Evening star., 1899-02-03

/ the large appropriations that have been
! made for opening and improving Connecti-
/ cut avenue, Massachusetts avenue and 9TH
| er streets which seem to us of no greater
| importance than the opening and improving
| of 10th street. Indeed. We believe that the
development and prosperity of the city de-
pends more upon the opening of 10Th street
| than any other street in the District, ana
| in this opinion we are supported by the
| opinion of the Commissioners of the District
| in their report upon the pending bill.
I'VE wish to draw no inyidiouS compar-
sons, but We think ii proper that the COM
| mittee should be advised of the comparative
| values of land and improvements and
| growth in this section of the city and other
| sections. In order to put this matter dis
tinctly before you we present herewith an
| extract from a statement prepared under
| the direction of Mr.. Blagden. verified by
| the affidavit of the attorney who examined
! the records and compiled the figures. The
! extract is as follows:
Conditions North of Boundary Street.
| " Facts and figures showing how money
| raised by taxing many people east of 18th
street and Rock Creek Park to the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad has been expended
| to benefit few people west of 18th street
| and Rock Creek Park to the Potomac
| river:
County population west of 18th street
| and Rock Creek Park to the Potomac river
| (by police census of 1890, 4O1s; county pop
| ulation east of 18th street and Rock Creek
|
22,4io.
| 'County-Assessed value of land and
| improvements west of 18th street and ROCK
Creek Park to Potomac river, S2,32I ,S.}5;
| new buildings in 1898. same area, S232 do.
| Total, s., $50, AL. County-Assessed value
| of land and improvements east of 18th
| street and Rock Creek Park to Baltimore
| and Ohio rairoad s1i,G13,520; new buildings
| in 1885, same area, $906, ,130. Total, $l4,99,-
| $50.
| I'm seven years past the amount raised
| by taxation west of 18th street and Rock
| Creek Park to the Potomac river has been
| less than $250000 and in the same period
| the amount raised by taxation east of Rock
| Creek Park and 18th street to the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad has been more than
| 81. 900 600.
From the foregoing it is clear that there
| are five times as many people, five times as
| much property assessed for taxation, and
| doubtless five times as much taxes pald
! east of 18th street and Rock Greek Park 10
| the Baltimore and Ohio railroad as on the
| west side; but when it comes to appropria-
| tions made in the last seven years Tor
| streets. roads and bridges the west SIDE
| which has contributed less than S2oo.ooo, mas
received back $492,3SS and the east side,
| which contributed more than S1,000,e0o, has
| received back only $;}SS,I90.
Assuming that these two amounts or APP
| propriation are all that both sides are en-
! titled to. on the basis of popu alton the
! west side has been favored to about three
| and two-thirds times more than 1t was
|
| ton the west side has been favored to the
! extent of three and a half times more than
| was just
THE affidavit of the attorney who was
! employed to ascertain the foregoing data
| is subjoined.
The Appropriation.
''In regard to the appropriation of $780,,
600 mentioned in the bill under considera-
| ton, we have made no examination to
! verify correctness of hat ba-
| cause the Commissioners of the District
made that estimate, based, as We are in
| formed, upon the values of land as ascer-
| tanned by the jury of condemnation under
| the highway extension act, as appears by
| their reports upon this bill.
In respect to the appropriation of S1J0 =
| 0O6 asked for in the amendment to the bill
| above suggested, We have to say that, from
| the best information We have been able to
obtain on that subject the improvements
made for that amount. We also call your
attention to the fact that the bridge over
Pihey branch. as provided for in this
amendment, would connect 10th street as
it is proposed to be opened. with the pres
ent 18th street road, so as to make the ex-
| tension of 10th street north of Piney
branch at once available, even before the
opening of 10th street south of the branch
Proposed Amendment
Sec. 3. That said Commissioners are also
t1uiHpi lHtb anu ulTecIeU 10 1ufther extend
said 18th street in a straight line with the
extension hereinbefore authorized and of
the same width, northwardly across Piney
branch, constructing a bridge with neces-
sary approaches across said stream and anv
street or streets, if any. crossing said 18th
street over which ii may be necessary to
make bridge or bridges in order to main
tain a suitable grade for said 10th street
and to grade and macadanlize the same as
far as Blagden Mill road: Provided. That
the owners Of land necessary TO be taken
for opening said street from said Piney
branch to Blagden Mil road shah 1e1ica At "a
or donate the same to the United States
or the District of Columbia for the DUR
poses aforesaid, such dedication or donation
to be upon condition that the remaining
land OF said owners shall be exempt from
special assessment for any part of said
improvements or of grading, paving or
curbins said street. The sum of $150G0o
or 50 much thereof as may be necessary. is
| hereby appropriated for payment of the
cost of the work authorized by this section
the same TO be paid out of any moneys in
the treasury not otherwise appropria ted
one-half Of said sum to pe charged 10 the
revenues of the District of Columbia
The report is signed by w. L. Cole. Louis
P. Shoemaker, James W. Somerville, E. B.
Townsend. Thomas Blagden, committee
As Extended Theroughfare.
Mr.. Shoemaker referred to the fact that
10th street would be one of the greatest
form the boundary in reality of Rock Creek
Park, for the establishment of which the
people of the District were required to pay
5000, 600.
Mr. J. W. Somervlle stated that it was
estimated the extension Of 10Th street will
cost about s639, 900. and he felt encouraged
to believe that the United States would pay
one-han thereof In this, however, he was
corrected by Mr.. w. L. Cole, who stated
that in addition to bearing their share of
the general taxes, the property owners in
certain sections adjacent will not unlikely
be required to meet one-half the expense.
Or. in other words, the people of the Dis
trict ana adjacent property owners will be
required to bear the whole expense. Such
a thing. he has been informed it has been
decided by Congress shall be a feature of
every street extension bill.
Mr.. c. c. Lancaster suggested that it
would he better to merely ask an appropria-
ton of about 81 900 to secure the condemna-
tion of the land. and then subsequently ask
for appropriation sufficient to pay for
the land. He insisted that it would be time
lost to ask for more at this session OF Com
gress.
Report Approved.
After some further C-scussion of the mat