Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-03-06
THE PLAN OF EXTENSION,


Under the provisions Of the new bill the Com
missioners of the District are authorized and
directed to prepare plan for the extension of
permanent system of highways in the
| suburbs.
said SYSTEM" the bill provides, ''shall be
! made as nearly in conformity with the street
| plan OF the city OF Washington as the Commits
sloners may deem advisable and practicable.
| The highways provided in such plans shall not
| in any case be less than ninety feet nor more
| than 100 feet wide. except in cases of existing
highways, which may BIO established of any
/ width not less than their existing width and not
| more than $50 feet in width
| Tho plan of street extension is TO be prepered
| in sections and the Commissioners are directed
ITO select first such areas as are covered by
| listing suburban subdivisions not in con-
fornity with the general plan Of the city Of
| Washington"
| A map is to be prepared and delivered to a
| commission, composed of the Secretary of
| War. the Secretary of the Interior and the
| chief OF engineers, for the time being who
| shall make such alterations. if any. therein az
| they shall deem advisable" When the COM
| mission approves the map it is to be returned
to the Commissioners and duly recorded with
| the surveyor of the District. Provision is made
for the condemnation of right of way by appli-
cation to the supreme Court of the District.
| ALL THE EXPENSE on THE DISTRICT.
1t is provided also THAT the amount awarded
| by said court as damages for each highway or
reservation or part thereof condemned and
| established under this act shall be an assess
| ment and charge wholly upon the land bene-
| fitted thereby, upon the land and District of
| Columbia in such proportion as the court shall
| determine. and the amount charged against
said District shall be paid exclusively from the
| revenues thereof.
1.-The United States shall not hereafter be
liable for any expense in connection with any
YotY civ slnl fl,nr
provements outside Of the cities of Washington
and Georgetown. laid out under the provisions
OF this act. but it shall be paid entirely out Of
the revenues of the District Of Columbia.
In case the court shall enter Judgment Of
condemnation in any case and appropriation is
not made by Congress for the pay ment of such
award within the period of six months, Com
gress being in session for that time after such
award, or for the period of six months after
the meeting of the next session of Congress, the
proceedings shall be void and the land shall re-
vert to the owner"
AN ABSURD PROVISION.
While the final settlement of this important
question is of the highest importance to the
material interests Of this citv, vet it is q great
misfortune that the bill. SO beneficial in its eff
feet and q rule wise in its provisions, should
be distigured by the ridiculous clause that at
one stroke changes the plan adopted for the
| government of the District by providing that
| the entire expense OF the improv ements of the
| streets to be laid out under the provisions of
this act shall be paid entirely out of the reve-
nue. of the District The only reason advanced
on the floor of the House for this change was
that the principle of the government sharing
the municipal expense with the District ought
not to apply to those sections of the District
| away from the territory where most of the fed
eral property lies. There seems to be n con-
fused idea among members of Congress that
the capital city of this great nation is confined
within the old municipal limits OF the city of
Washington.
TEE CITY AND THE DISTRICT ONE.
The fact is that the city of Washington and
the District OF Columbia are now identical in
area and only an imaginary line separates
them. There is one law and one government
for the entire District. and there is no doubt
that If the growth of the capital is not checked
| the entire area of the District will DO
| built up. In the last census this fact was
recognized, and instead of enumerating the
/ population according to the practically obso-
| lete divisions Of the city OF Washington,
| Georgetown and the county the population
| of the entire District was given. Then. again.
| the property of the government is not confined
| to the old municipal limits, and it is probable
that this will be less the in the future than
in the past. The buildings for the naval OBJ
servatory have recently been erected In the
| suburbs, the Government Hospital for the In
| sane occupies a large area in the suburbs and
no doubt other sites will be chosen for public
buildings away from the present populous CEN
tiers. If anybody has an idea that this city is
going to stop growing he needs to revise such
an opinion as quickly AS possible
COMPLICATED BOOKKEEPING.
There are number of streets in subdivisions
which have been already laid out in accordance
| with the plan OF the city. and which, therefore,
will not come under the provisions OF this act.
The result will he that portion Of the streets
in the suburbs will be improved out of the COM
mon fund and another lot will be tax exclu-
sively on the District funds. The bill will ne
cessitate delightfully."- complicated system Of
bookkeeping.
Tho hope is universally expressed that the
bill will be amended. and if there is desire on
the part Of Congress to change tho present
form of government for the District that it will
be done outright and not in way that i'm
poses unjust ard needless hardship on the resi-
dents of the District
ROWS OF HOUSES
Seven houses are to be erected on n street
between New Jersey avenue and LIST street from
plans prepared by W. J. Palmer, architect.
| They will be three stories high with base
ment. nineteen feet front by a depth Of fifty
| four feet Two OF them Will have fronts of
cream brick and Indiana lime stone, while the
others will have Hummelstown brown stone
bases and trimmings of the same material. The
fronts VIII be broken by circular and square
bay windows running to the caves.
Six two-story houses. 17X40 each, are to be
| erected on the corner of I'd and A streets
northeast They will have fronts Of press brick
trimmed in stone, with octagou bays extending
| TO the mansard roofs OF slate. The plans have
been prepared by b. Stanley Simmons, archi-
| tect.
The same architect has made designs for
block OF eighteen two-story houses to be erected
| on the square east Of square 1912, which is
| bounded by Kentucky avenue, E and 14th
| streets southeast.
On Bismarck street between 7th and 9Th
streets northwest Architects Graham & Son
have completed designs Of seven two-story and
| cellar houses.
| James Z. Miller will erect ten dwellings on
| Oregon avenue between New Hampshire avenue
and 18th street. from plans prepared by W. j.
] Palmer, architect They will have press-brick
! fronts with square and circular bay windows.
! row of ten houses, six rooms each. are to be
built on Steuben street. near Sherman avenue,
for john Seibel, from plans Of c. A. Hardness,
architect
| NEW CHURCH EDIFICE.
| Plans for the new church edifce for the con-
gregation Of the Second Baptist Church (col-
ored). which is to be erected on Sd street be-
tween II and streets northwest, have been pre-
pared by A. p. Clark, jr. The church will be
/ built Of brick and brown stoue DESIGNED i'm