The times., 1897-12-07
STREET EXTENSION ACT.
Proposed Amendments Embodied
in a Rough Draft.
PROVISIONS AS TO BENEFITS
The District and the United States
TO PAY Each one Half of the As
sessed Damages Issue of Five
Million Dollars Three Per Cent
Bonds Authorized.

Commissioner Black yesterday morning
took 10 the Capitol the rough draft OF the
PROPOSED ameIiments To the highway eN-
tension act OF 1893. II was in nearly a
complete form, only the particular streets 20
be changed in tie first section not hav-
ing been decided on b. the board.
Commissioner Blacksubmitted the amend
nents to several Senators ON the commit
tees Interested in tue matter, and they all
met witt approval. The District Commit
tee has taken q large interest ia the high
way extension plan since its inception, ana
the Commissioners believe that there VIII
nc little opposition TO The amendments
from the Committee.
Mr. Wight expressed the hope that
the amendments Will be ready To pres ent
l,y the last of this month, and that sGon.
after they will become part of the law.
The amendments have been outIin Ell
heretofore. With regard to the impor-
tant matter of cutting down the imnensc
expense of tie FIRST section, lying nerth
OF the boundary and between Rock Creek
Park ard the Soldiers Home, tile amend
rnents read;
THE Commissioners of the District of
Columbia are hereby authorized TO alter the
map known as section / whish was flied
by them In the office OF ths surveyor or the
District of Columbia, on the--day Of,
1S9-, by omitting therefrom all changes
proposed within the existing Subdivisions.
and also in the unsuhdhided Land soIth
of Piney Branch and Spring Road, as eX-
tended, and substituting therefor the fol-
lowing changes; to wit
Here are to follow the changes in
streets in this section, which tie Commits
sioners still think absolutely neees ;ary, even
with the effort TO reduce expense. These
they are working in now.
A map showing such alterations shall
thercupou he filed by the Commissioners or
the District of Columbia in the office of
the surveyor OF said District, from which
time the map Of said section / as lt now
exists shall be deemed and held To he
cnaHged accordingly. such amended map
snaA De fl sd III IN Ornce uf sdsu s.iif fvs-y-=
within - days after the passage Of this
act. excluding sundays and legal holidays
and when flied said amended map shall
take the place OF the map previously filed,
aud all legal proceedings instituted FOR the
condemnation OF any nighw ay rot shown
Oh said amended map shall be null ana
void, and any judgments entered by the
court roi the taxing OF land, or the dban-
donnlent OF streets not shown on said
map shall DC vacated and for nothing held.
90. =. naI Inc Commissioners or the
DisUucI OF Columbia lie ana they are hereby
authorized. whenever IN thelT judgment
economic OF engineering reasons IcGune II,
10 prepare amended plaus 10 ire ornament
system OF highways for any tart Cf the
District outside OF Washington. Prov ideu.
That under the authority Hereby conferred
no changes shall be MADE 81 tarts OF high
wa yS which at he time tie changes are
being considered SIall have lGen LedlCated
or acquired under the highway act, nor IN
parts OF highways lying WHOLLY " II inn then
existing recorded SubdfN isioHs. Such piaus,
after being duly certified by said Com mis-
sioncrS, stall be forwarded 10 the commis-
sion posed OF the Secretary of War,
the Secretary OF the inter-or ana he cEief
OF engineers, United states Army, together
/ with the written opinions OF the owners or
agents OF the land directly affected, AID Of
tine citizens association for the territory
WITHIN which the changes lie. and ing
been approy ed by said commits sion they
shall he recorded in the office OF tie sur
yeyor OF the District or Colum bia, and when
80 recorded they shall take the place of
the plans prev iOusly adopted Tor the same
territory and shall become Iaft of The
permanent syst EN- Of highways
Sec. 3. Whenever under section or z
OF said act proceedings for the condemna-
| tion OF any land shall have been begun
! by the filing Of an applica tion by the
| Commissioners OF the District of Columbia
as therein provided, all proceedings for the
] collection OF any taxes or special assess
! ments thereafter levied upon such tract
| shall be suspended until the tcrmina tiun
! ol such condemnation proceedings and I'M
! til the question whether the land shall be
as provided in said act and its amend
! mcnts: Provided, mat this section shall
| apply only to cases in which 1t is sought
| to condemn at least one-nalf Of the tract;
; that il tie land is not finally taken such
| taxes or assessments shall he paid without
any additional interest or penalty accruing
! through such suspension. and that il the
| land snail he So taken they snail he proper
| tiUnateiy Cancelled III amount pToportionate
| To the relative amount OF tie tract taken.
| Sec. 4. That section / 3 OF sa III nighwa V
| act be, and the same is hereby. repealed.
| Sections 8 aud . describe the modus
| operandi for assessing the land and len
efits.
| Sec. 4 That une-half OF the amount
| awarded by the court 5 DANA yes for any
| tract or land condemned under the sa i'll
act and its amendments shall he paid by
/ the United States and the rema lining half
| by the District of Columbia.
Sec. 8. That section I6 of said act shall
| be amended to read as follows:
Sec. 16. That when said court shall
| have assessed the damages TO be paid as
] TO any parcel OF land the use OF which
! shall have been condemned, or which sha II
t have been injured by the abandonment OF
| previously existing highway and there
/ Shall be no controversy as to the persons
| who are entitled to receive the same or a S
| to the distribution Of the same among
them, said court shall decree such pay.
ment 10 be made, and upon presentation
of duly certified copy of such decree to
| the Treasurer of the United States he sba II
4 report the same TO the President OF the
| United States for his considera ton and
| upon his approval thereof shall make such
| payment TO the person or persons appea +
| ing by such decree to be entitled thereto
from the fund hereinafter provided for,
but where any such controversy shall exist
! or where there shall be any doubt as to
| the proper disposition of the compensation
| awarded, the court shall order that the
| damaged assessed by it involved in such
| controversy or doubt shall be paid into
| the registry OF the Coz, t, and upon the pre-
| sentation OF a duly certified COPY of such
| order To the Treasurer OF the United States
he shall, when the necessary money is an
/ propriated, pay the amount therein men.
| toned to the clerk OF said court and the
claims OF the respective parties thereto
shall thereupon be heard and decided by
the court as in interpleader suits in equity
| under such general rules as may be pre-
| scribed by said court in general term.
/ Section provides for the issue OF
| S5,0oo,000 OF per cent District bonds
| exempt from taxation, interest to be paid
and a sinking fund created by tax
levy on property in the District, and the
bonds to be redeemable ten years after