The Sentinel=record., 1914-07-26

| to strike out q necessary appropfia' ton for public purpose in order to strengthen their demand or request for a large appropriation for the pur. pose of an expenditure that should be borne wholly or largely by the peo- pie locally.
 Mir. Fitzgerald Mir Speaker. yield five minutes to the gentleman from Alabama CMr. Underwood).
 Mir. Underwood. Mir Speaker, I flo not think this proposition is matter that concerns the local community but look upon the proposition like l look upon all questions coming be- fore the House where the Govern ment is involved, whether in Wash ington or somewhere else. think that where the Government of the United States owns a piece of prop erty it ought to stand in the same attitude toward that property that an individual does do not think that because the Government of the Unit ed States owns a piece of property Il to be made a burden on that com munity. On the other hand, l do not believe that because 1t owns a piece of property it ought to be expected to do for that property any more than anybody else in the community ought to do.
 As I understand the situation, 1t is that here are two mountains which the Government owns as a reserya- tion. The drainage of these noun tains comes down a narrow gorge that happens to be a street. The Government owns one side of the street and private individuals own the other side of the street. The sewerage is on the Government side of the street and on Government property. The sewer system is not large enough to carry off the water When there is a heavy rainfall 1t comes down the side of the mountain and follows the gorge, and the sewer system is not big enough to carry the water off That is the whole propo- sition-whether the Government is going to make the same contribution to carry off this water from its own land that would be made if the Gov 1 ernment sold the land to private | individual.
 If the Government does not want to own the land, it can give it away, sell it, or dispose of it in some way | If these two mountain sides were owned by a private individual, run 1ins that spring as the Government does, to raise revenue from it, un- doubtedly the State of Arkansas or the city of Hot Springs would assess that drainage area in bui ding this sewer. Today the sewer is on the Government side of the street and l | think on Government property. The | Government rents out that property and receives rentals, and the only question involved in this case, l think, | is whether or not the Government should contribute as a private indi- l vidual would to take care of this storm water As to the amount of the contribution the Government should make, | know nothing about it.
 MT. Payne Mir. Speaker, will tAe gentleman yieldi
 MT Underwood. Yes.
 MT Payne The Government al ready has built most of it some 3C ! ,.aars ago fl,fg fnnroVou,ant in from of it's own reservations where the ho springs are and where the property is on the other side of the street and paid for it, and this is to be [ continuation of that improvement and not because that improvement + not adequate to carry off the water
 from the Government property.
 Mir. Underwood do not so un
 derstand it. because the pictures the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Tay
 lorl showed me shows where the wa
 ter dams up, and it is in the gorge
 between the Government property
 MT. Taylor of Arkansas And these pictures were taken by the Govern
 ment of the United States.
 MT. Payne. But the gentleman says that this improvement is to bt continued from the lower end of it al Church Street, southward
 MT. TInder7goo,, i uo not know anything about where it is. say this is a practical business proposition pu' 10 this House. It is the same thina as is involved in the District oi Columbia. I say where the Govern ment owns a large amount of proper ty in this District it ought to con tribute to the District government and have always stood for that proposition; and if the Government continues to hold this reservation, Il
 is nothing but equitable and just that the Government should make a con trimtion toward taking care of the drainage waters. If the Government does not want the property, sell il and dispose of it
 MT Madden Does anyone know l "a total nngt df tho