Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-05
STREET EXTENSION
Bill Prepared by the Board of Trade
Committee.
SENT TO BOTH HOUSES TODAY
Letter to Senator Mcmillan Ac-
Comparing 1t.
TENT OF THE SURE

trade, composed of Messrs. r. Ross Perry
A. S. Worthington, William F. Mattingly,
Joseph Paul, James b. Winner, Chaplin
Brown and A. T. Britton Ohe last named
cooperating as general counsel of the
board of trade), has today addressed
the following letter to Senator Mcmillan.
chairman of the Senate committee on the
District of Columbia, transmitting a draft
OF the highway act approved by the board:
Sir: The undersigned. special committee
appointed for the purpose by the board of
trade of this city. have prepared and in
close herewith bill to amend the act of
Congress approved March 2, 1893, relating
to the extension of the plan of the city OF
Washington over the District of Columbia
In preparing it We have conferred at every
step with the Commissioners CT the District
of Columbia.
The principal changes which this bill If
adopted. would make in existing law and
the reasons for such changes, we proceed
briefly to state:
l. The expense of carrying into effect that
part OF the original act relating to changes
duced.
The main purpose of the highway act"
as the act of March =. 1888, is commonly
called was to authorize the preparation
ana recording OF authentic plans in con-
1orm1ty to which new highways should be
opened in the District outside of the CITY
CT washington whether by voluntary dedi-
cation or the owners of the land or by con-
domination proceedings. Neither that act
nor the amendments which we submit Son-
template any expenditures on account of
me Improvement of any highways. Such
improvements the highway act leaves in
tne tuture as in the past to The action of
congress from time to time. That act
"ouid therefore have involved but small,
expenditure OF money but for the fact tina:
on account Of the absence of any general
pan, a number of Ij,-;c;
made, principally in the territory imme-
diateiE north of the city proper which did
liot conform to the city plan or to each
other. Some changes in these subdiyisions
are absolutely necessary.
10 WHAT extent such changes should go
was LETT by the highway act to the discre-
ucn or the Commissioners of the District
and the highway commission composed Of
the Secretary of War, the Secretary Of
the Interior and the chief of engineers
But that act provided that after the ex-
Peh'e or correcting these subdivisions
should havaDbeen ascertained, the question
Oh payment should be submitted to Con-
sress, ard that as to any subdivisions for
Which no appropriation should be made
within the time limited by the act, the
condemnation proceedings should be dis
continued.
On the 31st day of August, 1895, the first
OF the maps authorized by the highway
act was filed in the surveyors Office of the
District 1T comprised the territory lying
north OF the city between Rock creek on
the west and Lincoln avenue on the east
| ana embraced nearly all the misfitting sub
divisions IN question. The condemnation
proceedings relating to the correction of
the subdivisions lying in the territory COW
cred by 1t have proceeded far enough to
snow that II that map be no. changed the
| expense or correcting the subdivisions
affected by 1t will amount to from So 600 =
900 to $1OOUOOO. Other maps are in prem
aration, and they will require some changes
| IN few subdivisions: but in our Judgment
W. adv sod
the Commissioners, the cost of effecting the
| changes in the subdivisions to be covered
| by the other maps will not exceed $50, 600
or 100000.
act which we submit "a number of changes
are made in the map of sec ton one-nlainly
IN those parts of the map which affect OK
is,ing subdivisions-which. in our opinion
Will reduce the expense of correcting the
| subdivisions affected by that map to not
| exceeding $3,5OOGOO
=. Provision is made for the issue of Dis
trict OF Columbia 3 per cent bonds on the
same basis as the existing 1865 bonds. to
the amount of 81 900, 600, to pay for land
| taken In existing subdivisions in all parts of
the District IN making the required changes
| in those subdivisions
1t is provided that when the proceedings
| as to any subdivision have been concluded
| in the court, the judgments for land con-
demned In that subdivision shall be submit
ted to the President of the United States
| If In hts opinion the awards are reason
| able, he SO signifies in writing; the United
States takes the land for public use, and
| the landowner Is paid the amount found to
| be due him. But If the President does not,
| within thirty days after the judgment is
| submitted to him, approve the same, the
| judgments are to be set aside and the pro-
ceedingS discontinued.
| The reason for this change il obvious
| The owners of these lands have all been in
court for over two years, and justice re-
quires that the United States should now
n a fYpo oil fob fhafr To-
pay for 1t, or release their tracts from the
| incubus of condemnation proceedings. While
such proceedings are pending the right to
| use their property for building and many
| other purposes is suspended, and their
right to sell 1t or borrow money on it is
| practically destroyed.
| g. A single assessment upon lands bene-
| fitted by the establishment of highways in
| all the existing subdivisions covered by
! any map Is provided for, instead of a sep
| arate assessment for each subdivision.
The highway act provided the machinery
| for an assessment for benefits not differing
| substantially from the system employed in
| many other cities. But the act has been
found impracticable in its operation, so far
as 1t relates to assessments based upon
concentrations in existing subdivisions.
| There are forty-seven of these subdivisions
In the area covered by the map of section 1.
| They are nearly all in the same vicinity.
| The benefit to land in the neighborhood
| from the proceedings is more benefit from
| the carrying out Of the general scheme
| than from q cQanSe IN any particular SUD-
| division.
In some instances the same parcel Of
| land would be liable to be assessed over
| and over again for different subdivisions.
| In some of the larger subdivisions the ex-
| perse of the condemnation is out of all
| proportion to the benefits to neighboring
| property. 1t has been thought best, there
| fore, SO far as these subdivisions are con-
| cerned, to wait until the condemnation pro-
| ceedipgs are all finished, and then to have
an assessment made on each parcel or
| tract in the territory embraced by the map
| for the benefit resulting to that parcel
| from all the condemnations IN subdiyis-
ions in that territory.
| It Is provided that the amount of the as
| sessment shall not exceed the total amount
paid for the land in the subdivisions, and
! that the amounts collected from the as
! sessments shall be applied to the creation
/ of sinking fund to meet the bonds at
| maturity.
/ L. That clause of the highway act which
/ imposed the whole cost of carrying 1t irto
/ effect upon the District Of Columbia Is re-
| pealed, and II is provided that SO much of
| that expense as Is not borne by the land
/ owners shall be equally divided between
1 the United States and the District Of CO.
! lumbia.
/ The highway act, as 1t originally passed
the Senate. provided that one-third Of the