Evening star., 1897-01-21
CONNECTICUT AVENUE EXTENSION.
Arguments Submitted Against tn
Proposed Straight Line.

number of citizens appeared yesterday
afternoon before the subcommittee on the
District Of Columbia appropriation bill to
present to that committee facts respecting
the proposed extension of Connecticut ave-
nue.. The delegation included Messrs New
lands, Waggaman, Saunders, Winner, Paul,
Tuttle, Dulaney and Gov. Kellogg. Mr..
James B. Winner presented to the commit
tee statement giving facts in favor of the
adoption of the DETECTED line for the ex-
tension of Connecticut avenue rather than
straight extension Mr.. Winner said Sc
r.ous Ill and disaster must accrue to the
property owners. individually and collec-
lively, on the suggested straight line along
its path in expensive changes of grades,
destruction of valuable residences costly
street, sidewalk and curb work, laid at both
private and public expense, which would
have to be replaced Mr.. Winner quoted at
some length from the report recently sub
mitted to Congress by the District Com
m1ssioners favoring the DETECTED line and
giving the facts which had induced them
to adopt that line in the preparation of the
highway extension plan. The Commission
ers urged that both public convenience and
economy Of expenditure were subseryed.
and showed that the straight line involved
great additional cost. The reported COS.
for the direct extension according to the
commissioners, is $526314; that for the de-
nected extersion already adopted is sos
o4o. MI Winner said that these figures did
not fully cover the cost as the allowances
were placed upon values submitted bv tho
assessors considerably below prices actual
ly PAID by bona fide purchasers during the
past eighteen months The excess cost of
the straight over the recorded extens;on
would, in Mr.. Winners opinion not ha
Huch niuch less, if any, than 1886, 900. After re-
ierrlng In considerable detail to the matter
OF OF cost and of damages that would make
NJ, stWTdrgnt Wiug nne expensive and undesira Bile,
one of the most fragrant violations NJ
Iishts TO be imposed upon the peopIe ON
tne line of this avenue would he to tie
'iieap Jp .ie properties or the same people in two
uiileIenl hnes after one has been legally
ADOPTED and to 1egislate that he or they
snau not nave the of either until Other
wise wise provided by law. II is not believed
that with proper consideration heinz gi,,en
the matter Congress would have permitted
their body to be led into such legislation.
no matter how urgent the pleadings of
those pressing the measure. 1t is. how
ever believed to have been unintentjonaI
both on the part of those asking for this
acuon, who have confessed to me what 7
now assert, and the honorable body OF Con-
$ress to have enacted such an imposition.
1t Is without precedent and yoir nett
toner now prays for the repeal of this;
portion of your action at once and an adon-
tion OF the recommendations Of the Com
missloners of the District Of Columbia sus-
2, 1893. >'' 'A' "o' u march
1t does not seem possible that the
straight avenue after this exhibit of facts
can meet with any further favorable con-
sideratfon in any direction or connection.
but if it is still even remotely contemplated
as possibility it is due in common Justice
to those whose interests are to be affected
py the measure to have legislative action
determining the matter without further
delay, thereby relieving the property in
Volved or involving it in one line or the
otner dennltely forever. If tits not to be
the straight alignment avenue then let us
nave the one adopted which is the only
feasible one, and the more beautiful of the
TWO, the least expensive, the least disap-
trous and the only one atta!nable, except
under conditions which mean very large
appropriation Of moneys for a scheme not
necessary or expedient, which inflicts hard
Sh1pS and losses upon a number Of citizens
who have established their homes at great
cost, rendering more beautiful a very at
tractive section. and who have been
threatened and harassed for years with this
Connecticut avenue bugbear, which. if it
could not have been fixed before, should | e
now. Further delay only complicates the
troubles of those who are tied up by the
resolution, awaiting decisive action, and
makes the ground to be secured cost that
much more. Now let us have the action
of Congress rescinded in accordance with
the report of the Commissioners. leaving
the avenue to be as adopted under the act
Of March 2, 1898, If said act is sustained
under the Supreme Court proceedings now
pending in connection Herewith, the con-
demnation under said act to Immediately
follow, and an inceptive appropriation pre-
vided for the grading and cutting through
OF said avenue on the adopted lines. Every
one, am confident will agree to this, and
the vexed question will be off the minds of
Congress and all parties interested, and
work will have begun on this the greatest
thoroughfare of our beautiful CITY,"