Evening star., 1924-02-10

ment of the District fifty years ago
was IL hard one.
investigating Critics arose in the
+ho n;,@r;o4 District and in Con-
greSs. and the re-
suit was that charges flew thick and
Investigations were ordered. In The
Star of February 3. 1874, is the fol
lowing on the subject:
1T is to be hoped that thcrsSenaI.
will promptly concur with the House
in the appointment of joint special
committee for the investiga tion of
District affairs and that the COM
mittee will proceed to work as
speedily as possible. Let the inves-
tigation be so full and exhaustive
that the truth or falsity of the
charges made against the District
government shall be established 10
the dullest apprehension. The Dis
trict authorities have again and again
challenged investigation, and one
ordered by the House is already in
progress at their request, but il there
is any cavil at that let the memorial
lists say what will satisfy them in
the way of an inquiry and then re-
quire them to come square up to the
mark in the matter of proving their
allegation. There can be no objec-
tion TO one or a dozen Investigations
other than the fact that they serve
only. to enable the malcontents to
cripple business and improvements
and hamper the efforts of the District
government TO provide means for
carrying on the important works
ri f.ll Y,1
serving employees engaged upon these
works. The last investigation. which
the malcontents now declare was not
exhaustive, occupied five months
time and the printed testimony made
volume of thousand pages. We
have no expectation that an investi-
cation of twice that length. or filing
half dozen volumes. will satisfy
them, for the simple reason that they
will utterly fail now, then TO
prove any of their serious allegations
But, however: much delay and an
noyance may be occasioned, and how
ever much the poor may suffer while
the millionaire malcontents are carry
rying out their project of defeating
appropriations and depreciating Dis
trict securities. il is pretty certain
that the protraCted Investigations
threatened will serve to show Con
gress very effectually the true status
of the factionists and their op-
ponents and will demonstrate which
set is worthy to be honored as good
citizens and which to be eXecrated
, as willing to destroy the prosperity
of an entire community in the spirit
of envy and malice"
:: ::
Half Il century ago, as now, Con-
gress was taking an interest in the
con itions in
Engraving Bureau the bureau of
Troubles of 1874. engraving e ;. =, ', an d
The, Star of February 3, 1874, is
the following item in the editorial
columns:
1--WE have the very best authority
for saying that there is no truth
whatever in the statement telegraph
ed hence on Sunday night to the
effect that the committee on civil
service made a damaging inspection
of the bureau of engraving and print
ing on Saturday and that on the day
previous the employees in that bureau
were called up in regular order and
requested to state what influence they
could command. and those who were
unable to mention, some potential
name pronounced their own DOOM
What the committee in question may
do or propose, to do in the future.
of course. there is no means of know
ing, but we are assured on authority
likely to be well informed that there
is not one word of truth in the whole
statement as telegraphed, or any
truth in any portion thereof These
misrepreSentationS seem to be set on
foot in the interest of the New York
bank note companies, whose pros
porous existence SO largely depends
on breaking down the bureau here
and carrying the engraving and
printing of government issues away
from Washington"