Evening star., 1916-11-11
CONRAD SYME SEES
NO GRAFT IN D. c.
Corporation Counsel Tells
BrightWood Citizens All Sec
tions Are Treated Alike.
FOR BEST PUBLIC SERVICE

Conrad Syme, corporation counsel of
the District, told the Brightwood Cit
izens' Association at a meeting last
night that in the years of his expert
ence with the District government he
has discovered no graft.
He said, however, that under former
administrations there had grown up a
sacfionalism in administration that
meant benefits and development for
one part of the District to the neglect
of other parts. Since the beginning of
the present administration. he said.
this sectionalism has ceased, and con-
sideration is equitably given to all the
citizens of the District The result is,
said Mr.. Syme, Washington is the best
governed city in the United States.
Mr.. Syme told the association that
when he had completed some work he
has to do he will leave the office of
corporation counsel He said that 1t
was out of a sense of duty to the Dis
frict that he accepted the office when
rendered him by former Commissioner
Sfddons, now justice of the District
Supreme Court. with the knowledge
that the valuation of the public utili-
ties of the District would be under
taken. Mr.. Syme said that he had no
office.
: Speaks of Utilities Service.
The best service for the public from
public utilities was part of the plan of
good government, he suggested. There
could be no basis for defining and ex
acting the best service, he pointed out,
without a knowledge of the facilities
and cost of operation with an estimate
of the money invested to permit a
proper return on investment. Valuation
of the properties was therefore neces-
Sary.
This work he explained as a prodi-
giops task. He said that most of it had
been completed, despite great obstacles,
but that the gas and electric light
plants are yet TO be valued
To build a clean residential city like
Berlin, he said, is all part of the public
utilities task. This should mean the
utmost service. the cheapest rates pos
-sible under the capital invested from
all public utilities, and, if there should
be- water in the stock, investigation
should discover it al the beginning of
a. process of valuation and eliminate
it from consideration: The public had
He said he hoped for universal
transfers between the two traction cor
porations. but that such an obligation
should not be imposed without a Ger
tam huOWleQRe OIL llS lie
suggested try-out-Say reciprocal
transfers at eth and F streets and at
l4th street ard New York avenue-and
he predicted that the increase in traf-
fic that would Justify it would con-
-ttffee the corporation arrangements
that it was the right thing
and not again to be abandoned.
= Work to Last Only Two Months.
: The valuation work. he predicted, would
DE completed in two months. He pro-
rested remarks made in Congress that it
would stiIl be two years before this would
be done.
He defended himself against charges
That he is trying to wreck values in his
method Of valuation. His object, he said.
was to obtain precise and elaborated tes-
-timoay regarding public utilities.
He said the taxpayer had a right to
.-the best service for his money, and it
Should be the part of the high sense of
responsible administration to see that
This was given far as possible.
= He protested against taxes on banks
and insurance companies He considered
that these institutions were public utili-
ties Of the highest benefit. entitled to the
hest consideration, and that to tax them
is not morally right.
- Regarding the new tax on intangible
property, he objected to it for the reason
that il fails to reach the objective of the
lIidl, Dut Is dfWaSS pdiQ by tne Ultl-
mate consumer The tax, he supposed,
was put on the statute books with the
idea of getting at the property of men of
means who are supposed to make the
District Of Columbia their horne with the
idea Of lodging taxes elsewhere.
Not Inspired by Necessity.
- There were collected in public taxes
last year, he said. about two million
collars more than sufficient to make up
the contribution of the District of
lures for the District. The intangible
property tax. therefore, was not in
spired by any necessity to raise rev.
cnues- To put away in the United
states Treasury tax money collected
from the citizens of the District, he
argued, is not an observance of the
half-and-half plan.
- The business meeting Of the associa
Tion was held before Mr.. Syme made
his address. Resolutions were adopted
authorizing the chair to appoint a com
3nittee of members for the purpose of
. .associating themselves with the yari-
-eus members of Congress who shall
seek to advance the interests of the
district of Columbia from time to time
The idea underlying the resolution was
inc desirabiiity of personal contact be-
Tween members and Congress and citi-
zens to advance the community in
-fereSts upon which they Iepisla-e
- Louis i. Shoemaker presided John
G Proctor, secretary. read original
verses commenting upon the present
national election situation Louis Pan
0Olph, 1r., baritone. sang two solos