Evening star., 1939-03-12

extend the WaterWOrkS system OF the
Capital" reads an editorial
Protest in The Star of March 8,
Aoojnst 1889, "and the bill for that
Tunnel purpose was passed, the
Toe+e work was undertaken as
national project at Govern
ment expense, just as the original system
was constructed. There was no require
ment that the people of the District
should pay any portion of the expense,
and evidently the work was originally
authorized without any contract, express
or implied, and without any suggestion
or expectation that any part of the cost
would fall upon the District. Two years
later as an afterthought, the United
States indicated to the District, through
Congress, that the water takers of the
city, who might naturally be expected to
profit by an increased water supply,
would be required to contribute to the
cost of securing the additional water.
But the consideration upon which this
exaction was based has failed. The Gov
ernment, through the misconduct of its
own agents, has wasted millions without
increasing the water supply.
There is no just and reasonable
ground upon which the District or its
water takers can be required to pay one
half of the two millions which the Gov
ernment has sunk in a rotten tunnel.
The work which the District in a meas
ure requested was, as shown by the origi-
nal legislation, to be done entirely at the
national expense. No interference by
agents of the District, which might
bring upon it share of responsibility for
the manner in which the work has been
done, has been suggested or permitted
by the agents of the United States. The
work has bestowed no benefit upon the
water takers of the District which should
raise an implied promise to pay.
THE Government has been cheated.
1t has been caused to spend s2OOO,OOo
with no valuable results. 1t should pun
lsh those who have defrauded it, and those
who permitted the fraud to be accom-
plished Then it should accept full re-
sponsibility for the loss and meet it
alone. To wiring a million dollars from
the water takers or taxpayers of the Dis
trict, when they have not requested the
work at the Districts expense. are not
responsible in the slightest degree for the
misconduct which rendered the work
worthless and received not cents worth
of benefit from it, is to commit a wrong
as great as that of which those persons
are guilty who in the construction of the
tunnel have sWindled the Government,
The Nation has been robbed. Will it in
its turn rob the District?"
The list of Office seekers as 1t swells
from day to day" says The Star of March
IL Il 8, 1889, contains names of
01f: good many able men. Some
are rich and want official
oeeKers honors for social reasons.
This class is few. It should be quickly
and easily gratified by the bestowal of
unsalaried positions as far as possible,
The rest of the list embraces men who
are not rich, but consider themselves able
to earn a good living. Many of them
would scorn to admit that they could not
oil 1IlCOlllc IuuCll larger Lflan
they will receive if they succeed in their
desire to get into Office. Why they
should prefer an official salary to their
independent earnings IS one of the in
scrutable idiosyncracies of human nature.
There should be sympathy and compass
sion for this class of fellow creatures.
They are victims of their weakest traits
of character, like the chain that is no
stronger than its feeblest link. They
become beggars and prisoners when
they might feel free and independent as
kings"
president Harrisons grandfather was
the Oldest of all our Presidents" reads
~.L:. an editorial in The Star
Os of March 8, 1889, "but it is
-. r'o'u'e doubtful If any cabinet
WINGS ever contained so many
mature men as the new one. It's aver
age age is 81 years and months. The
President himself IS IS, four years older
than his predecessor.