The times., 1900-12-28

The Commissioners yesterday granted
hearing to special committee repre-
senting the citizens associations of the
District. The committee was composed of
Wilton J. Lambert, A. F. Keenan,. Louis
P. Shoemaker, C. C. Lancaster, and
Thomas A. Blagden. The purpose of the
committee in coming to the Commission
ers was to present bill drafted for
presentation to Congress providing for
certain municipal improvements. oue of
the provisions OF the bill also is TO secure
loan to pay the Districts share Of the
expense for the said improvements.
Mr.. Lambert. as chairman of the COM
mittee, explained to the Commissioners
that a general committee OF the whole
had been formed by the action of the sew
eral associations. Three members of each
association were appointed, and IN many
cases given instructions upon the sub
jects to be included in the bill and the
question of bond issue. Mr. Lambert
said that the effort had been to obtain in
this way a full expression of public
opinion as represented In the citizens
associations. He told the Commissioners
that the general committee met, organ
questions under consideration appointed
the special committee to draft a bill and
to present the same to the Commission
ers, and to express a determination to aid
the Commissioners in every way in their
power to obtain the object sought.
In presenting the bill it was read in full
by Mr.. keenan,. 1t provides for FIVE spe-
cific improvements-the construction of a
filtration reservoir for the Potomac
-
improvement of streets and highways,
bridging the Potomac River and Rock
Creek, and constructing a municipal
building. The bill further provides that
one-half of the expense of the proposed
improvements shall be paid from the
funds of the Federal Government. and
one-half from those of the District
1t is further provided that the money
appropriated for the improving OF streets
and highways shall be expended within the
District where necessary, according to the
taxable property values and population of
each of certain sections thereof, said sec
tions to he determined by dividing the
District into four parts by lines running
north and south. east and west, through
the centre of assessed valuation and popu-
lation, and such expenditure shall be as
nearly contemporaneous as possible.
The bill provides further, That the
q
street. road, or highway is of sufficient
utility and Importance to the general pub
lie, may open, widen, regulate and i'm
prove the same, but none OF the moneys
herein appropriated shall be used for the
purchase of land for the extension of
streets. roads, or highways. except in cases
where at lesst rs per cent OF the street
area TO be improved has been donated. No
assessments for benefits shall be levied
upon any land adjacent to and owned by
the party donating the street area, and all
tracts or parts necessary to be condemned
as hereinbefore provided shall be taken
and paid for according TO the provisions
set forth in an act entitled An act relative
to the widening and extension of Sixteenth
Street in the District of Columbia -
Mr. Keenan, stated TO the Commission
ers that the sections Of the bill relating to
the Improvement OF streets had given the
committee more trouble than anything else,
inasmuch as it was at this point that the
sectional feeling of the various associa-
tions came to the front He stated that
the northeast section of the city was es-
pecially solicitous of its rights in this par
ticular. and that the sections referred to
were the crystallization of sentiment on
the question.
A suggestion of Captain Beach. the En-
gineer Commissioner, that the Commits
sioners should not take any action that
would appear upon the record until they
had consulted with the committees of
Congress brought out considerable discus
sion as to the purpose of the committee
II was explained by Mr.. Lambert that the
committee had not come as individuals.
but as the representatives of the people
of the District. He stated that they had
come to present the ideas of the people
as set forth in the bill. He repudiated any