true. In most instances the
sidewalks in those cases are paid for
privately"
Says Clerks Are Burdened.
ua aIao s,id that the federal eoyern-
ment is placing burdens on the govern
ment clerks, who comprise the heart Of
the population here, by imposing heavier
raise salaries.
Representative Kahn agreed thoroughly
with him.
There are only very few rich people
here'' he said. Most Of them are Of
moderate means. The mass of the popu-
lation is made up of clerks. The city of
Washington has been built up largely
since the civil service law has been ef-
fective. Prior to that time the clerks
had no tenure of ofice-the city was one
of cheap boarding houses. Now the
clerks have purchased property here. The
clerks pay for them in installments, and
now the weight of this and other bills
from the District committee falls on the
people who are not wealthy and who
own nothing but their little homes"
Conditions Here Different.
Representative Kahn. in reply to a man
who knows little Or nothing about con-
ditions here. said that the government
owns tremendous lot of property in the
District of Columbia. and that condi-
tons here arc different than elsewhere.
Representative Campbell of Kansas
another republican supporter. reminded
the House that this is the nations capi-
tai, and on a different plane from other
cities.
Representative Kahn went on to show
that the alleged millionaires of Washing
ton will dwindle to handful, who come
to Washington merely for butterfly So
cial season.
There is row after row of houses of
government clerks" said Representative
Kahn.
MY constituents have never indicated
any desire for me to vote against the
proper appropriations for the nations
capital" he said In reply to criticism
from Representative Barnhart of Indiana