Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1901-08-08
THUls,AY EVENING. AUG. q. 1901
TIE FAILURE to select. as yet,

THE FAILURE to select. as yet, q
President of the Board OF Aldermen, Is
causiug very unnecessary delay 10
street work. The frequent references
N this matter In the columns OF the
Gazette nsy irritate the members OF the
hoard but Il Is not In the spirit OF fault
6ndipg that the matter Is discussed;
unon the contrary, 1t is our Wish that
eome common ground can be found
uoon which eight sensible men will
cattle their differences. A not unreas-
enable solution is the one lsst submit
ted that each of the coutendiDg sides
IN select one of their number for each
committee. There Ia no advantage to
either side In THE, even If such were
contemplated. The committees once
selected, the matter Of a president, per-
manent or temporary, would not be
long deferred. The King street paving
requires additional legislation. for
while most every property owner has
signed petition asking council to pave
these two squares. which under re-
cent decision OF the Virginia Supreme
Court of Appeals, binds them, YET
those who did not sign must receive
the necessary notices provided for 10
the thirty-third section OF the city
charter. Indeed the Importance Of
such notices and proceeding according
to law cannot, and should not, be over
looked. The law In Baltimore regu'
lating the assessment and collection Of
street paving bills has been passed
upon by the Court OF Appeals Of Mary
land, who decided that "sll the prop
erty owners along the street to b'
improved must pay" yet even 10 thes
cases, which Is for paving st. Pau
street from Twenty fifth to Thirtieth
some twenty property owners hav'
not paid, aud will Of oours
have to bear the additional cost i'm
posed by their failure. The Baltimor'
Sun abiding to this paving says:
Some &c the finest and most moderr
pieces OF dwelling property IN NORTH
Baltimore are along the part OF st. Pau
street that is to be paved, most Of TIT
dwellings having been erected withiI
the last few years. Mayor Hayes lives .
the northeast corner OF st. Paul ant
Twenty. ninth streets and was the hire
to pay the assessn emit. II Is said there ar
twenty pieces OF property upon whiol
the assessment has not been paid. Th'
street is being repsved with vitridet
brick at the expense OF adjoining prop
erty owners. The assessment Ia about X
front foot.
From this 1t Is seen that property
owners not only have to pay, but 10 adj
vance, to have streets in front OF theil
property repaired. and apparently The
whole cost OF such paving Is assessed
against property owners. Were oul
paving laws the same. it Ia by no mean
certain that those who made themselve
30 CONSPICUOUS recently as would'b'
prophets and apostles Of improved
streets and we'll built sewers woult
care to have Council cause com
pulsory payments to 90 hand In hsnt
with street improvements and conpul
sorry sewer tapping and using. Th'
thirty.third section Of our charter u
reasonable 10 its provisions. King street
from Union to West can be and should
be Immediately paved under it. Oul
people are now imbued with the ides
of improving our streets. With q City
Engineer of ability aud integrity to
outline and plan and to get the best re-
suits at minimum cost 1t ls hoped that
the coming months and years will see
such q change 10 our streets as will Sat
isfy the most optimistio of the "pro
gresslves," but this will not bs realized
unless the property owners appreciate
or are made to appreciate the benefits o
a we'll paved city, and to do this thu
first step is to break the deadlock In th'
Board of Aldermen. When will thii
occur we do not know, but II should b
on Tuesday next.
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