The Washington times., 1901-08-08
AFFAIRS OF THE DISTRICT
The Commissioners Adopt a Plan
for Naming Streets.

Case to the United states Court
of Cinims - Trees Dying in the
Northeast Section of the City.
The office of ,he Inspector of Buildings
has been embarrassed for some years in
its efforts to number new houses in the
suburban portions of the District. On
the other side Of Florida Avenue. and i'll
parts Of Georgetown. the streets do not
conform to the city thorouEhfares, and
much confusion has resulted. To facili-
tate the solution of the problem. the Com
missioners yesterday issued 4 general
order for the guidance of the Inspector of
Buildings and his assistants. The order
is:
Under authority of section of the act
approved March >, 1893, to provide per-
manent system of highways for the Dis
trict of Columbia, that the Commission
ers Of the District of Columbia are au-
| thoTiZcd to name all streets. avenues, al
leys, and reservations laid out or adopted
| under the provisions of this act and un-
der authority of the following clause in
the District Appropriation act approved
June 80 1895 that the Commissioners of
the District of Columbia shall hereafter
have the power and authority to change
the name OF any street, road, avenue, or
| other highway whenever any two of such
! highways have the same name, the fol-
lowing system of naming is adopted for
the highways in the District of Columbia
! outside of the limits of the city of Wash
! ington:
North and south streets will be desig-
mated by numbers, the present city sys-
| TEN being extended into the county
East and west streets will be named
/ after distinguished Taking
! East Capitol Street as a dividing line, and
/ running north, names of one syllable will
| be used, arranged in alphabetical order
| Upon completion of the one-syllable Sc
/ ries. two-syllable series will begin. and
( upon completion of this, three-sylla-
/ bic series until the northern limit OF the
| District of Columbia is reached.
East and west streets in the county
/ south of the line of East Capitol Street
| will be named with the letters of the al
phabet. Upon completion of this, Sc
! ries of one-syllable names of American
cities or prominent geographical objects,
arranged in alphabetical order, will be
started, and so on. until the southern linn
il OF the District of Columbia is reached.
"A minor or place street will be des-
ignated place, and Will bear the num-
| ber or initial of the nearest parallel main
street between it and the Capitol.
THE broad diagonal highways Will be
| designated avenues and will be named
after the States and Territories of the
Union.
Streets which are irregular in direc-
ton, or curved to an appreciable extent,
will be termed roads and will be named
after some prominent local feature in
their vicinity. or other distinguishing des-
ignation.
"A map will be prepared, showing the
names for highways adopted under this
order, which, when approved by the Com
s-sA Of ha CT rir of 10
will be recorded in the office of the Sur
veyor of the District OF Columbia
"A list will also be printed, for general
distribution, showing the names of high
ways as they now exist and the new
names adopted in lieu thereof under this
order.
THE new names shall take effect on
the Gate the map above referred to is
recorded in the office of the Surveyor of
the District of Columbia
After due consideration Commissioner
Macfarland yesterday presented to his
colleagues proposition looking to the set |
tlement of the Bailey case, which has oc-
cupied the attention of the authorities in |
one form another for several years. /
The Commissioners plan IS:
This is a claim for compensation for |
extra work and damages under contract |
between the Commissioners of the Dis |
trict of Columbia and the Bailey French |
Paving Company, dated July so, 1879, to |
resurface with asphaltum pavement GER
tain streets in the city of Washington.
Davis w. Bailey was the general agent !
OF said company, and claimed TO be said |
company, in fact. lie instituted an ac-
ton at law in the Supreme Court of the |
District of Columbia against said Dis
trict, for damages etc, growing out of
said contract. on June 49, 1893, Bailey |
tod ltrr he aCtff Cd In, l,a
name of the widow, who was appointed |
administrative.
"On January II, 1892 the Commissioners
of the District of Columbia appointed j.
J. johnson referee in the case. The ref
cree reported SlO.5lS2 20 due the claimant, |
and that report became the subject of a
suit in the Supreme Court of the District |
Of Columbia, in which judgment for said
amount was rendered. The action of that
court was sustained by the Court of Ap-
peals, but the decision of the Court of |
Appeals was reversed by the Supreme
Court of the United States upon the tech
nical ground that the Commissioners of
the District OF Columbia had not the pow
to bind the District by common law
submission Of the pending suit for breach
of contract to referee.
There is nothing in the papers to lead
the Commissioners to infer that the Su-
preme Court of the District and the Court
of Appeals did not thoroughly consider
the merits of the claim before affirming
the referees award Neither have the
Commissioners at their command any
facts bearing on the case that were not
accessible to those tribunals. and It might
be deemed pI pIesumptuous in them to re-
view their proceedings, especially in view
of the lapse Of time and the absence of
any new testimony in the matter. It
therefore seems that IL Congress should
not deem the judgments of the Supreme
Court of the District and of tire Court OF
Appeals conclusive as to this claim, 1t
should be referred to the United States
Court of Claims
east, recently called the attention of the
Commissioners to the condition Of the
trees at First and Streets northeast.
She states that the trees are wilted and
that they are evidently dying from the fact
that the Electrical Department severed
the roots in laying conduts, etc. An in
vestigation was ordered and it appears
that in laying certain conduits the roots
of these trees Were cut. 1t is also stated
that other trees in the vicinity have the
same general appearance, due. it is sup
posed to the extreme hot weather.
The Commissioners have considered the !
matter and have adopted ne report of |
the Superintendent Of Parking that If
the trees show signs Of being dead later
in the season they will be replaced by
fresh trees.
The Commissioners yesterday consid-
cred two applications Of the Chesapeake
and Potomac Telephone Company for per
mits to string wires, etc, I'm the extension
of their service. They asked for a per