Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-21

was Responsible Tor It's inception. He was
president Of the board at the time the bill
was formulated, and he named some we'll
known citizens who were members Of the
directory at the time. He said If the
board OF trade had done nothing else but
to produce this bill, 1t had shown that II
was worthy Of its existence. He referred to
attacks made upon Ex-Governor Shepherd
and said this city was a monument to him.
He asked whether 1t was not necessary to
go through the experience since this meas
ure was formulated, in order to demon
strate the weakness of the BILL or whether
II Commissioner Black and not Commits
sioner Powell had been in charge of the
making OF the map it would not have been
done with more economy.
Dr. A. +. Pardon said he sympathized to
some extent with what Mr.. Lancaster had
said. as he owned property which was
traversed by the proposed streets and ave-
| nues. The present object, however, was to
correct the defects of the bill. He said If
there was to be no other bill, he would
favor the repeal Of the law Of 1893.
An Equalizer.
He said the amendments proposed by the
committee placed the owners of suburban
property on a level with those in the city
| by dividing the cost between the District
| and the government. Mr.. Lancaster's
proposition, which was to open streets at
some time in the future. he thought. left a
cloud upon suburban property as dark as
| that cast by the present law. He took issue
with MIR. LancaSter's ideas of opening the
streets running north from the city. with
cut providing for cross streets, and he said
that they would be like some roads in the
south when you were compelled to go the
entire length before you could get off them.
He said he saw no use in repeating the old
law when by amending it, as proposed, it
would be better than any new law. If the
law were simply repealed. he said, one
might just well build Chinese wall be-
tween the suburbs and the city. He said
the new bill plainly provided for the ap-
preparation of the money and stated what
would be done with 1t.
Mr.. Lancaster asked him how long 1t
would take to condemn the land under the
proposed amended law, and DR.. Pardon
replied that If Congress enacted the legis-
lation the land would be condemned and
paid for by the beginning of rext year.
In reply to Mr.. Lancaster, who had asked
what would be done with the land in sec
tons and 3. DR.. Pardon said the only
map ON record was that for section 1; the
other maps had never been recorded.
Mr.. IS. H. Warner suggested that ex-Rep-
resentative Hemphill be asked to give his
views, as he was formerly chairman of
the House District committee and since he
had become resident of the District he
mad been assisting in carrying out the law.
The Strongest Argument.
Mr.. Hemphill said that perhaps the
strongest argument in favor Of the new bill
was the fact that Mr.. Lancaster had failed
to find a single argument against 1t. He
said people living in the city were as mucn
| interested in the prosperity of the District
as those living outside, and he thought
there was no reason for the use of such a
word as criminal in connection with >such
a body of citizens the board of trade
He said no doubt the highway act had
developed into greater magnitude than had
at first been anticipated, and as that is
realized. he thought it to be wise to recon-
slider and adopt a more feasible plan. He
called attention to the fact that when
the law was first framed the provision
was inserted that one-half of the entire
cost be paid by the government, but that
was changed i'll Congress, as also the feat
ure charging one-half on the abutting
property. He thought the wisest plan was
to amend the law. In conclusion he said
If there was to be any further discussion
the gentleman who was chiefly instru-
mental in drafting this measure ought to
be heard. He also expressed the hope
that when a decision was reached that
all should stand together to procure the
| needed legislation.
Mr.. J. w. Somerville said he in common
with other citizens Of Mount Pleasant
favored street extension. He did not agree
with Mr.. Lancaster and his views on this
subject. He was glad that the people in
| the city were helping the property own
| ers in the suburbs in this particular There
was no doubt he said. that the streets
were to be extended at some time
AS a member of the citizens association
| in the northeast Mr.. w. G. Henderson
| said he was in favor of street extension
| and that on the border Of the section he
represented there was a subdivision al
ready laid out in accordance with the
plan OF the city, referring to Eckingto ton.
But there were some connecting streets
not yet opened up, and he hoped, as well
as other citizens hoped, that some pro-
vision would be made for this in the street
| extension acts. He added that he though
| the streets would be extended in time,
and If the defects of the present law could
| be cured, he saw no reason for reoealing
| the entire law. For himself, he intended
| to support the amendments proposed by
| the committee. He did not think that
| these changes contemplated unreason-
able extension of the streets at this time
but was simply what is now called for
| by the necessities Of the growth of the
| city. He asked If there was an appropria-
ton of three and one-half millions for the
! first section, when would there be an ap-
preparation for the other sections?
Mr.. w. F. Mattingly stated that this
amount was intended to cover the entire
system of street extension.
Mr. Henderson said he was glad to know
| this, as he was laboring under a miSap-
prehension.
1t was the opinion of Mr. L. M Saunders
that, as two juries had declared the law
tempt to keep it on the statute book. He
| intimated that influences were at work
| to this end. He favored the enactment of
a new law.
MIR. WOrthinEton's Views.
Mr.. A. 8. Worthington then spoke in
| regard to the pending bills first stating
| the idea advanced that the law of 1898
| bad emanated from the board of trade
| without public demand or need had
been pretty well dissipated in the course
| of the discussion. He referred to the sew
eral measures that had been introduced
| in Congress prior to 1893, which Mr.. Per-
| ~ spoke about, and then the circumstances
which led to the drafting of the law He
| spoke of his connection with the matter,
and said that when the committee of the
beard spoke to him on the subject, he
knew nothing of street extension To get
ir formation on this subject, he made him
self acquainted with what had been done
| in other cities. He referred to a map of
the. city of Philadelphia, which was dis
played on the wall, and stated that streets
had been laid out through farm lands in
the vicinity of that city for the past fifty
years, and were now plated through the
fields. the area being greater than that
within the District outside of the city lin.
its. He said provision had been made for
the growth of Philadelphia for the next
fifty years. He also pointed to a map
of PV0O Y1Nyy, CHI ciy, s1o~