Evening star., 1901-11-13
Mount Pleasant Citizens Critieise the
Commissioners.
18TH STREET EXTENSION The THEME
Acting President Comments on
Delay in Approving Awards,
JURY'S VERDICT APPROVED

/ L
zens' Association. who gathered in month
| ly session at the Stratford Hotel last
night, were in resentful mood and a num-
ber of them expressed their adverse op:n-
| ions of the District Commissioners In no
uncertain language. The criticism of the
| District authorities was the feature Of an
| extended and rather fiery discussion of the
| extension of 18th street. This discussion
was led by B. w. Holman, vice president
| of the association, who was acting as pre-
/ siding officer in absence of President
! Thomas Blagden.
! 1t was after the routine business had
been concluded that Mr.. Holman arose to
make his remarks. He said that 10th
street was an old subject with him, but
! he hoped the association would pardon him
in referring to the matter again. He said
| he had private as we'll as public inter-
est in the opening and improvement of the
! thoroughfare. 1t was his opinion the asso-
| ciatiOn should take some decisive action In
regard to the failure of the District Com
missioners to approve the awards made by
! the jury and passed by the courts several
months ago. Mr.. Holman said the people
/ of the northwest section had labored for
| years to induce Congress to order the eX-
/ tension and opening of 10th street; that
| jury of seven competent men had investi-
gated the matter. had heard witnesses and
| fixed the values they deemed just After
I all this WORK 0dQ Deen accomplished the
| Commissioners, lat one fell swoop.' nullify
all that has been done and say they will
not approve the award until they have had
an opportunity to explain the situation to
the committees of Congress.
Verdict Regarded as Just.
Mr.. Holman said that the verdict of the
| jury, assessing benefits at something over
! 500, 900, and damages in the sum of more
than 100000 was an absolutely just one.
I i -
thesis, the provision that If the benefits as
sessed were not equal to one-half the dam
| ages the Commissioners were privileged to
| decline approval of the awards. He said
| the Commissioners knew this award was
! just and the best which could be obtained
and yet they were afraid to approve it for
| fear of mourning the displeasure of some
committee In Congress.
when they say that in some instances
| the award for damages is in excess of the
assessed value of the property We all know
! it is not so. Just think, gentlemen, our
former Engineer Commissioner in one mo-
ment decided that this award was excess
i've, when seven competent business men
had spent months in preparing 1t and
showing it was net excessive. L am not
here tonight to deliver any eulogy to Cap
tain Beach For my part am mighty glad
he is gone And believe there are a good
many others who will agree with me. When
a committee went to call upon him to ex-
press the hope that the verdict of the jury
WOulu De COnllTGneO he WOuiu not near H.
Afterward he took the advice of the two
other Commissioners and a hearing was
granted. You all know what the result
was. The Commissioners said they would
not disapprove the awards, but would with
hold action until they could appear before
the committees of Congress and explain
why the assessments of benefits could not
| equal the awards for damages.
Should Appeal to Congress.
This association should appoint com
mlttee to appear first before the Commits
sioners themselves and then before the
committees of the House and Senate, and
urge Congress to direct the Commissioners
to approve the findings of the jury Of con-
demnation. The benefits never equal
the awards for damages, for the reason
that so much Of the land involved has been
already dedicated. Then there could be
no offsets for the brick and mortar con-
tained in the houses which were necessa-
rily condemned.
LAS matters stand at present we are be-
| ing Strangled to death. Our property is
| tied up so we can do nothing with it. 1t
| is costing those who have trusts upon their
property immense sum to carry these
! obligations, while the Commissioners are
| Withholding their approval
The whole truth of the matter Is that
/ the United States should share in the ex-
| pense of opening thoroughfares and not
| throw the entire burden on the District OF
| Columbia. The United States paid half the
| cost of Rock Creek Park. Why should it
| not pay one-half the cost of opening the
| boulevard to that park-16th street,"
Resolution Adopted.
Louis P. Shoemaker offered a resolution
| in line with the argument of Mr.. Holman.
| The resolution calls upon Congress to d.
rect the Commissioners to approve the
| award E. B. Townsend also spoke on the
| subject. He said the citizens have every
right to criticise the Commissioners.
| "A little righteous Indignation now and
| then is a good thing" said Mr.. Townsend.
/ 1T is a sad commentary on our form of
/ government" he continued. that one man
! of years upon the part of the citizens.
! We don't want to pat the Commissioners on
! the back when We do not approve of their
! course"
| committee consisting of Messrs. Thorn
| as Blagden, Louis p. Shoemaker E. B.
! Townsend and B. w. Holman was appoint
| ed to take the matter before the Com
| missioners and Congress.
/ A committee consisting of H H. Twom-
| bly,, A B. Chatfield, j. w. Somerville, P.
| C. Duln and j. A. Watson was appointed
| the Columbia Heights Association in re-
| gard to the proposed changes in the names
| of streets.
| F. L. Campbell was reelected third vice
president of the association.
| On motion of Mr.. Watson 1t was decided
| that a committee should be appointed to
| investigate into the possibility of securing
/ reciprocal transfers between the Capital
! Traction Company and the Washington
| Traction and Electric Company.