Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-02
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP.
Property Owners Desire Action on
the Street Extension Bill
HARDER PROBLEMS THAN EENrANF had
Improved Designs in Recent Church
Architecture.
SOME NEW BUILDINGS.

To supply work to those who are without
work Is now urged as a reason for prompt
action on the part of Congress providing
the necessary money to begin the work Of
street extension AS a measure of relief
alone for the idle part of the poulation. this
legislation will. no doubt, recommend itself
to members of Congress. At the same time,
If other arguments are needed in addition
to those which have been so fully set forth
during the period of years while the street
extension bill has been under considera-
ton. it might be said that immediate &C.
ton in this matter would afford the great
est possible relief to the property owners
whose only misfortune is that they are the
unhappy possessors of real estate, though
unable to say exactly how much they have,
or how long they will have it, This I'M
certainty Is genuine. and comes from the
delays in legislation which has afflicted
the progress of the street extension bill.
So that, while the condition of the laboring
classes is at this time. no doubt, bordering
On the desperate, yet it should not be for
gotten that in urging forward this MEASURE
Of relief that the property owners will be
benefited If by any means the clouds of UNI
certainty are dispelled- 1t Is considered I'M
portant that as soon possible this class
should know where the lines of the pro-
posed extensions of the streets viii go and
what will be left Of their property, and 9TH
er facts which are important
Relief for Property Owners.
A good many owners hear the suggestions
of the Importance of hurryins Congress
with a good deal of the same feeling as the
men who look upon such a movement as
likely to bring within their reach the work
upon which they depend for their lveli-
hood. The delay and the INDIGESTION in
this particular has affected property, and
now that relief Is in sight, the owners are
naturally anxious that there should be as
little delay possible. There is. Of course
difference of opinion to the details of
the execution Of the law, but the property
owners are united in the desire that some
decision should be reached promptly. On
the other hand those charged with the
execution Of this law find that the task il
one not only of great magnitude, but of
Importance. In some respects they are
called upon to decide questions which are
almost fundamental in their nature. The
streets laid out years ago, according to
the will of private owners, in some sections
of the suburbs, bear no more resemblance
to the plan of the city than il the land
which is adjoining was separated by miles
of space.
If all streets of this character could be
wiped out of existence then the designer of
the plan of extension would have a COM
parauvely easy task. But owing to ex-
pense and other reasons this course cannot
be pursued. Then the difficult problem Is
to be solved of how far the deviation from
the lines of the city streets shall be made.
Some owners further cemplicate the mat
ter by holding that certain grades should
be recognized and the streets made to con-
form to the natural lay OF the land.
High Grades In the City.
While this is an excellent plan in sections
which are not likely to be thickly built up
with residences many of those who are dis
IONS no tfar hat IL ic {,,ayl
visable to embarrass or interrupt the growth
of the city in solid rows by the introduc-
ton of high grades and winding roads
which are found suitable in a. suburban To-
cality. Such grades existed on street
before the advent of ex-Gov. Shepherd
Everybody remembers the howl OF objec-
ton that went up when it was found that
the grade was to be uniform. Houses and
lots were left high above the street and the
expense bore hard upon a good many prop
erty owners. At this dav no one
questions that this policy was in the IN
terests Of the city and Of the majority Of
the citizens, although individuals suffered
Church Architecture.
One OF the marks OF the growth of this
city In wealth and in population is the
improvement in the character Of the church
edifces erected in recent wears az COM
pared with the old time structures. From
the prevalence of what Is known as two
story churches here it is evident that there
was a time when economy was the main
thing in such an enterprise. A church on
this plan effected a saving in two import
ant particulars. namely. the cost of the
ground and of the building. AS a rule the
buildings themselves were erected cheaply
and of the less expensive material of brick
rather than more COSTLY stone. The mod
ern church buildings show a radical change
in these particulars and are evidence chat