National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1872-12-03
THE DISTRICT.
WHAT WE HAVE DONE.
THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS.
ANNUAL REPORT TO the PRESIDENT
A Review of the Labor Per-
formed Since the Or
ganization,
Results Of .JudiciOIIs 1CN-
pcndItuT.Cs.
\ Complete showing and
satisfactory InfOrnIu-
ton for ConHrcss und
the People.
ANNUAL REPORT TO the PRESIDENT
Results Of .JudiciOIIS lex
DcndituT.Ca.

To ne ITestisnf
In accordance with the requirements of the
act Of Congress, approved February 81, 1871,
entitled AN act to provide Government for
the District Of Columbia the following ls
respectfully submitted as the report Of the
Board Of Public Works Of the District Of Co
lumbia.
The new District government went into
operation On the LIST day Of June 1871. On
the 10th Of the same month the Board Of Pub
lie Works submitted to the Legislative As
sembly estimates for certain improvements,
amounting Ia the aggregate to s6,5TS, 387, and
recommended that the District should provide
for the payment thereof by loan Of $4,000
900, and an assessment, as provided In the
organic act, Of One-thlrd, or 81, 900 600. On
the 10th Of July the Legislative Assembly, by
u twO-thirds vote, passed bill making an mp
preparation Of "a, OOO, 900 for improvements In
the District, and authorizing an issue Of
twCnty-year seven per cent. bonds In pay
mcnt Of the same. Shortly afterwards GER
tain citizens applied to the Equity Court of
the District for an order cniOlning the Dis
tTlct government from Issuing bonds under
this act. The order having been granted by
Mr.. Justice Wylic, the Legislature, on the
18th OF August, passed a supplemental apprO-
priatiOn bin Of s5OO, 600, for tile purpose Of
avoiding the technical difficulties raised by
the injunCtiOnlsts, and work was Immediately
commenced. The injunction granted by
uNukt W VIC was subsequently ulrhOlNtu on
appeal by the court In banC, and by later
act Of the Legislature the half million appro-
prlatlOn was deducted FROM the "a, 500, 900,
leaving the total amount a, 900, as ORR
ginally made.
The Legislative Assembly at the same pcs-
sion referred the question W q lUun Of e.
600, 600 10 the people Of the District, und at
an election held the 2lst Uf November the
proposition was Endorsed by an almost uuan-
nous vote.
From the outset the board found themselves
embarrassed In many ways In prosecuting the
important work which had been couhdcd to
their care. Under the old municipal govern
ment no system of grades had been estab-
lished for the city, although numerous at
tempts had been made toward that end The
policy Of accommodating grades to particular
streets or localities, In compliance with the
peculiar ideas Of individual prOperty-Owners,
had prevailed to such an extent that the grade
books In possession Of the old corporations
were, In many instances, utterly inconsistent
and worthless, and 10 this may DO attributed
many Of the changes and apparent errors
which have occurred In the prosecution Of
improvements.
The establishment Of a system Of sewerage
required numerous changes In the grades, and
In many Instances these were Of radical ma
tuTe In ayaillng ourselves Of the experience
Of other cities changes were made which In
hOlue Cdses were Ftbhfucu us lnNOlNlnB 100
great expense, and imposing unnecessary IN
convenience upon the owners Of property
affected. These, however, were absolutely
necessary 10 the rUrfCCting Uf the expensive
and needed improvements projected by the
board
The plan Of Washington, as laid out by Its
founder, evidently contemplated a capital to
contain millions Of people. The streets and
avenues arc Of greater width than those of
any other city in the world, and, with the
alleys, comprise an area equal TO about one
half Of that contained within the entire city
limits. How TO improve these very wide
thOrJughfares, Interpreted with numerous
reservations and public squares, without bank
rupting the people, was the practical questiOn
which had first to be solved Tho most FEAST
bic plan suggested was 50 to narrow the car
Tlageways as to render the Use Of improved
practicable. This would place the
surplus width inside the fOOtwalks, where II
could be parked and Otherwise bcautihcd at
slight expense to the public and In many In
stances at the expense Of the property border
Ing upon IT,, the owners Of which, for the
privilege Of the use Of the ground, would
gladly bcautify and RdOn 1t. BY this plan,
that which was u barren aud unslghtly waste
has been made u beautiful feature In the con-
tour Of the streets and avenues. Ii has been
carried out In all the streets that have been
improved, and has met with general approval
Tho cost has thus been very largely reduced,
while the capacity Of the streets, ~ u means
Of int recourse, has not been In the least
abridged. table showing the comparative
area occupied by the thOrOughiuros OF Wash
ingtOn, and Of other CitlGH IN this country and
In Europe Is herewith submitted, IN follows