Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-03-17
BUSINESS MEMS LEAGUE.

ance at the Business menS henSuo
meeting last night. The meeting was
for the discussion of the report OF the
committee on public improvements
which had been presented at the lase
Mr.. Julian T. Burke said Mr.. Cation
in presenting the report of the commit
tee had stated that it had met with the
unanimous approval of the members OF
the committee. He simply desired TO
state that he was not present when IL
was prepared. o
Mr.. Harlow, in answer to an interro
CATION, explained the Buffalo plan Tor
Street improvements-the city giving
those against whom the city was asses
sed, one, two, three and four years IN
which to pay the same with five per
| cent. interest. ;,
After questions had been propounded
and answered in regard to the proce
dure in other cities in respect OF CITY
improvements,
Mr.. Herbert Bryant, formerly chair
man of the committee on streets OF the
City Council, was called on to express
his views on the subject under consld-
Grafton. That gentleman said he was
! present more as listener than partlc-
ipator in the discussion. He believed
| a little practice far more valuable than
many theories. There were ideas EN-
braced in the committees report which
he believed to be impractical; for IN
stance, that providing for the collection
of two-thirds OF the cost of improve
ments from property-owners. Shoulc
the movement be inaugurated with
the understanding that the eX,
panditure was to come out OF
the general fund it might prove
practical. In his experience with street
| improvements he had found that those
most clamorous for them were the slow
est payers; in fact they were rather OBJ
structionists. The two-thirds idea
would fall very short when the city un
dertook to collect the assessments.
Under the present SD section he didn't
believe anything would be collected il
people contested it. As he understood
the Buffalo plan he believed it to be
good.
MIR. ]. R. Cation, in answer to aques,
ton from Mr.. Bryant, said the tenden-
CIV of recent decisions in the courts had
been that streets were public highways
and that all such improvements were
public in their nature. The courts,
however, in various sections of the
country had sustained the assessment
plan. The Court of Appeals of Vlr-
ginia had defined our position, and the
speaker believed the present 39d sec
} lion of our city charter could be en-
| forced: that is, many able legal gentle
men believed it could. We could not
work under the Buffalo plan here, SIS
we had DO law for it. He was opposed
to the issuing of certificates for i'm
provements, and believed the munich
palitv alone should hold the liens on
the property.
Mr.. J. T. Burke inquired about the
mode OF assessment after the improve
| ments shall have been made.
Mr.. Cation replied that they would
be made by fair-minded men. In an
swer to another question concerning ap.
| peals he stated that an appeal could
40. be taken unless the amount in
vo!ved exceeded $500. Very few
would have bills above that amount.
Mr.. Dunn, City Engineer, was next
called upon. He reviewed the commit
tees report, aud suggested that the i'm
provements urged by the committee
could be made in fifteen yeais' time
without mourning o debt of 100000
| His idea was 10 e1pend the 50, 376.7S
interest and provision for the sinking
fund, which would be appropriated
yearly were bonds issued, on the
streets, which with the assessments
made on AUDITING property owners.
they being given one, two, three and
four years in which to pay the same,
would produce the same result as
would follow in ten years under tie
bond system. He further argued that
King aud Washington streets could he
paved aud practically severed and 70
per cent. of the other thoroughfares
eraveled under the plan he presented.
Much of the cost for sewers would, Of
course, come back to the treasury from
persons who tapped them.
Questions were propounded by Mr.
BRYANT as to whether or not the water
and gas pipes. new curbing and proba-
DIV pavements had entered into Mr..
Dunn's estimate. When once street
is costly paved it is injurious to dig
it up.
Mr.. Isaac Eichberg said Mr.. Dunn
had made the matter a study and his
deductions were doubtless correct.
Mr.. Robert Elliott alluded to the
fact that the contractors who built the
roadway to the National cemetery Of
fered to pave square on Alfred street
with belgian blocks at what he thought
was q moderate cost, and Mr.. John
MAY said the Richmond contractors
who repaved Union street offered to
pave King street for $4,000.
Mr.. Bryant said the rubble stone
used on Union street was no better
than cobble stones.
Mr.. Cation, in abiding to the sewer
ing of the city, referred to the fact that
under the laws OF the State private par
ties could contract for the work and be
remuuerated by those who tapped the
sewers.
Mr.. Bryant said the majority of the
people were not ready for the expendi-
ture of 100000. He didn't desire to
see the city get in hole.
Mr.. Eichberg urged the necessity of
street improvements. He saw no
danger ahead for the city.
Mr.. K. Kemper preferred time in