Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-12

streets and avenues in Washington is, ap-
proximately, 14.s40.sl4 square yards All
this had to be graded, metaled, paved
drained, severed, lighted and kept in repair.
To gain a conception of the street work to
be done in this city alone. imagine a street
100 hundred feet wide, extending from
Washington to New York city, graded, with
its carriage way asphalted. its cutters made,
its curbstones set and sidewalks laid. with
drains, sewers, lamp posts and shade trees.
In the Senate report, above quoted. the fol-
lowing statement is made: THE District
was the creation of the Union for its own
purposes. the plan of which was formed by
the public authorities, the dimensions of me
streets determined by them without inter-
ference by the Inhabitants or regard to their
particular convenience or interests plan
calculated for the magnificent capital of
great nation, but oppressive from its very
dimensions and arrangement to the inhabi-
tants IL its execution TO any considerable
extent was thrown upon them.
Street improvements.
Abundant proof of this exists in the rec
ords of the City Commissioners of that
period. A few facts on this point will suf-
flee for the purposes of this memorial. On
the. 18th of December, 1875, President
Washington wrote to the Commissioners:
When you are i'm a situation to begin the
opening of the avenues 1t is presumed those
which will be more Immediately useful will
be first cleared"
August ~. 1901. jefferson wrote to the
Commissioners: Gentlemen: Your favor of
the oath is duly received. / consider the
erection of the representatives chamber
and the making good gravel road from
the new bridge on Rock creek, along Penn
sylvania and New Jersey avenues, TO the
Eastern branch as the most important OBJ
jects for insuring the destinies of the city
which can be undertaken. $4,000
for four miles of road were then estimated
to be sufficient but from your statement
hal he
distance Though not half the work. re-
mains to be Iinished. But IL any
thing remains of that fund / will venture
to direct a further portion OF the price of
the site to be paid you for completing this
road" &c.
In a message by President jefferson to
both houses of Congress January IL, 1S02,
he says: THE lots in the city which are
chargeable with payment of these moneys
are deemed not only equal to the indemnih-
cation of the public, but TO insure a con-
siderable surplus to the city, to be employed
for its improvement, provided" &c.
In letter from the commissioner of pub
lie buildings the following item is given as
a copy from the records of expenditures of
the government for the improvement OF the
streets of Washington: lS0O. Making foot
way from Georgetown to the Capitol,
$4,000. For the last four documents see
Senator Southard's report, 1895, republish-
ed in full in board OF public works report
for 1921
Though the city population was 1910 in
1900 it does not appear that Congress made
any demand upon the citizens for contribu-
tons or imposed any taxes upon them for
city improvements The general belief was
that the United States would bear all the
expenses of the new city. We find or page
81, vol 3. of Winterbotham's History of the
American United States, London. England,
1f95, a notice of the gift of Washington
city lots by the proprietors. ending with:
This grant will produce about 1900 lots
and will be sufficient not only to erect the
public buildings. but to dig the canal, con-
duct water through the city and to pave
heavy tax that arises in other cities and
consequently render the lots considerably
more valuable"
The first two sales OF lots were extern
sively advertised in England. and Thomas
Law and other Englishmen were among
the purchasers. That the prices of the lots
sold before May. 1902. were higher because
of their supposed future freedom from taxa
ton there is no reason to doubt, but no ex-
press pledge by the government to that ef-
feet can be proven.
The City Government.
III. Third period-ls02-1S12. The growth
of the population, creating a necessity for
local government. to relieve Congress Of the
petty business of licenses. police regulations,
&C., resulted in the charters of 1902 and
1904. Under these the mayor was appoint
ed by the President. and his vote could only
be reversed by a three-fou-ths vote of both
branches of the city council. Among the
minor powers were: ITO erect and repair
bridges; to keep in repair all necessary
streets. avenues, drains and sewers, and TO
pass regulations necessary for the preserva-
ton Of the same. agreeably to the plan of
said city"
No power was granted to open or close
street or alley, construct a sewer. or to as
sess for special improvements. Congress
does not seem to have changed its course I'm
regard to the city. The following items ap-
pear in the accounts of the government
with the capital:
lso2. Building a jail in Washing
ton ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. $500 90
1913. Building jail in Washing
ton ..:....-.- .-----...--..-.......... 5906.O0
1SUS. Improving Pennsylvania
e lS.46oOS
1So' Repairs and opening streets
ana avenues. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 3NbOn
(Senator Southard's report supraD From
the same authority We learn that the new
city expended upon the streets from the be-
ginning IAN average annual sum of not
less than Sl3,Wo. This amount was beyond
its means. the population being only SOS
in the year 1910. and there being no special
taxes. Al the end of the period the city
was heavily in debt, and its streets and
avenues were not yet cleared of forest
trees. I'm 1872 these debts amounted 10
Slt.Wo. Webb's Digest. 1861
In 1904 the poet Tom Moore visited
Washington and wrote his celebrated satire
upon II:
This embryo capital where fancy sees
Squares in morasses. obelisks in trees
Which second-sighted seers even now
adorn
With shrines unbuilt and heroes yet un-
born"
The city streets We're i'm little better CON-
dition in 1872 than i'm 1901
Inevitable Bankruptcy
". Fourth period-lSla-ls65 The feat
ure cha-acterizing this period of fifty-three
years. in regard to the financial manage
ment or the city corporation, is the system
OF special assessment on abutting property.
Tor local improvements made on petition of
owners. Ten years effort by the city to
meet necessary expenditures on streets by a
general tax of three-fourths of one per cent
on real estate and by occupation taxes had
brought the corporation into bankruptcy.
In the cnarter OF May 4, 1872, Congress au-
thorlzed special assessments not exceedinp
s-.'o per 'front.' foot for improvements made
on petition of two-thi-us of the owners OF
inhabited houses fronting on the desired inn
provement. (Sec. 81 In the charter of Nav
10, ls2u. this power was removed the COST
not TO exceed 81 per front foot and the ne
ttion TO be signed by the owners of moe
than haf OF the property fronting on the
Improvement This gave a standing for the
Hrst Tune TO the owners of vacant lots and
maue much easier the work of getting nett
lions To- the Improvement of streets
ms system Of street Improvement vas
regulated by ordinances passed from fine
20 time, notably by three passed in Nav.