Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-09
THE EXTENSION OF THE CITY.
Efforts Made Before Congress to secure
Needed Liquidation.

THE BILL TO PROVIDE A PERMANENT sysTEn
OF HIGHWAYS OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS
CONGRESS URGED TO ACT BEFORE THE COST
OF MAKING Such EXTENSIONS INckrAsEs-
RKPoRTs ON THE SUBJECT.
More than fifteen years ago q measure pro-
viding for the extension Of the city streets be-
yond the boundary in a manner to harmonic
with the plan Of the city was presented to Con-
gress. Since then the proposition has been be-
fore Congress in some form or other most Of
the time, and within the past few years has
been urgently pressed a the npid growth Of
the suburbs made the necessity Of some such
legislation patent unless Congress and the COM
munity were willing TO suffer the newer and
what will probably ultimately be the larger part
OF the capital city 10 grow up irregularly with
narrow and crooked streets and with no refer
ence whatever to the original plan Of the city.
As II is now before Congress, after passing
through q conference, the bill provides for the
extension Of the city streets and avenues into
the city. all costs to be borne BY the owners of
Gbutting property and the District revenues.
An account of the efforts made to secure the
port made by tho committee on streets and
avenues to the last annual meeting Of the WASH
ington board of trade.
HISTORY OF rHE MEASURE.
This report said: The great importance Of
the measure to the people Of the District and to
the people Of all parts Of our country who take
pride in their national capital and who are inter-
ested in seeing it grow In harmony with the
beautiful design Of L'Enfant, Justify the COM
mittee In briefly recspitulating its history, and
particularly the part taken in IL by the board
Of trade. The necessity for the extension Of
the streets and avenues has been recognized for
many years by our leading citizens and officials.
The first bill. however, introduced in Congress
to accomplish that purpose of which your COM
mittee have any knowledge was in 1876 by Mr.
Leavenworth Of New York; but, being late in
the session. it was not acted upon The ques-
ton was agitated more or less for several wears
thereafter, but it was not until the people Of
the rapidly growing suburbs began TO demand
improvements In return for city rates Of taxa
tion-and were refused, because the authorities
claimed that appropriations for improvements
in the county were limited exclusively TO county
roads-that the demand for the extension Of
the streets came SO strong and general as to at
tract the attention Of Congress. The present
chairman OF your committee-then a member
Of the county comnlittee-submitted to that
committee, q committee of citizens Of the
county, representing all that part Of the Dis
trict without the limits of Washington and
Georgetown, the following resolutions, which
were unanimously adopted. and subcommit-
tee appointed to present the same to the Dis
trict Commissioners and both houses OF Con-
gress, which was done;
Resolved. That it is the sense Of the citizens
county committee that the immediate extension
Of the principal streets and avenues Of the city
Of Washington through the suburban districts,
as nearly In conformity with the plan Of the city
as it is practicable and Just to do having due
regard FOR the contour Of the ground and pri-
waite interests affected thereby, Is Of paramount
importance to the citizens Of the county and to
the public generally.
Resolved, That in the opinion of said COM
mittee such extension should be made at the ex-
pense Of the United States and of the District
Of Columbia, but that the urgency Of the meas-
ure is so great that rather than have it DELAYED,
and with IL the system of suburban sewerage
and street Improvements so much needed in
said districts. which said extension must neces-
sarily precede, 1t would be better to have the
total cost Of such extension made charge upon
the property benefited thereby.
Various bills were introduced in Congress
about this time to extend one or more Of the
streets and avenues, the most comprehensive
being Senate bill No. 2201, introduced April 20,
1886, by Senator Malone, upon which the Dis
trict Commissioners were. on the 4th of August
following, directed by a resolution Of the Senate
to report TO- the Senate at its next meeting in
December, in detail, the estimated cost and,
in their opinion, the best plan for such extern
sion.
REGULATING SUBDIVISIONS.
The Commissioner report upon this bill
under date Of January %, 1887, and the accom-
panying map, which became known as Ludlow's
map. created great excitement in the suburbs,
and the plan was not favorably received in or
out of Congress. 1t served q very useful pur-
pose, however, in calling attention Of Congress
to the network Of small suburban subdivisions
OEad az oil or
mony with each other and with the plan Of the
city, which, through the selishness of specu-
lators and lack Of authority in the Commission
ers to prevent, was rapidly encircling the city
and retarding its extension beyond the boun-
dairy line. The District committees Of both
houses OF Congress, well as citizens, became
alarmed at the growth Of these irregular sub
divisions, and through their joint efforts Con-
gress, on the 22d day Of August, 1888, passed
the law regulating subdivisions Of lind in the
county. which provided that in future no SUBJ
divisions should be admitted to record in the
surveyors Office of the District unless made in
conformity with the plan of the city. This was
q pledge on the part Of Congress that sooner
or later the intervening subdivisions should
be roctiied to conform with the plan Of those
made under said act and the plan of
the city. Numerous bills having that object In
view were soon after introduced In both houses
OF Congress, and, coming before the board Of
trade, this committee was instructed TO report
thereon. Upon their Recommendation Mr. A.
S. Worthington, late United States district at
torney, who had had large experience In con-
demnation proceedings, particularly growing
out OF the library act, was employed as special
counsel to advise your committee and assist
them in perfecting bills before them These
bills were ell found to be % loosely drawn and
so full Of defects and Inconsistencies. that by
Mr.. Worthington's advice, the committee de-
cided TO prepare an entirely new bill Is Q SUBJ
stitute for all pending bills upon the subject
PERFEcrrNa THE BILL
Mr.. Worthington and your committee spent
much time in preparing what ID now generally
known as the board Of trade bill for the sx-
tension Of streets and avenues Oh. r. s747,
Fifty-frst Congress). The board Of trade
promptly approved the bill, and your commit
tee, accompanied by Mr.. Worthington, the
president OF the board, Mr.. Parker, and other
prominent members Of the board appeared be-
fore the Commissioners Of the District and the
committee Of the Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatives and explained at length the pro-
visions Of the bill and the necessity Tor its early
passage. Mr.. Hemphin Of the House District
committee, Who bad manifested great interest
in all proposed legislation calculated 10 advance
the interests Of The District. gave much time
and attention to the bill, and on the 22d Of Nay,
1880, reported ID favorably 10 the House in Q
very able and exhaustive report
Senators Harris and Faulkner Of the Senate
committee on the District Of Columbia, the
stanch and consistent friends Of the District
In the Senate, also gsve The bW earnest and
ST. A. IL 49, 49,