Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-20

sewer, mainly for catching storm water
and carrying it direct to the river. instead
of letting it continue to flood the iow-lying
district of Pennsylvania avenue and B
street.
1.-The F street and New Jersey avenue in
terceptors, estimated to cost $56O,UOO, rep
resent the parts of the sewage disposal
works, which are considered equal in i'm
portance to the sewerage of the unsewered
and more thickly settled suburbs.
For these reasons the Commissioners
are not able to recommend that the ie-
mainder Of the sewage disposal works
should be given precedence to the sewer
necessities Of the suburbs, as would lie
done by Senate bill 24A ..,,-
Cost of Highway Extension.
1T has been frequently asserted before the
committees OF Congress and elsewhere by
those opposed to carrying out the highway
act that it would involve an expenditure Of
twenty million dollars and upward. In
view Of the great Importance Of the mat
ter, and Of the necessity for accurate in
formation upon the subject. the Commits
sioners several months ago caused a careful
and detailed estimate to be made by three
prominent real estate experts Of the value Of
the land to be taken in the forty-seven sub
divisions embraced in the first section.
While this estimate was under way, they
caused another estimate to be made by
fourth expert, without the knowledge of
the other three, and the reports were, re-
spectively, as follows: S., Ala, 420 and 3d.
255, 1S5, exclusive of improvements and de-
auctions for benefits. AS the total assessed
value Of all the Improvements effected in
the forty-seven subdivisions is only 1888 48O,
many Of which are but slightly damaged,
the Commissioners believe that their esti-
mate of 100000 as the total cost, includ-
ing improvements. is a very liberal one.
considering the vast area Of the land
covered by these estimates and the wide
range Of values Of the land appraised. their
close approximation is remarkable, and
establishes their accuracy beyond contro-
strong test was furnished by the award Of
the jury in the Denn.son and Leighton sub
division, which on a total valuation of
$19O, .26 differed from one of said esti-
mates only 81, 1926.
las these forty-seven subdivisions COM
prise the principal ones in the District, be-
ing the most valuable and densely popu-
lated, the Commissioners are confident that
the value Of the land to be acquired in
carrying out the said act in all Of the other
subdivisions will not exceed one-thIrd of
the above amount, or two million dollars
&2OOO,OOO), making the total cost of exc
OOO)
This, the Commissioners have every rea-
son to believe, is liberal and full esti-
mate. This amount will be largely reduced
by benefits and assessments should they be
sustained in court.
Having set forth in this and in previous
reports upon this subject some of the more
important reasons for speedy action by
Congress, the Commissioners again invite
attention to its Importance from an eco
nomical standpoint The report of the as
SCISSOR shows that the assessed value of the
property in these forty-seven subdivisions
has increased 40 per centum during the
last ten years. Justice to the property
seem to demand early action upon this i'm
portant subject matter"