Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-02
The Big Cut in the District Street
Appropriation.
EVERY SECTION SUFFERS BADLY
The Few Streets and Avenues That
Can Be Improved.
OTHER LOCAL NOTE S


will be paved. if the conference report OF
the Senate Is Incorporated in the District
appropriation bill.
There is no subject of more vital import
ance to the taxpayers than the annual
schedule of streets that are to be improved
and the issuance of the list is watched with
great interest AS is customary, the pre-
lirninary schedule is made up by the Engi-
neer Commissioner, after a personal In
spection of the different localities. This
schedule is more or less altered by the
board of Commissioners before the list is
finally adopted and sent to Congress. and
this year the exclusive announcement OF
the list of streets to be improved gave the
citizens an opportunity of appearing De
fore the Commissioners and urging partic-
ular improvements But the only real BEN
eft that accrues from getting a street listed
for improvement is the fact that some DAY
1t will be rea Ched. 1t has been nu11lbeT
of years since the entire recommendation
of the Commissioners was accepted ana
the list of streets this year that Will he
improved represents a schedule made five
years ago. The reason of this Is TntnlteSt
Congress fails to make the appropriation
to do the work. although the Commission
erS certify they have the money 10 pro-
vide for their share of the cost, and the
streets are very much in need of improve
ment. The schedule of streets to be I'M
proved is always based upon the estimated
revenues of the District, and If the entire
list were accepted by Congress and the
money appropriated, the District would be
ready with its quota of the expense
The schedule of streets 20 be improved as
presented by the Commissioners aggre-
gated within the city limits an expenditure
OF $5.,5. 600. The conference report as pre-
scented yesterday by Senator Teller and
printed in yesterdays Star shows that only
S21l,'-p was recommended, leaving ii cut OF
$:i24,ttiO
Every section of the city will suffer from
this wholesale slaughter. and streets that
have been on the schedule for improve
ment for years past will be neglected again
this year, and only a few in each section
Will he improved. According to law, the
streets TO he improved each year take
precedence according to their position On
the schedule, and those streets that have
been dropped. or, rather, will be dropped
this year will retain their place on the list
next year.
Northwest Section.
The recommendation of the Commission
eTs this year for the northwest section
S1>a.po. and the streets which were to be
paved out of this sum were certified
being in bad condition. Congress. accord
Ing to the conference report. has knocked
that sum down to $iJUGJ. Under such an
appropriation the following is list Of the
streets in that section that will be i'm
proved next year: Virginia avenue from @
to r streets, pave. $1,000; LIST street from
q to streets, pave. $1,000; W street from
12th to 18TH streets. pave. $500; Florida
avenue from LIST to North Capitol, pave,
$lJ.Wn: street from eth TO 9th, pave,
$IrSp: Riggs street from New Hampshire
avenue to 18th street, pave, 5000. This
makes total of $4u,JiD. and it is expected
the balances 5yt-wilI be expended upon
L street from 18th 10 18th streets. for
which an appropriation OF $1,000 was
asked.
Northeast Section.
In this section the Commissioners hoped
to expend s133O00 for street improvements
but the report of the conference commit
tee allows but s&i,.OO. and consequently
but little work in the way OF street i'm
provements can be accomplished. Under
such a small appropriation the following
streets would be improved: NJ street. from
I'd to Florida avenue. pave, $1,000; Florida
avenue. from 9th to NJ. grade and maCad-
anize, $1,000; Is street. from Sth TO 9th,
pave. $500; ID street, nom Maryland ave
rue to 9th street. pave. 5000. This would
give total expenditure Of $1,000, and the
balance of the proICs ed appropriation,
$3.50 may be expended upon the paving
of F street tetwean II and 9th for which
the Commits sioners asked for an apprOpriG-
ton CT $4,000.
Southeast Section.
After the schedule for this section had
priation Of S13soDO would be required to
carry it out. and that sum was accordingly
recommended. The conference committee
cut that sum to S:;4.5n0. If this represents
the entire appropriation for this section
the following streets viii be improved: 10th
from Pennsylvania avenue to l. pave, $40,
TAX: /. from Sth tc 18th, pave. $1,000: South
Carolina avenue. frcm It'll. to 9th, pave
$I.W1: Kentucky avenue. from Lincoln
Park to =, grade and regulate, $1,000; 18TH
from East Capitol to G, grade and regu-
late $500.
Even this small schedule exceeds the az
preparation by $3.50 and that amount will
Rave to be deducted from the last street.
Southwest Section.
The southwest with it's VIGOROUSLY bad
streets, was scheduled to receive an ap-
preparation of 10000 for the Improvement
OF It's streets and avenues, but the confer
enCc committee has cut that to 900. and
only two streets. with a portion OF third,
Will be improved. They are as follows:
ID street, from eth to 9th, pave, 5000;
F street, from 9TH to 10th, pave, $4,000,
/ street, from Sd to 9th, pave. $4,000.
Such Il schedule this. and this is the
one that must of necessity be adopted If
only an appropriation of $1,000 is made
for this section, exceeds by $500 the
amount. and that sum must he taken from
the apportionment for the last street.
Georgetown.
For this section of the city the Commits
siOners made a schedule of the streets that
needed Improvement. based upon an ex-
penditure of s5+.c0o. The conference COM
mittee cut 1t down to $4,000. Such an ap-
preparation. IL it passes. will only permit
of the paving of NJ street between 33d and
10Th. The estimated cost of improving this
street was S1S.DoO and, if the amount re-
ported by the conference committee i, not
increased, n portion of the street must re-
main unmproved this year.
The Commissioners will make an effort TO
increase the appropriation. but have little
hope of success. Whatever Is done now in
the shape Of putting new streets must
be IS additions to the District appropria-
ton bill, when the latter comes up for
action. by inserting particular streets, and
the amount to he expended thereon
Matter of EARNINGS
There IS some contention over the amount
OF earnings to be accounted for by the
Washington, Arlington and Mt Vernon
Railroad Company to the District upon
Uhich to base the four per cent tax as
provided by Congress. The trouble arises
over the fact that the road is not operated
wholly within the District, and consequent
ly under a strict Interpretation it could
not be made to answer to its earnings
The charter of the road, however provides
that it shall be taxed four per cent upon its