The times., 1897-09-24

b45 feet, or 1885 miles, OF new pipe
sewers were laid, while IL ,053 feet, or
2.2S miles, OF defective pipe sewers laid
under the old board OF public works were
! replaced. This made the total length OF
main sewers in the District on une 80 TO
| De 429,569 feet, Or 81 SO miles, and or
| pipe sewers de, sewers twenty four inches
III diameter or snaller) to be ,499,8Il
feet, or 2s4 .06 miles.
During the year considerable progress
was made upon the Rock Creek intercept
ing sewer. When these two interceptors
p, IRE finished, which VIII be early during
tie present working season, all will have
| been accomplished far the sewage disposal
! Of the city that is possible prior 20 the
| completion of the sewage disposal system,
| with the exception of the building Of the
east side intercepting sewer. The James
| creek canal and the b street canal must
remain the polluted ponds they now are.
and the inanitsry condition along the
! Anacostia and the entire eastern 'front.' of
/ the city must Continue until the sewage
disposal system as completed No further
relief will be possible.
Mr McCoinb, superintendent of sewers
makes recommendation in his report that
assessment for sew ers be made upon tue
I area of the lot instead Of upon its front-
/ age, as at present. In tins Captain
Heach cannot concur, because the build
ing space depends, 50 far as sewers are
/ concerned, upon frontage and not upon
/ depth. lie does not believe il advisable To
/ attempt 10 change law Which has stood
| the test OF the courts and is believed 10
J be the fairest that has yet been enacted.
/ As to the giving OF bond by contractors
doing work for the District, Capt Beach
says:
! The act providing a permanent form
/ of government for the District OF Columbia
requires contractor doing work for
the District to give bond equal to the
estimated cost OF doing the work under
the contract.
his bone viii have to be carried by the
contractor for several years Tie result
is that private paroies are not willing TO
| give their personal bonds upon a contract
of indefinite length, and nearly all the
! contractors upon these continuing appro-
| priation contracts have presented surety
| companies as bond1nen. These comma
nies charge for the bonds and the result
| is that the District has to paw for thu car
! rying Of the heavy bond OF the contractor.
and thus pays several thousand dollars
more han 1t would have to do if the Com
ntssioners were allowed to accept bond
| equal to the amount appropriated for each
| seasons work, or & percentage of this
! amount.
Il would recommend that authority be
| secured upon continuing appropriation
| contracts 10 accept a bond for each sea.
sons work separately, and also that n
! bond be required from contractors, vary,
! ing from two-thirds to the whole cost of
the work, In the discretion of the Com
missioners. 1t is believed that in this
manner several thousand dollars can be
saved to the District each year"
Capt. Beaoh's estimates for tue year
1899 include, for work on streets and
| avenues, to be expended in tile discretion
Of the Commissioners, the following sums
| for the various sections named: George
| town schedule, SAB 600; Northwest sched-
ule, $21 800; Southwest schedule. S74. .OOc.
! Southeast schedule. $127, 100: Northeast
schedule, $171, 400; total, 1927 300. The
! total OF the appropriation for 1898 was
! $165,oOo.
| The estimates for 1899 mentioned
| by Capt. Beach is not Included in the re-
port. 1t gives the streets recommended
for paving.
| For purchase and repair of cars, carts.
| tools and the hire OF the same and horses.
to be used by the inmates of the Wash
ington Asylum for the work of grading
and pay Of du1npmen, estimate, $4,000.
For purchase or condemnation OF streets
roads and alleys, 1000.
For renewal, resurfacing and repairs to
concrete pavements with the same or not
inferior material (uot included in next
item), $150,0o0.
For current work of repairs to streets.
avenues and alleys, 100000.
For replacing and repairing sidewalks
and cCrbs around public reservations,
| $4,000.
| For current work OF repairs to county
roads and subur ban streets, and shrinking
of same. 100000
The following suburban roads are men
toned by Capt. Beach:
] Paving Harrison street, Ana costa from
Monroe street eastward, $4,000; having
! North Capitol street from Florida avenue to
street. 81 900 grading and regulating
Providence, Lansing Hartford and Tenth
| streets, Brookiand, $4,000; grading Mas
! sachuset etts avenue extended northwest.
| $50 600; paving Sixth street from Florida
| avenue to Spruce street. LIE Droit- Park
| $500: grading and regulating Michi-
gan avenue from First street west 70 Hare
wood road, and opening same by purchase
or condemnation. provided that no part of
the sum appropriated shall be expended
| upon any portion of this avenue to which
the District has not a title, $40, ,00o grad.
| ing and regulating Twelfth street, Brook
land, completing Improvement, $4,000;
| grading and regulating Wilson street, How.
/ ard University subdivision, $4,000 pav-
| ing X kennesaw avenue and Columbia ave
nue. from Thirteenth to Fourteenth
streets, $4,000: grading and gravel
ing Alberarle street and opening same
| by purchase or condemnation TO
Grant road, con tinuing Improvement,
$4,000; grading and regulating Belmont