Evening star., 1915-11-13
Fears What Congress May Do.

Il have never received cent of pay
OR other recompense for that work,
Inc said.
Representative Cooper suggested that
even if citizen received pay to repre-
sent interests before Congress, he need
not necessarily be u lobbyist III the bad
sense of the tsrm, and that If all per-
sons who appeared before Congress in
the interests of others We're registered
the whole matter of lobbyists would
work out all right.
There is real foundation for the
nightmares of which Senator Black
burn spoke yesterday before the com
lnittee," said Mr.. Tucker. senator
Blackburn said that the House District
committee was nightmare on the Pill
low of taxpayers here whenever they
went to bed at night. ] have gone to
sleep at night and walked in the morn
ing to find that vicious legislation had
been placed on the statute books af-
fecting the people of the District with
out their knowledge"
Cites Anacostia Flats Case.
He cited the case of provision put
in an appropriation bill requiring bene-
fits to be assessed against abutting
property owners for the improvement
of the Anacostia flats.
He said that was done in conference
between the two houses without the
knowledge of the citizens.
In the river and harbor bills max
ing appropriations for streams all over
the country. he said, the government
pays for the improvements and there
is no question of assessing the prop
erty owners near them"
Senator Works suggested that he was
mistaken about this. nee in the case
of Los Angeles. Cal, and other places
in that state improvements had been
q nd inc
that a similar amount was to be put
up by the citizens
Well said Mr. Tucker. ''at any rate
that was not the plan adopted in con-
nection with the Improvement of the
Potomac flats, now Potomac Park, for
the government paid all for, those i'm
provements. and it does not seem fair
TO make the citizens of the eastern sec
ton pay now or the Improvement
of the Anacostia flats.
Discusses Borland Amendment.
He discussed too, the Borland
amendment, by which owners of abut-
ting property must pay one-half the
expense of paving the streets. and de-
clared that it was unfair legislation.
Representative Rainey pointed out
that the owners of abutting property
must pay for the pavements of streets
in other cities.
why is it all right TO make the cit'-
zens pay in other cities and not here"
he asked.
If that plan had been adopted in
the beginning, IL might have been all
right, though 1 am not SO sure about
that" said Mr.. Tucker. But the in
Justice lies in the fact that in Wash
inRton all tht streets upon which the
rich people live have been paved at the
expense of the government. and now
when you come to pave the streets in the
eastern section. the poorer section, you
charge the property owners
Why Gross Discrimination.
At this point Representative Cooper
said:
Mr.. Tucker. you charge gross dis
elimination in the conference report
as to the Anacostia flats l want to
say that l believe legislation on con-
ference reports is an unmitigated EVIL
and 1t is very often done for the purpose
Of taking undue advantage. ! have seen
this repeatedly. Now tell us why there
was discrimination between the Poto-
mac flats and the Auacostia fats Why
is ii that the former were improved by
the government and the latter are to
half?'
There was a complete change" Mr..
Tucker replied. 'in the membership of
L.
bers were educated as to District of Co
lumbia conditions In the wrong way.
When they came here they were taught
to believe that We had snap here
and the result has been that vicious
legislation has been brought about, as
well as the other conditions of which
we have complained"
Representative Cooper said: we
want TO find out why you have the
Nightmares as TO the House District
frr
Blackburn spoke yesterday, and we
want to see IL we cannot alter that
condition of your people by recon-
Iuending Legislation or otherwise
Mr.. Tucker resumed his statement by
calllng attention to the passage of the
law which provided for the assessing of
tenefts and damages when small parks
opened.
east we have never had a park purchased
for u.- We have desired that the Pat
'erson tract in the northeast be purchased
as public park for the use OF our
people. but now. since tho law of which
speak was passed. we do not want il
II we are TO be assessed benefits and dam.
ages. This Is SO for the reason that this
proposed park ia bounded on one side by
the Columbia Institute for the Deaf and
Dumb. otherwise known as Gallaudet Col,
lese, federal government institution
against which damages cannot be as.
ssssed. On another side is the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad, and | do not thinL
any condemnation jury would say thai
the railroad would he benefited by IN,
opening OF a park along its tracks.
This leaves but five squares of prom
eTty, a snort stretch along Florids
avenue, which is owned by poor peouIe
who would have to bear the whol,
burden, and We OF the northeast woul,
rather do without the park than hay,
those few people bear such burden"
Thinks Owners Should Not Paw.
Here Senator Works interjected ;
statement. He declared:
II do not believe any of these snec,s
assessments ought to be imposed upo,
the owners of private property fo
public improvements here 1t is a mis-
take. The federal government oueh
not TO expect to have public improve
inents made by private funds.
feel pretty sure the senator co ,
tlhued, that you people of Washing
ton viii come around to my way q
thinking after while and Will even
tually agree with me that your protec
zion lies principally In depending upo,
the United States government"
Mr.. Tucker then began to speak O
the Law. recently passed. which in il
first draft provided that the whole cos
of sidewalks should be levied upon tn
owners Of the adjoining property IL
said:
That law was finally passed in tn
form that the property owner mus