National Republican., 1875-06-29
PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE.
An Unique Explanation of the Protest
Against Its Being Repaved.

At the earnest request OF the writer the fol.
lowing letter is printed verbatim, as an answer
to some recent structures in THE NATIONAL Re.
PUBLICAN regarding the protest against the re.
paving of Pennsylvania avenue:
To the Editor Of tie RGtf1nGi RsnS5Ifcaa: an i''0
SIR:-Permt me as the agent who procured
the signatures to the pertitoD against the paving
of Penn avenue at the expence OF the property
holders.
To correct few errors II your article on that
subject. which appeared in your issure on the
22Ond inst. You say in substance that only IS
signatures were obtained out of 1900 property
holders and business men on Penn ave This Is
deceiVing the public. They were SO signatures
and many more would have signed. but as they
BOnihde property holders
They were refused and you can rely on it. that
many more will be added to the list of Protest
ance And not one yet has refused. who has beGn
called on to signed this Petition
They are not FIVE hundred property holders on
Penn ave. and perhaps not four hundred
Next you assert that they are not a single
owner Of property on the avenue who would sell
now for the assess valuation. with one third
Any one desirous to test the truth of this will
assure them success, he can have valuable piece
of property on this avenue at the assessed yalua-
tion without the one third added, and liberal
credit for large portion Of the purchase money
You say that the prices asked for property aud
the rents charged are the only criterion Of its
value in the estimation of its owner.
This is well known not to correct many con-
siderations may induce an owner to put large
value on his property, which If put up for sale
will not realize one half Of its estimate
witness the sale of the house now occupied by
Joseph PlatZ, opposite the Metropolitan hotel a
few weeks since, which sold for SIS $50 about one
half Of Its value.
Rents are charged in proportion to the ability
Of business to pay and secure profit to the
merchant depends Of course upon the situation.
No rents are high except on the limitedpOrtion of
the Avenue, between Sixth and Tenth streets
where the most of the business is done, and where
stores will bring from two to six thousand dollars
per year, because the merchant knows that
enough business can be done to Justify such rent
The TACT related by you that rents are higher
than ever before proves that more Business Is
done (lOr otherwise they would not be Paid) and
there fore the avenue Is not suffering for a new
pavement to increase business and is it not Curl
GUS that this avenue should be selected for i'm
proTement and demand made for a speedy Action
in regard to il, why not have applied to have the
avenue East Of the Oapatal repSYed which IA al
most impossible, and why not some of the streets
which lead to Business marts, be placed in such
condition as to make them passabIe which was
not the case last winter.
1 am very sorry to say that the argument so far
offered In favor Of taxing property holders 70 pay
for repairs upon an avenue owned by the CIoVer-
ment, and always heretofore paid for BY Il are 40
light as to give us Suspicious look to the whole
affair.
Mort Respt Yours
EDWARD, r, YATES