The Washington times., 1901-09-21

/ lieved that this provision will work to the
advantage of the contractor for street
| paving in that the limit of his work can
be more definitely ,foreseen, and that this
! fact will rebound to the Districts bene-
fit in the price bid for future work.
"A notable item of f7paving work within
| the city was the widening of the roadway
of Street northwest from Fifth to Sew
enth Streets, from Ninth to Tenth Streets,
and from Fourteenth to Fifteenth Streets
I to width uniform with that of the bal
ance of the street-fifty feet. Most of this
| work was done under the provision of a
special appropriation therefor. but the
square between Fifth and Sixth Streets,
| not being included in that appropriation,
was authorized from the general appro-
/ priation for repairs to streets. and the
| result of these operations has been
| great public convenience.
THE operations of grading streets, al
! leys. and roads by the labor of the in
mates of the Washington Asylum, al
| though economically conducted, were OF
necessity suspended for lack of funds be-
fore the expiration of the fiscal year,
leaving long list of authorized but I'M
finished work. As this work is at present
administered SD many advantageous i'm
provements can be accomplished that
would otherwise be practically impossi-
Bile, that in the interest of economy the
appropriation should be increased from
$500 to $4,000. as it is found that this
latter sum is necessary to keep a WELL
proportioned force continuously employed
throughout the year.
on account of its notably defective
conoltion the large paved area of road
way at the intersection of Louisiana Ave
nue., Seventh and c Streets, was resurfac-
ed during the year, and advantage was
taken of this general treatment of the To-
feet in diameter. occupying the centre of
the intersection, with convenient road
ways around it, resulting in a distinct i'm
proVement IN appearances and in every
other respect, and at reduced cost of
construction over the repaving Of the en-
tire original roadway.
The appropriation for repairs to streets
was expended on the general lines fol-
lowed during preceding years, and the re-
surfaced streets are among the best in
the District. The other asphalt and coal
tar pavementS were maintained by minor
repairs in excellent condition. no reason
able expense being spared. The cost of
such minor repair work during the year
was $40. .45i. IS. -
THE general appropriation for CON
struction of county roads for the cur
rent year contained sixteen separate sub
heads. For the ensuing fiscal year this
same general appropriation contains
twenty-five Sub-heads. As each sub-head
is specific as to the location and limits
of the work for which it provides very
great practical advantage, and both di-
rect and indirect economy would result if
legislative authorization could be secured.
that the total of the. general appropria-
tion shall be disbursed and accounted for
as foonstructisn- of county roads,. and
for that purpose ii shall constitute one
fund. Precedent for this is found in the
case of subsistence of the army (act of
March 2, 1e9bs~ and the analogy therefor
IN the appropriations made in our annual
appropriation bills for paving streets in
the various sections under the operations
of the improvement ard repair schedule.
The practical difficulties or making from
sixteen to twenty-five separate estimates
conform In execution to the needs of each
street without excess deficit in any
item are very great These could all be
avoided without any additional cost If
the provision recommended be made 1t
can be stated that this recommendation
has the concurrence of the District ac-
counting officers.
The sum of 800 for the Improvement
of Adams Mill Road. which was reap
propriated by Congress. was expended
during the year IN bringing this road to
the approved grade, including in these
and snch additional area as could be Sc
cured with the appropriation of 5000
tsimilarly reappropriated), for the pur-
chase and condemnation of land neces-
sary to widen the road in accordance with
the plans for street extensions.
THE appropriation act for 1901 contain
ed an item for s1o.ooe for paving roadways
under the permit system. Such a provis-
ion has been made in previous years. but
had been interrupted for several success
sive years. and Its renewal was marked
by an immediate pressure for the allot-
ments that could be made within the lin
its of the appropriation to such an extent
that a much larger sum could have been
advantageously and easily expended.
The streets paved during the year un-
der this appropriation were S Street north
west, from Phelps Place to Twenty-third
Street; Flagler Place. from . to Albany
Streets; and Baltimore and Twentieth
Nineteenth m
cinnati Street
The extension of the lines of the Capt. !
tai Traction Company eastward along !
Pennsylvania Avenue. from Eighth Street |
to the Eastern Branch; along f and G |
Streets from Seventeenth Street west |
ward: and along Twenty-fifth and Twen- |
vania Avenue; and on First Street north |
east between Is and c Streets, were all ,
completed during the year in accordance /
with legislative authorization.
''The detailed plans prepared in accord
ance with the public act of February y, |
1901. for the elimination of grade cross |
ings on the lines of the Pennsylvania |
were approved by the Commits I
sioners of the District on June Y, 1901. |
Active construction operations on this |
work are anticipated in the near future. |
serious embarrassment has resulted from
the judicial decision that property ex- |
empted by law from general taxes is like
wise exempt from special assessments.
L his iiS hpl tiihl tlt
for assessment work could |
properly be expended in 'front.' of such |
property in view of this decision, and the |
result has been that when such 'front.' |
age is encountered arrangements have had |
to be made with the owners of such prop
erty for the execution of the work in their I
frontages under the permit system by the |
deposit of the half cost in advance, or /
else the work on these frontages has had |
to be omitted, causing more or less, and |
frequently quite serious. public inconve-
nience.
1.-The current routine work of the office |
has been kept up to date during the year, |
and my Acknowledgements are due to the J
force engaged for the results accom- /
piished-'
A BANQUET TO N. HORN.