Evening star., 1902-03-14
INITIAL STEP TAKEN
For Approval Of Award in
10th Street Extension.
HARDLY A YEARS WAIT
COMMISSIONERS HAVE GIVEN
IT MUCH CONSIDERATION.
Possibility of Disposition of Matter
Glad News to Property Owners
Interesting Figures.
HARDLY A YEARS WAIT

The District Commissioners today took
the first step toward finally approving the
award of the jury of condemnation In the
matter of the extension of 10th street,
directing the city solicitor, Mr.. A. B. Du-
VAIL to proceed at once to secure early ac-
ton by the court upon the exceptions filed
by the District and by the property own
ers to the award in the case. When such
action of the court has been had, 1t is
stated. the way will be clear for the Com
missioners to dispose of the long pending
and much discussed matter.
While 1t cannot be known in advance
what the action OF the court will be on
these exceptions. it may be stated that the
solicitor is Of the opinion that the excep-
tions in the main are untenabie. ana II is
believed the court will speedily conflrm
the award The Commissioners said today
that 1t would seem entirely inappropriate
for them to act until the exceptions nave
been disposed of. There Is reason 10 pc
lieve that the verdict will be approved now
In a comparatively short time and payment
of the damages awarded will begin as soon
thereafter as the necessary prelimlnarleS
can be arranged.
Glad News to Property Owners.
The Commissioners have been consider
ing the 10th street extension matter since
May 81 of last year when they were OIL
ficially notified of the findings Of the jury
of condemnation. They have been univer-
sally urged by the citizens to approve the
award, and announcement that the COM
missioners have finally agreed to do so
will be in the nature of glad news TO Il
large number of property owners whose IN
terests have been vitally affected by the
long projected opening of the street and
the delay in settling the award
vast amount of property has been
practically tied up by the proceedings
and owners have been unable to either sell
or realize In any manner upon it, pending
the disposition of the matter. In this way
the proceedings have worked a great deal
of hardship, it is said. and the Commits
sioners are anxious. now that they see
their way clear to proceed. to have the
jurys verdict confirmed as early as may
be in order that relief may come to the
beleaguered property holders.
The approval of the award of the jury in
this case and the payment of the claims will
bring the District deficit June 80 next up
to more than 81. 100000. The estimated de-
ficit is something more than 81 400 OU0.
and the award of the jury in the 10th street
opening matter is a little above SI00.Vo0. 1t
was In view of this somewhat alarming
condition of the District finances and the
large difference between the amount of
damages awarded and benefits assessed
that the Commissioners decided to with
hold their approval of the verdict until
some expression from the District commit
tees in Congress could be had on the
subject.
The Commissioners are now looking for
ward to the adoption of special legislation
by Congress at the present session creating
a government loan to the District by which
the deficit may be met and the eXtraordi-
nary improvements of the District carried
forward. The entire cost of the opening of
10th street will fall upon the District Con-
gress having eliminated the half-and-haIt
principle in framing the later bills for
street extensions.
Mr. Monfo I'll
In explaining the delay of the Commits
sioners in acting upon the 10Th street mat
ter Commissioner Macfarland has stated:
when the Commissioners were notified on
May q, 1901, of the terms of the award
they gave immediate attention to it, listen
ing publicly and privately as board and
as individuals. to arguments for it's accept
ance and to objections made against it.
This necessarily consumed considerable
time. In view of the fact that the act of
Congress authorizing the proceeding pro-
vided that the Commissioners might reject
the award If the amount of assessments for
benefits did not equal 80 per cent of the
amount of awards of damages, and of the
further fact that the jury assessed the
| damages al $729, $50 % and the benefits at
SlUS, ,S:4I5 the Commissioners concluded
that they should not act upon the award
without taking the advice of the committees
on the District of Columbia in Congress.
AT the earliest possible moment they
sought the advice Of those committees, and
after due consideration the Senate COM
mittee advised the Commissioners to accept
the award. and the House committee de-
clined to advise the Commissioners The
latest Of these communications that of the
House committee. reached the Commission
ers February 1, 1902. The Commissioners
at once took UP the question in the light of
the action Of the two committees and have
since been engaged. with the assistance of
the city solicitor. In considering the legal
phases of the matter, in view of certain
suggestions made by counsel for property
owners"
Some Interesting Figures.
The exact figures in connection with the
extension of 10Th street are interesting and
seem to indicate that the proposed opening
Of the thoroughfare will prove one of the
most expensive undertakings the Commits
sioners have ever entered into in the way
of providing new thoroughfares for the
public. AS stated by Mr.. Macfarland the
damages awarded by the jury of condemna-
ton amount to s729.952.29 This amount
will be paid entirely out of the District
revenues. The benefits assessed by the jury
amount TO sos .S3475. This latter sum will
probably not be collected for several years
yet In the end the net cost to the District
for the extension now provided for will be
S62l .l11.J4. To this latter amount must be
added the cost of opening the street and
making it fit for travel, $SG6, 600, making
the total cost Of the consummation of the