Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-11
EXTEND THE STREETS.
Facts in This Interesting Report on
the Bill

Every resident who is materially concerned
as to Washington and its environs read with
interest in yesterdays STAR of the report made
by Senator Harris from the Senate District
committee on the bill to extend the streets and
avenues Of the city. The report was q lengthy
ono. covering the case completely. Portions of
| it, not up to this time made public, may also
be interesting.
The evil which this act was intended to
remedy. says the committee. was that various
persons owning land lying on or near the
boundary of the city Of Washington had, from
time TO time, recorded in the surveyors Office
subdivisions which did not harmonize with
each other, and in most instances did not con-
form with the plan of the city. The plan OF
the city itself had been laid out under the
direction of President Washington with great
care and on a grand scale--such was suitable
to the capital of q great nation. There was no
occasion to provide for city streets beyond the
boundary until about the year 1865, when the
city OF Washington began to extend beyond the
limits marked out for it on the plan adopted by
President Washington. From that time until
the passage of the above mentioned act OF 1883
each land owner laid out the streets upon his
property to suit himself
AN UNPLEASANT RESULT.
The result was that the city proper was in
danger of being surrounded by struggling vii
lagos with a labyrinth of streets, narrower, in
general, than those in the city, in many in
stances even not conforming to each other.
Had there been at this time In existence map
upon which the streets of the city were pro-
jected through these lands the land owners
would no doubt have adopted the street I'D
down on such map, but there was no guide
for them to fellow each man did what seemed
to himself most to his own interest.
And worse than this the PRINCIPAL avenues of
the city have not been extended because no
single land owner was prepared TO donate to
the public the large proportion of his land
which would be required IN the projection of
SUCH Rvenues IN pursuance OF general reg ulatlons
prescribed by the Commissioners, which re-
qulred that they should conform with the gen.
eral plan of the city.
IRREGULAR SUBDIVISIONS.
In many instances this has resulted in re-
quiring owners Of land lying some little dis
lance from the city to SO subdivide their land
that the streets thereon will he on the line Of
the extension of city streets. but which will
not connect with the streets of the city because
Of some intervening subdivision made prior to
the passage of such act and not conforming to
the plan of the city In other cases the land
owner has been required to lay out his street
Of the same width as the corresponding street
in the city while between him and the city the
street is narrower than he has been required to
make it where it passes through his land.
Furthermore, as the question whether a GER
general plan of the city" is a matter requiring
the exercise of Judgment, and as subdivisions
under the act Of 1888 are approved from time
to time during the course Of years, and the
same Commissioners are not in Office all the
time, subdivisions are scattered around
through the District, each one of which has
been held by the proper authorities to be in
conformity with the general plan of the city,
but which do not in all cases conform with
each other. lateral street in one part of the
District, when projected, will not strike the
corresponding lateral street some distance
away.
DEFLEcrIoNs SOMETIMES NECESSARY.
So it is frequently advisable to defect one or
more streets or avenues, as was done in the
original plan of the city proper; but it is man
ifestly impossible in recording scattered subdi-
visions at different times to make such de-
Elections SO rs to make them correspond with
each other and unite them all in a harmonious
whole.
The provisions Of the bill may be easily un-
derstood, the intent Of the measure being ex-
planned in the report
PROVISIONS OF THE BILL
Sections and require the Commissioners
Of the District to prepare plan for the extern
sion Of the city over the entire District, this
plan to be prepared in sections from time to
time and each map to be submitted to a COM
mission composed of the Secretary of War, the
Secretary of the Interior and the chief Of en-
gineers, who are given power to modify it.
The map of each section, as finally approved by
this commission, Is to be recorded III the office
of the surveyor of the District. and the record
ing of any subdivision of land within the area
covered by any such map after the map shall
have been 80 recorded. except upon a plan ap-
proved by the Commissioners and conforming
TO the map, is prohibited by section 8.
Section also contains a provision authoriz-
ing the Commissioners, with the approval of
the above mentioned commission to appoint
two civilian assistants to the Engineer Commits
sioner to assist in doing the work i'll question
Sections and authorize the Commissioners
to enter upon lands to make surveys and to
name the highways laid out on the maps
Dy section 8 the Commissioners are re-
quired within thirty days after any such map
shall have been recorded which shall change
any existing subdivision to apply to the Su-
preme Court of the District for the condemna-
section is not intended to apply except where
the purpose of the map is to rectify one or
more OF the subdivisions laid out prior to the
act Of August "a, 1888.
COMPULSORY EXTENSION
Section is intended to provide for the COM
pulsory extension or opening of streets where
the public convenience requires this to be done
but the land owner refuses to dedicate the land
needed for the highway. 1t is required by this
section that before any condemnation can take
place under it the court, after giving due
notice to the public and whenever PRACTICABLE to
each land owner interested and after hearing
evidence from all parties in interest shall de-
eide to what extent the public convenience does
in fact require the condemnation and shall not
proceed with the condemnation except where it
has found in this way that the public con-
venience demands it.
Proceedings under this section are to be in
stituted by the Commissioners OF the District
when in their judgment the public convenience
requires it.
Section provides for the giving Of o public
notice before any condemnation proceedings
shall be undertaken under the act, and requires
also that notice shall be given to each land
owner interested where it is practicable, and to
the United States district attorney,
Section 3. like section z. refers to proceed
ings for the correction of misfitting sub
divisions and requires in those cases that the
court after giving notice as aforesaid, shall
proceed Immediately with the condemnation,
so far as 1t relates to any land within an exist
ing subdivision.
The object Of this is to prevent any unneces-
sary delay in the rectifcaton of subdivisions
made between 1865 and 1888 Subdivisions
made under the act of 1888 the Commissioners
are required to adopt without change and in
corporate them into the maps which they are
to prepare
CONFEDERATION PROCEEDINGS
Section 10 directs how the condemnation