Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-05

fsPEClAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH.i
WASHINGTON, April 4-Washington
city is fast getting into the possession of a
combination of real estate spectators whose
operations bid fair to ruin forever what lit
tie claim the city has to beautiful, we'll
paved and well-kept streets. Since the
raid for getting control of property in the
suburbs of the West End began about the
time that Grover Cleveland bought Red
Top, the spectators have been insatiate in
their demands. They have now got prop
erty up so high that city prices prevail out
into the country for three or four miles, and
where few years ago there were vast farms
there are now numerous thriving towns on
paper.
Large sums of money have been expended
in the purchase of this suburban property,
and further large sums stand ready to be
employed in improving. All the operations
extend in q northwest direction toward
Cleveland Heights, and if all the lots that
have been plated were sold and houses built
on them Washington would indeed be a
great city.
THE AMBITIOUS SPECTATORS.
There are no residences on these suburban
town sites, however, and SO the spectators
are endeavoring to put them there. Congress
a few days ago passed bill for the estab-
lishment of geological park, which is to
be located in the neighborhood of these syn
dicate purchases, on the land lying on either
side of Rock creek, in the direct neighbor-
hood of Woodley Lane road.
In order to get people out into this ro-
mantically beautiful but entirely rural sec
tion of the future Washington, a grand plan
of street railroad construction has been
mapped out. Congress has been absolutely
flooded with bills asking for charters for the
construction of street railroads, and they are
being urged in committee by as bold a set
of spectators as ever fastened their claws
upon the people of the District Of Columbia.
If one-half of the bills should become laws
Washington would be fairly gridironed with
street railroads.
The city now has all the Transportation
facilities of this kind that will be needed for
the next 10 or 20 years, and the lines that
are proposed are intended to run from no.
where to some one OF the cities on paper out
in the country.
A FAvoRITE TERMINUS.
Almost every bill proposing new street
railroad line lays down a route which ends
somewhere in the neighborhood of Cleve-
land Heights. Washington proper, that is,
the part of the city where the people live
and where the business is done, has more
transportation facilities now than any city in
the United States in proportion to the popu-
lation. In order to reach the property of
the real estate men it is proposed to run
railroads haphazard over all the new north
western part of the city where there are no
business streets at ALL but where hundreds
and thousands of beautiful homes have re-
Gently been built.
The projectors of these speculative lines
seem to have given no consideration what
ever to the claims of private property
owners, but are actually attempting to force
bills through Congress granting the right
of way over streets in opposition to the
earnest protest of every resident and prop
erty owner from one end to the other. 1t
has recently been said of Washington by
people who have travelled extensively in
this country and abroad that it is the best
governed city in the United States. This
ls perhaps true. The government OF the
city is II the hands of three commissioners,
one Republican, one Democrat and one
an engineer officer of the army, supposed to
be without political prejudice.
Congress paws half the taxes and other ex-
penses of running the District, and takes the
advice oft the three Commissioners as to what
shall be done In the wav of local improve
ments These three men are vested with
great power. They are not responsible at
all to the citizens of the District. but re-
ceive their authority direct from the Presi-
dent and Congress.
A STORM OF PROTESTS,
There have been times when the actions
OF the Commissioners have been so tyrauni-
cal and arbitrary as to raise storms of pro-
tests from the citizens, but it is fair to saw
that the present Commissioners seem dis
posed to regard the citizens as having some
rights which even the real estate spectators
are bound to respect. All of the bills
granting charters for additional street rail-
ways are referred to the Commissioners for
opinions as to their desirabilitv or necessity.
Just now the Commissioners are nearly
swamped with applications OF this kind,
and the greatest pressure is being brought
upon them to report favorably on the Vari-
Gus schemes ior running the proverbial beau
tiiul and welI-paved streets of the capital,
Washington is probably the only city in
the United States where street car lines are
constructed without any regard as to
whether the residents along the proposed
lines want the roads or whether they do
not.
An instance of this kind was under con-
sideration by the Commissioners to-day. A
number of capitalists and spectators are
asking Congress for charter for a street
railroad TO run across the entire CITY from
east TO west and back again, running in
its course number of the finest
residence streets In the CITY, 1t was de-
veloped at the hearing that not one person
in the entire city except the dozen or so in
corporators Of the road, not one of whom
lives on the line of the proposed route. was
asking for the increased TRANSFORMATION
facilities On the other hand n l..
Der OF citizens who are actual residents of
and property owners on the proposed new
route, we're present, and protested against
the encroschments upon their property, and
they hled with the Commissioners the pro-
test OF hundreds Of other citizens living on
the lines of the proposed route.
PURELY FOR SPECULATION.
The desired charter is wanted purely for
speculative purpose, and yet the incorpor-
stors questioned the right of citizens to pro-
test against despoiling them of their rights
The Commissioners seemed rather impressed
with the unanimity with which the property
owners resented the attempt of the specula-
tors 10 pridiron their section of the citv with
street railroads, but did not say what recon-
meudation they would make to Congress.
They are men who themselves live and own
property in Washington, and it is probable |
they will take the honorable and sensible |
view of the matter and protect the rights Of
their fellow citizens.
Senator Edmunds has started crusade on |
these real estate speculators, and has warned |
Congress TO keep out of their clutches. |
When be was absent from the Senate cham |
Der few days ago bill was passed allow |
ing road that uses overhead electric wires |
to extend its lines along one of the residence |
streets, Notwithstanding the fact that there |