Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-17
THE ESTIMATEDC COST
What the District Engineer Depart
ment Will Need.
Up AROUND one MILLION
Grading and Paving Streets and
Opening New Thorougbfares.
THE PARK NEG LECTED

For the engineer department alone the
Commissioners will ask Congress to ap-
propriate over 81 100000 They have deter
mined not to pinch appropriations, but to
ask for everything the city needs in the
shape Of improvements and then turn in
and fight for victory when Congress con-
venes and the committees announce their
readiness to discuss the situation.
Perhaps the most important feature of
the Commissioners estimates will be an
item for destroying the waste and night
sell of the city. They are convinced that
the city could be kept cleaner if all the
rubbish which is taken up in the streets
was Immediately burned. Circular letters
have been sent out to the cities where this
Is done. with view of getting some idea
of how large an appropriation to ask for
for this purpose. 1t was believed that
$4,000 per arnum Is sufficient to do the
work, and that Is believed to be the sum
the Commissioners will ask for.
New Streets.
For the improvement Of new streets an
appropriation Of about 100000 will be ask
ed. A preliminary schedule Of the streets
to be improved has already been published
in The Star. and this was made up on q
basis of a 100000 appropriation for the
work. AS has heretofore been stated.
$4,000 has been apportioned to the north
west; $4,000 for the southwest; $4,000 each
to the northeast and southeast, and $4,000
to Georgetown.
No one has protested this year as far as
can be learned against the apportionment,
although hundreds Of letters have been re-
ceived from interested citizens generally
urging the Improvement Of some street not
on the list.
EARLY Publication.
The publication Of this preliminary list
was not pleasing to the Commissioners. and
they have expressed themselves in no I'M
certain terms about it. Their policy was to
keep this preliminary schedule a secret I'M
til every street which they had considered
reeded improvement was decided upon, and
then give 1t to the public.
In this way the citizens would have been
kept in the dark, and no opportunity given
them to be heard on the subject under con-
s:deration. The list. published in The
Star under date of September IL, is the one
which Is annually submitted by the engi-
neer in charge of surface work for the con-
sidera ton of the Commissioners
Heretofore this list was seldom amended
and generally adopted as recommended.
Owing to the advance notice given by The
Star it Is not known what the policy Of the
Commissioners this year will be, but there
is little doubt that there will be few
changes.
The annual estimates for the support
of the surface department are now before
the Commissioners for action.
Permit Appropriations.
Under the head of Assessment and Per-
init Work, an appropriation of 100000 Is
Urged. 1t Will be of interest to note that
Of this sum that 5000 goes toward the
widening Of street between 9th and 10th
streets to width of fifty feet, and the
paving of the widened part.
Which really means that $4,000 will be
Sad nn q
for the property owners AUDITING the street
betwee en- the points named will be called to
contribute 5000 for the work.
For paving and curbing roadways under
the provisions of the permit system. $10,
600 Is asked.
This means that the sum of $4,000 Gf
the appropriation is granted will be on
hand, and citizens who do not care to wait
for the regular march of improvements
can. by paying one-half Of the cost thereof,
have paving and curbing done by the Dis
trict.
The chain gang, which does a great deal
Of work for the city, will have $1,000 al
lotted to 1t for tools. etc.
For repairs to pavements, such as renew
ais and resurfacing, the sum of s15O,OO0 Is
asked. This appropriation IS intended to
resurface and repair old asphalt pavements.
For repairs to>streets, avenues and alleys,
the sum of $4,000 is required.
For replacing sidewalks and curb about
public reservations $4,000 will be neces-
sary.
For repairs to county roads the BUM of
$4,000 Is asked, which, 1t Is believed, the
Commissioners will increase
For Opening Streets.
For opening streets under the ten-cent
fund $4,000 Is asked. This Is most i'm
portant apr cpriation, as it allows citizens
who desire to grade public roads abutting
their property or elsewhere where they are
interested to do the work and receive ten
cents pencl bic yard as. compensation there
for from the District.
The parking commission Is put in at
sioners will let this stand, as 1t is consid-
cred most important item.
Other Sums.
For widening the approaches to the P
street bridge the sum of $1,000 will be nee
essary, and as the engineer department
agrees that this work should be done as
soon as possible, the appropriation has an
excellent chance of being made.
For the care Of bridges the sum of $685.
800 Is estimated.
Another important item is that of 5000
for the care and improvement of Rock
Creek Park. OF this sum 5000 is believed
to be necessary for identifying the roads,
and it is recommended that such sum be
paid Frederick Law Olmstead- or some
other eminent landscape engineer for the
work incident thereto.
This is small sum for such an import
ant work and the Commissioners when
they take up the subject Of estimates will
be called upon to Increase this sum to $780,
900.
DISTRICT GOVERNMENT.