The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-10-27

Within the past month the Engineer
Department of the Dis .rict Government
has received many applications for the
laying of cement sidewalks in various
parts Of the city 1t is acknowledg by
the department that the brick sidewalks
are in bed condition. and the necessity CT
repairing them in some way has mad
large demands upon th5 authorities dur
ing the current fiscal year.
The Commissioners do not favor the
laying CT any more brick Sidewalks where
It can be avoided. and the cheaDness Ct
the granolithie forms CT pavement has
now reached a point where the choice S
in favor of the latter II is more perma-
nent- and while the first cost IS q little
more, the greater desirab.lity Of the ce-
ment is everywhere recognized
The laying Of a cement s.dewa in any
given locality is usually determined b.
the application CT representative prop
erty holders interested in the improve
meEt. and it is always desirable on the
part CT the Commissioners that a ma
jcrity OF the property owners be repre-
scented in the application, though this s
=
that some of the owners whose property
abuts en- the sidewalk to be rslaid obie t
to the Improvement. and while the Com
missiCners have authority in law 10 force
the matter, thsy prefer that it shall be
desired by the persons most Interested.
The laying of the sidewalk may tie done
by the District. and is usually So done
The cost is assessed, cne-haif against thu
abutting property, and the other half is
paid by the District. In ,hc fiscal year
ended June 80. 1899 sidewalks to the
amount of 81, 53S square yards were Ia d
at a cost of IS cents d square yard. N
the fiscal year ended June 80, 1909, a
somewhat larger amount was construct
Cd, and for the present fiscal year Con-
grass appropriated size. eco for the pr
pose, and it is thought that til S amount
viii be used uD before the next appro-
priatiCn becomes available
Permits are also issued allowing p-i-
vate parties to lay sidewalks IN from of
their premises. but this is geaerelly done
when che person in q block desires the
improved pavement and others do not
In all such cases. however. the permit
is granted only upcp the condition that
the sidewalk laid shall conform TO the
rules adopted by the Engineer DspaTt-
U,enL concerning grade, Ia erial, thick
ness. ara expansion i1iats In this way
conformity CT cement sidewalk is secured,
/ If. at a later time, il becomes de-
cable to improve adjoining premises
he joined pavemcnts correspond in ma
Ce-ial and thickness.
It sometimes happens that the Commits
sioners decide to lay a cement sidewalk
along q given street without consul in :
the property owners in regard to the
matter This was Gene few years ago
in he Improvement CT Connecticut Ave
nue.. Such action is taken when th2 facts
warrant, and when il becomes Etc essary
to improve a certain section fsr reasons
which are obvious. y few years ago
considerable pavement was laid in this
way in the southeast section to enabl :
people living there to have walks TO the
cars and to The paved streets at all
seasons of the year. The Improvement
was thought nnnnrcnry- and v-A~ -~--i~I
out, though the walks laid were, in many
cases, in front of empty lots which have
not even yet become profitable to their
owners.
The Commissioners are Impressed vi h
the fact that the old brick sidewalks
should be superseded by the granolithie
walks as soon as it can be brought about
Therefore, by means of a liberal apDro-
priation each year for the purp-s they
hope within four or five years to see a
very large portion of the brick give way
to better sidewalk.