Evening star., 1898-06-16
Correcting the Highway Act.

In the matter of correcting the highway
act in the public interest the House and
Senate are in agreement upon the vital
points and the conference which is to ad-
just their minor differences should have no
difficulty whatsoever in reaching a quick
and satisfactory settlement
The two houses agree that there shall be
stricken from The statutes the provision
that the United States shall have no part
in ccHdeni lations and future improvements
Of suburban street extensions, a provision
which repudiates as part Of the national
capital the section beyond Boundary street,
perpetuatrs the gross injustice OF compeil-
ing the creation and maintenance of
grand national street plan exclusively at
local expense. and creates conspicuous
precedent OF violating the spirit of the or
ganic act of lS7S precedent which. If al
lowed 70 stand. is sure to be followed and
to end III disaster to the District. They also
agree to repeal the unjust provision that
One-haf the cost Of suburban street con-
GemnatiOns shall be arbitrarily assessed as
benefits against adjacent property owners
irrespective OF the amount of actual bene-
fits which the jury shall find to be en-
joyed by such property owners. They agree
upon the cancellation of the map of the
first section, which contains nearly all of
the NllSII SUBDIVISIONS. lne correction oil
which involves great expense and they
negative the project of a bond issue to
provide FOR a comprehensive correction
Of these subdivisions. They agree IN rec
ognizing that new subdivisions in the sub
urbs should not be permitted except In
general conformity with the plan of the
original city.
They differ in the extent to which they
provide definite maps indicating the lines
which future subdivisions must follow The
Senate preserves the first five sections Of
the highway act, which authorize the prep
aration OF street plans of the future wash
ingt0n. 1t fOrbils. however, any iutericr-
ence with exist subdivisions in the first
section IN an authorized new plan Of that
section The effect of its proposed legis-
lation j. to retain the maps Of all the sec
tIons but the first, to authorize a new map
covering the uusuldisided land III secuon
one. and thus 10 provide d systematic street
plan for all Of jrc unsubdivided lana il
the District beyond Boundary street
The House retains no part of the high
way act and TO map prepared under it,
contemplates TO systematic and compre-
heusive plan for suburban Washington
but subjects the uusubdivided land TO the
restriction already imposed i'll substance by
the act o. ISIS TO the effect that no new
subdivision may be recorded unless it is in
substantial conformity with the plan OF the
original city.
1t thus appears that the two houses are
in agreement as to the treatment or lack
OF treatment Of the subdivided territory in
the suburbs. but that the Senate goes fur
ther than the House in the provision of
definite plans for the future subdivision of
more than twenty thousand acres of un-
subdivided land.
Concerning this territory the House says
in general terms that its subdivision must
be in substantial conformity with the city's
plan. But typographical considerations and
the Intervention OF incoTrigible misfit subdi-
visions between the land to be subdividetl
and the city may render impracticabIe or
unadvisable the eXaction of a precise con-
formity with the city's plan in any given
case The Interpretation Of what is meant
by Substantial conformity will therefore
vary with the varying minds and views of
successive Commissioners. The owner of
unsubdlyided land will know nothing with
certainty to his future street lines or
as to where on his property he can safely
build. until he has proposed an actual sub
division with dedication of the streets and
his subdivision has been approved by the
Commissioners then in Office.
The Senate proposes to utilize so far as
the unsubdivided land is concerned the
street maps already prepared at large ex-
pense and as the results of the careful
study of experts. 1t urges that the ques-
ton OF what new subdivisions are i'm SUBJ
stantial conformity with the plan of the
city shall not be left to guesswOrk by sue
cessive Commissioners but shall be out