The evening times., 1899-11-27

There are a number of improvements
| which the Commissioners would like to
make. but which they cannot. said Com
missioner Ross today, while talking over
J the proposed legislation for the District,
which is to be requested of the incoming
! Congress. II have not the exact figures
| at present but l think that there will be
an appropriation of about S1,200.000 for
street extension and improvements, which
will cut off a similar amount that could be
| expended to advantage in many other ways.
| There is no question as to the necessity
| of these extensions, however. Mount
| Pleasant and the surrounding country is
| building up faster than any other portion
| of the District. and its needs are becoming
| more apparent to the Commissioners every
day.
I'm the next Congress many bills for the
Improvement of Eleventh. Sixteenth, Nine
teenth, and S Streets and New Hampshire
Avenue will be presented. together with
several smaller extensions which VIII cost
the District S600,G
LAS this is only half the real cost of the
extension the appropriation asked will be
in the neighborhood of Sl,200,00O. The
General Government will stand such de-
mand on the Treasury, but We could not
ask for more. There are number OF mat
ters which need attention as well as the
street Improvements, only at present the
latter are the most important. As | said
before, the section of the city through
which these streets will run, is rapidly
building up. and in some cases there is no
outlet to the city proper Therefore, 1t Is
important that these matters should De
attended to, and We will try to do what We
can for the suburbanites in this session OF
Congress"
The matter of street extension referred
to bv Commissioner Ross has been upper
most in the minds of many people for some
time past and II has been serious Ques-
lion with the residents of Brightwood and
Columbia Heights as to how they would
get to the city when that country is en-
tirely built up. AT present there are only
two streets running through these sections
on which street cars are operated, and on
one If these the car line does not extend
half way out the street.
The extension OF Sixteenth Street which
was commenced last year, has been held up
on account of the failure of many of the
persons living in that portion of the coun-
try through which it will run to make the
dedications Authorized by Congress. The
bill enacted last session for the purpose
of making this extension provides that that
portion of the street up to Piney Branch
shall be dedicated and the remainder OF the
right of way condemned for District use.
On the line with the street there are
many small landholders who cannot afford
to dedicate their land, as it would virtually
be dispossesson. The matter was brought
10 the attention of the Commissioners, and
some plan viii be presented to the new
Congress for the relief of these unfortu-
mates.
This prodicament in itself would not stop
the work of extension if the law authoriz-
ing it did not also enioin the District su-
thorities from doing any work on the ex-
tension until all OF the land had been dedi-
Gated and condemned. and provide that
none of the land could be condemned until
all of that portion which was to be dedi-
Gated had been made over to the District.
The work. therefore. cannot go on until
there is additional legislation. and it is ex-
pected that this Will be obtained soon after
Congress assemblies.
The extension Of Eleventh Street was
also taken UP in the last Congress, but it
was thought that the matter had teen
dropped. This extension viii be of sfea.
assistance to the people living in the sec
ton through which it will pass. and VII
also open a new thoroughfare through
which traffic will pass to and from the city.
This street, il is said, will probably be
provided with street car line through
out its entire length. The street will PASS
through Brightwood, and will reach sew
eral subdivisions south of it. 1t viii cone
out east of where Brightwood Avenue en-
tiers the suburb. which gives it its name.
The extension CT and Nineteenth Streets
will open the way for Improvements
of the lanG in the northwest section
of the District, and the extension OF New
Hampshire Avenue, will pass from the
northwest TO the north central portion of
the District.
The citizens living north of Florida Ave- |
nue., especially. those whose homes are IN
the neighborhood of the District line, have |
been petitoning the Commis sioneTs ior |
some time past for the condemnatious for |
the opening of either Thirteenth or Four |
teenth Streets. This matter will also be |
preserted TO Congress early in the COM
ing session.