The times., 1898-02-05
NEW NAMES FOR STREETS
Judge Hagner's Lucid Explana-
tion of His Bill.
IT WILL NSTIL PATRIOTISM
He Maintains His Plan VIII Ever
Keep the Great Men of America
BEFORE lie Eye and Is Not Ex-
pensiye The Present Plan He
Shows IL BE Confusing.

There are several measures now before
Congress providing for the remaining of the
lettered streets OF the city of Washing
ton, which are now more or less con
fusing.
Judge Ha.Der, of the District supreme
which was gwen a hearing by Il joint sub
committee of the Senate and House Dis
trict Committees yesterday. The bill,
which has been introduced by Mr.. Mcmillan
provides for series OF names selected to
correspond with the order of the letters that
are now in Use, these names to be those
of Presidents and vice Presidents OF the
United sta 1es. justices of tie Supreme
Court and noted military men.
There are 20 be two sets, of names. one
for the lettered streets north of the Cap
itol and one set for the ietrered streets
south of the s1pltol. The numbered streets
are TO be left as they are
Judge HaSner said he had gone over the
matter very carefully "a to tile cost, which
would consist merely OF printing signs for
the lamp posts, and found that the total
would be abput.S 900, and that 1T would
not be necessary to appropriate that all at
once.
He told the Committee that this was no
new thing 70 the people who had lived in
Washington any length OF time. nd that
the sentime 1. was decidedly in favor of a
change, the only thing necessary being to
devise a fed iibc plan
This Is the city OF Washington" said
MI. Hagner tile capital OF the great test
countryin tile world, and we ought to have
system OF street naming that would bear
witness or the men WIN made the country
and who laid the fouuda tions OF the Govern
ment."
Mr.. Hagn.- said tia. the commissioners
appointed b. Washington, in 1892. To Law
out tile city adopted the plan Of naming
tie streets n vogue in PhiladelDhia. and
it was evident that they intende, it only
as temporary method, to operate until
better and Lore practicable one could be
devised. L simnly Indicated tint r,o
were then in our a, b, cs,'' said Mr. Ha gner.
He stated hat the plan presented to the
committee II his bill. which had been ap-
proved by che Washington Historical So
ciety, woulI not only serve to honor the
ceuntry'S fllnstrious dead by keeping their
names alwa ays before the people, but it
would also % source of education and
serve to foster patriotic sentiment in the
hearts of the rising generation.
But leaving all this aside continued
Mr.. Hagper, "a change of some kind is an
absolute necessity TO the business Interest
of the city
ihere Is lot day passes but innumer-
able mistakes are made, caused by the
similarity OF sound between certain letters.
such as NJ and n, II and Eighth etc.
An incalcul 'hle loss of time is wasted in
using the telephone on account of this
Similarity
MT. Hagner recited numerous incidents
that had cotne under his personal obserya-
lions that were both amusing and yeXinC.
This bill is intended to cover the let,
tered streets inside. the old city boundary
as there is law providing for the new fer
ritory that is now part of the city.u
Mr.. Hagner gave an illustration of how
his syst -would work, as follows: A
street southeast Will be called Arthur
street, both southeast and southwest, and
A street northeast and northwest will be
called Adams street. There will be no
change in the names of the avenues, but
the alleys aail short streets already bearing
names will ne rechristened, so that there
viii not be repetition to conflict with
the new sy stem, as there is already a
Madisonstreet, and many other short streets
bearing illustrious names.
In conclusion, Judge Hagner said 1--WE
already haze beautffulIylaid out city.