Evening star., 1921-05-05
WOULD HAVE D. c.
rival N|NEVEH"
MIR. Focht Tells Real Estate
!; Board He Would Spend
: $1O0,OOO,O 900.

- Representative Focht OF Pennsyl-
Sania, chairman of the District COM
mittee of the House. last night as
sured members of the Washington
Real Estate Board of his aid in MAX
ing Washington city incompetence
excelling in education, business ana
architectural beauty the "ancient
cities of the Nile"
His address aroused enthusiasm
among the realtors and their guests.
who were gathered at the banquet
table in Wardman Park Hotel IN honor
of Fred T.. TAYLOR of Portland, ore,
president of the National Association
Of Real Estate Boards: Thomas 5. In
Eersoll of Chicago. secretary ana
Louis +. Eppich. executive committee
man. who stopped in washington on
their way from the recent meeting OF
realtors in New Haven. Conn.
Complete the Job, He Says.
Calling attention to the fact that
his own state of Pennsylvania has
Just appropriated s36,O00.000 for the
: schools. Sufficient % provide Tree
. books, classroom seat and adequate
1nstruction for every school child.
Chairman Focht turned to Engineer
Commissioner kutz, who sat nearby.
and exclaimed:
II am sorry 1 cannot say the same
for WaShington-that there are not
free textbooks for every child here
and that there are not sufficient class
room accommodations. Mr.. CommlS-
sioner and school officials. prepare
your appropriation schedules to com
pIete the job. Make known all your
wants. We want no patchwork ABOUT
this business-completc the Job
DwelIers Would Come.
Mr.. Focht pointed out that last
;.l hn fire nnnnrfupitv he had
to tell of what Washington Will be.
He said there were scores of men
with money in Pennsylvania. alone
who would come to Washington To
live if they were not confronted with
the deplorable school conditions and
; the shortage of houses here. If the
lrealtors of the city will provide homes
and apartments for these men. and
when school conditions improve. these
rich folk will come, he declared
He ridiculed the idea that Wash
ington should have a fine water sys-
tenn and then ask the government to
| pay for it, referring particularly to
i"the low water tax: In Pennsyi.
for it," he remarked.
Fiscal Relations.
II some adjustment of the fiscal re-
ilations between the District of Co
,1umbia and the government is neces-
sary the adjustment should be made.
MIR. Focht advised. Il don't know
whether the plan of financing should
be on a $3.50 basis or 60-40 basis,
tbut some equitable method should be
Used"
Touching on the street car situa-
fion in Washington, the speaker cited
,the fact that one company. operating
over limited territory. was prosper
Gus. while the other. running to dis
! tant suburban points. was not. He
mentioned that consideration had
Leen given to merging these two sys-
TENS with the power company sup
plying them with current and fol-
lowed up by saying that I'VE hope to
reduce the fare II possible and pro-
vide better service for Washington"
Would Spend $1OO,OOO,OOo.
Mr.. Focht closed his speech by re-
counting a remark once made of him
by his brother. to the effect that Ben
Focht knew how to spend money"
and applying the incident to the pres
ent with the declaration Ben Focht
is willing to spend 100000. if
Necessary to make Washington rival
Nineveh and the citfes of the Nile
Mr.. Taylor. who was introduced by
eiarry l. Rust. president of the
Washington board. acting as toast
master. said that the income and ex-
cess profits taxes are seriously re-
tarding a return to the normal busi-