Evening star., 1920-01-06

IL
mittee was directed was the expense
incurred in the opening and repairs
OF the streets. The plan OF the city
is one of unusual magnitude and. ex
tent. The avenues and streets are
very. wide, and for the number Of
Inhabitants much greater in distance
than those of any other city on this
continent, and necessarily require
lproportionate expenditure to make
and keep them in repair.
Committees Criticism.
1.-The expenditure upon the streets
under these circumstances. has un'
Questionably been one of the prin.
cipal causes of the embarrassment
of the city. and the committee be.
lieves that it is one which ought not
to have been thrown on the fnhaol'
tants to the extent which it has been
/ They found this opinion upon tne
early history of the city, the oooec,
of the nation in it's establishment ano
the contracts made by the govern
ment for the land which it possesses
within its limits.
| "'The plan of the city was formed
by the public authorities.
1t is plan calculated for the mag.
nificent capital of a great nation, but
oppressive from it's very dimensions
and arrangements to the inhabitants
if it's execution to any considerable
extent is to be thrown upon them
No people who anticipated the exc.
cution and subsequent support OF II
out of their own funds woulo ever
have dreamed of forming such plan
At that period neither the govern
ment nor the proprietors contem-
plated that the whole or even large
proportion of the burden should be
thrown upon the inhabitants OF the
| "It could not have entered into
| the contemplation of any one at the
date of the contract, nor can 1t now
, be REGARDED as either reasonable or
| just that the city should bear tne
expense of the streets, the properly
and control of which was SO aoso.
lutely in the government, ana more
than one-half of the land ad1acent
to which belonged to 1t. and whlcn
must be increased in Value oy tneil
improvements. The committee are OF
the opinion that the government wa: Was
bound by every principie ronortion ol euIity'
right and justice to pay proport,o,l II
of the expense incurred upon tnls
subject equal to the amount OF the
property which is held and whlcn
was to be increased an Vaiue amu
benefited by it, and this woulo nave
been greatly more than one
No Permanent Plan Adopted.
.Notwithstanding the conclusive
and authoritative finding OF TINS sen ,
ate committee that the national gov
ernment had failed to meet us JUS
obligation in the matter OF the oe-
velopment and maintenance OF the cap
ital. and that it's fair proportion was
more than one half, no permahene
plan was adopted for the future pro
viding for fixed and equitanle con
tribution from the federal Treasury
For more than forty years the old
happy-go-lucky plan OF voluntary,
sporadic contribution by the federal
government for capital Improvement
and maintenance continued. Ine Iail,
ure of Congress to take action ana
provide for a definite and equitable
system of capital upbuilding and
maintenance, no doubt, was caused py
many overshadowing and absorbing
problems Of those days. The sectlonal
issue was becoming acute, and the
belief was held in many parts OF the
country that the Union as it then ex-
solved. No section Of the country
was. therefore, greatly concerned
about the future Of the National Cap
ital. The titanic struggle OF the six
ties settled for all time these prob
lens and these doubts. The terri
torial integrity Of the Union was pre-
served. and, what is more important
from the standpoint Of the National
Capital. it became practical GER
tainty that Washington would forever
remain the capital city.
report, in 1885, to 1870, the federal
government contributed to the mu-
nicipal expenses Of the District of
Columbia the sum of $l2. .39S.S1S 80.
The residents Of the District of CO.
lumbi during the same time by taxa
tion contributed $17. .716,5f3.3ss an ex-
Rvn
that contributed by the federal gov
ernment.
Grant Assumes Leadership.
"The real upbuilding Of the capital
dates from 1871. Gen. Ulysses S.
Grant was in the presidential chair.
and he assumed leadership OF those
who sought to make the capital city
ator. Under his influence Congress
passed the act of February q. 1871.
creating a new organization for the
District Of Columbia, under which as
large a measure OF self-government
as was possible under the Constitu-
at provided for a government. and
a board of public works. appointed
by the President 1t further provided
for legislative assembly consisting
of a council of eleven Members. to
be appointed by the President, and
Twenty-Five members to be elected
by the District. The District gov.
ernment as thus constituted entered
upon a most elaborate and compTe-
hensive scheme of capital improve
ments. The work was done :eIy y
local taxation. New streets were
opened, bridges were built. sewers
were constructed, and improvements
far beyond the possible revenues or
the District were contracted for. a
determined effort was made to lift
two or three years Washington wit
messed great improvements but
tremendous Indebtedness had acCum-
ujated and excessive taxes were I'M
posed Upon the citizens Of the Dis
trict. Again. as in 1885, the people
OF the District appealed to congress
for relief.
Congress Takes Matter Up.
congress took up the matter, and
national government to the District
of Columbia and its obligation and
duty in capital maintenance and de
yclopment were constantly before
Congress- Committee after commit
tee in 10th House and Senate cons.d-
considered by Congress was given
more uainstaking and careful investi-
station than this. For four years it
Practically remained the unfinished
business of Congress It's solution
was finally reached after the ableat
men then serving in the House and
senate bad contributed their best
thought and effort to the problem.
"On January 26. 1874. the House OF
REPRESENTATIVES instructed its COM
mittee on judiciary
".To inquire and report to thia
Tho Iaoo1 ral9fiOnS hptween the