The Washington times., 1902-03-10
Commissioners Are Re-
ceiving Numerous
Complaints.
NEED LARGER APPROPRIATION
Engineer Department Holds Conditions
Are Incident to the Season and That
There Is No Remedy Beyond the Forces
of Nature.

The condition of the county roads in
the springtime, when the frost is COM
ing out of the ground, is always a fertile
source of complaint. This year, perhaps,
the complaints are more numerous and
more pointed than ever before. The
Commissioners have received many let
tiers relating to the subject, and residents
of the outlying portions of the District
have called upon them in person to pre-
sent facts, and to urge some means for
their relief.
A correspondent, a few days ago, told
the Commissioners that the condition Of
the Benning Road was such that it was
practically impossible except for the
strongest teams, which were able with
great difficulty to wallow through the
mud and mire with light loads behind
them
The condition of the Bladensburg Road
is no better, and residents along that
thoroughfare have complained since last
November that the highway was difficult
OF passage, and that school children were
Obliged to wade through a mile of mud on
their way to school.
Disgrace to the Frontier.
County roads in the northern and north
west sections have been described bv
somplainants as a disgrace to the from
TIER, TO say nothing of being in the Fed
erai District part and parcel of the Ma
tlonal Capital and its surroundings.
Ihese complaints Incident to the sea-
son, and growing out of the muddy con-
ditfon of the ground at this time. are
not the only instances of criticism of tho
condition of the roads beyond the i'm
proved part of the city. Several of the
citizens associations have called atten-
ZION TO what they term the wrong policy
OF the Improvement of the county roads
Ihey maintain that while something
like $4,000 year is appropriated for
these roads there is no appreciable i'm
provement in their condition from vs.r
to year. Their way of explaining tho I
matter is bad management in the pse of /!
the money.
A speaker in the Northwest Suburban |
Sitizens Association declared that there !
had been from $4,000 to $4,000 appro- |
pIIa.ed yearly from the public funds
Tor the past twenty-five years, and that
the roads within mile radius of Ten /
ieytown are now in worse copditiur, than
~hen he was boy. He Insisted that no /
money had been spent upon the roads !
except to a little patchwork here I
ana there. AS for systematic road con- /
struction, he declared that there had
been none within his knowledge.
Similar remarks have been made in
other associations. and the count roads
continue to be bone Of content tion be- /
tween the residents OF the District and |
the authorities at the District Building.
Outside of the improved streets of the
city ana the principal suburbs there are
about 200 miles of roads called county
roads. For the maintenance of these
highways about $4,000 is appropriated.
portion OF this is usually designated
Tor certain county roads. For example,
last year $4,000 was specified for the
macadamizing of Nebraska Avenue. At
ter this was spent about $3 600 more was
taken from the regular appropriation to
finish the work
Very Broad Interpretation.
There is no definite line of demarka-
ton between the city limits and the
county roads. and the Interpretation
placed by the Engineer Department and
the District accounting officers is very
broad. Therefore it happens that much
- s%@N 1PpA oPi idtlOA lS spent near The |
growing subdivisions, where there exist
nuclei of improved streets.
The policy is to improve the roads out
ward from the city and from these out
lying suburbs in something like a syste
matte manner instead of trying to spread )
the money over the entire District Minor /,
repairs are made where necessary, but ,
the entire appropriation, it is argued. .
would be sufficient to construct only a
mile or two of good road, and for that
reason the substantial improvements are
kept near the city upon the roads of
greatest use. 4,
Bad Condition Admitted.
The bad condition of the county roads
IS frankly admitted by the Engineer De-
partment In every report presented to ),
Congress for the past six years the So
ons on Capitol Hill have been told that =
he appropriation for county roads is
Entirely inadequate to pay for the work
equired to be done.
The engineers declare that they can do
10 more than to make minor repairs with
he money left after doing the work
pecifed in each appropriation bill To
icoomplish satisfactory results in street =
1t is claimed that the an Y,
ropriation should be twice or three n
INES the amount now included in this a
tenn. Al
Residents who have c9mplained of the :,
luddy roads recently have been told that -
othing can be done but to await the ac- -
ION Oh the wind and sun in drying out the | -
Dads. The Engineer Department tells -
hem that the conditions complained of ~
re incident to the season. and that no ~
emedy is to be found beyond relying II
pom the forces of nature until sufficient !
honey is placed in their hands to i'm !
rove the roads in such a manner as to
esist the action of frost T.
MORE CASH FOR GOOD ROADS.