Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-14
Report of Commissioners on the Bills
Before Congress.
TABLE SHOWING THE AGGREGATE COST
The Probable Expense to Be In
cured for Grading.
S UG ESTED AMENDMENTS

| mitted to the House District committee a
report upon the following House bills for
the extension of streets: No. 10i, for ex-
tension of kalorama avenue; No. 1915, for
extension of Wyoming avenue; No. 1OI4,
Tor extension of Columbia road; No 97S
for extension of LIE Droit avenue and
street; No. 7075, for extension of 18th
street; No. 5O41, for extension of 18th
street; No. 54G2, for extension OF Bacon
street; No 5IS1, for extension Of 9TH street
Takoma; No. 6173, for extension of Well
ing place; No. 55O1, for extension of Yer
mont avenue; No. 1901, for extension of
NJ street northeast No. SO17, for extension
of Lyles place: No SG9S, for extension of
Warder avenue, etc; No. S5SS, for extern
sion of Sth street Railroad avenue.
With their report, very voluminous one,
the Commissioners transmitted map
showing the streets authorized during the
third session of the Fifty-ffth Congress to
De extended, the streets proposed to be eX-
tended by the above bills and a table show
ing the estimated cost of each and the ag-
grCgate cost.
Ihe larger number of these streets it is
stated, lie in the so-calleI 'mstit'' siubdi-
visions immediately north of the city Prob
ably 80 per cent of the money 10 be ex-
pended on account of the extensions now
authorized by law and those named in these
bills is proposed to be used in a territory
less than Der cent OF the acreage covered
by the plans for the permanent system of
highways.
The Permanent System.
Most of the highways named in the pend
ing bills correspond in location to the
streets proposed to he extended as orig
inally laid down on the plan for a perma-
nent system of highways first section The
highways outside of the first section cor
respond with one exception Uyles street,,
TO the plans now laid down for Il permanent
system of highways.
An accurate estimate has not" state the
commissioners, been made for the grading
OF all the streets, bHt il can roughly be
stated that $1tfHTO vii be needed for this
urpoSe ON the highways named in the
pending bills The grading of the highways
WfoSe C0irdemnatiHn has already been di-
rected by acts passed at the last session OF
Congress will amount much more than
the above sum, and no appropriation has
as yet been made for grading these newly
condemned streets, with single exception.
Some of the pending bills do not contain
the clause which provides for levyin.s as
sessments against abutting property which
may be benefited for a portion of the cost
of the condemnation of the streets 1t is
believed that This provision should be in
ciuGed in each one of these bills, as it has
been found one of the greatest safeguards
against eXtortionate awards by juries.
The Commissioners feel that the portion
of the cost not paid by assessments should
be chargeable one-haf to the Dis rict of
'oi anu OUt-IidII 10 l1t nlte1 states,
Some of the pending bills contain appro-
priationS for paving and otherwise improv-
ing the extended streets when opened. 1t
Is believed better 20 have appropriations for
street improvements made in regular APP
proprlation bills in the usual manner and
that street extension bills should contain
only sufficient appropriation to carry out
the condemnation proceedings and pay the
expenses of the jury
Columbia Road.
was made some time ago upon the bill for
the extension of Columbia road which has
passed the House. Considerable care they
state, was expended in the preparation of
a modification of the bill, by a subcommit-
tee of the House District committee and the
Commissioners, so as to have it form, if
possible, model bill for street extensions
This bill is, therefore, not included among
those returned at the present time. The
Commissioners believe that if the bill be-
comes a law in its present form it may be
made TO apply to pending and subsequent
street extension bills, and thus greatly sim
plify Them, and much more rapid progress
might be made in cases before the
court than is possible at present
The estimated cost of the extensions pro-
posed by pending bills is S74S,O5S Owing
to the large amount called for by the bills
ard to the fact that the District revenues
prior to July l, 1901. may not be sufficient
to meet all expenses, the Commissioners
feel that while the opening of these streets
Is a matter of great public Importance, such
action cannot be accomplished unless Con-
gress adopts some method, by loan or 9TH
erwise. of raising the funds necessary to
meet the additional expense involved.
Matter of Revenue.
Outside of this adverse recommendation
the Commissioners express opposition to
the passage of the bills. provided, of course
they are amended so to conform to their
position in such matters A statement in de-
tail is made in their report as to each BILL
and in each instance attention is invited
by them to their preliminary statement
that the revenues of the District prior to |
July l, 1901, will not be sufficient to meet
the expense the enactment of this bill would |
involve
A report similar to that sent to the House
District committee was also forwarded by |
the Commissioners to the Senate District
|