Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-02-10

plan can be adopted. 1t is simply to estab-
ltsh by survey and marks. the line Of all
streets to be extended, and establish the
grades Of the same, and then take and pay
for the land only fast as 1t is required
to accommodate the growth of population
along the same By this plan. which was
advocated by the late Colonel Britton in the
FINANCIAL Review in 1894, and by myself at
the nearing on the former bond bill, the
payments would be spread over a long
period, and be borne by the increased
future population, thereby relieving the
present taxpayers, as urged by the advo-
Gates OF bond issue, from the unjust bur-
den Of paying for the land all at once.
1t would work no hardship to the owners
of the land, as they would retain posses
sion and have the use of the same until 1t
was taken by degrees as required, and
paid for. They would know in advance
just where each street was to be, and could
subdtvide and sell accordingly; and if any
one desired to build or make improvements
of any kind he would know where and how
to locate them, so that when the street is
opened in the future his building would
not be left up on hill down in hol-
low, as was the case under the operations
Of the old board Of public works, as many
| of our citizens can testify to their cost
This plan has been adopted in other cities
and has worked well, and there is no rea-
son why it should not be adopted here
That would relieve us in large measure
| of our present difficulties and prevent a re-
currence Of the same in the future.
Donation of Street Land.
| AS to the suggestion that by taking and
paying for the land now there would be a
| larger percentage donated, I do not see that
| there should be any difference in that re-
spect. The donations of the land are made
by the owners simply as means Of secur-
ing the extension. They would secure the
extension just as certainly by the plan pro-
posed, and therefore should be willing to
donate just the same.
Moreover, 1t is strongly urged by some
| that as the original proprietors donated all
| the land for the streets, avenues and al
leyS of the city, at a time and under cir
cumstances which rendered it very prob
| lematica: whether 1t would increase the
value of their remaining property, as, of
course, they hoped it would, therefore the
present owners Of suburban property, now
that an increase of the value Of their re-
| naming land is assured by the increase Of
| population and future grandeur Of the ma
. tional capital, can we'll afford to donate the
| land for the streets they want extended as
some have already done, and more would,
| II the proper means were used. l note with
| pleasure that, as stated recently in The Star
the Commissioners declined to recommend
the extension OF street. on the ground
that the owners had not donated a proper
share Of the land required. A rigid ad-
herence to that policy by the Commission
ers and Congress will save the taxpayers
many dollars; and had it been adopted
"nen the IurOre IOr street extension for
| the so-called Greater Washington first
began it would have prevented much Of the
present difficulty.
OF course. this does not apply in those
cases where a party owns single lot or
| small tract, a considerable portion Of which
| must be taken for the street, nor where by a
change of the street the owners property
| Is damaged; as in all such cases all will
agree that he should be compensated.
Another advantage OF the above plan is
| that In the case of large tracts owned by
syndicates or men of means they will at
their own expense do much in the way OF
| opening and grading the streets, with the
| idea Of adding to the value of their lands
and Fastening the sale of the same, as has
been done west Of Rock creek, and to some
extent north of the city, and also east OF
| the Anacostia.
Citizens Have Done Well.
I think 1t must be apparent to any fair
minded man who will take the trouble to
fully investigate the relations existing be-
| tween the District and the general govern
| ment from the beginning to the present
time, and what each has done to make the
national capital what it is. that the citizens
have not only done their full share, but
more. as was emphatically stated in the
report Of Senator Southland in 1885.
1t must also be apparent. that as the
| national government is constantly tncreas-
| ing its ownership Of the property In the
| District, and Is now proposing to do so on
| much larger scale than heretofore there
should, in Justice to all, be a new arrange
ment of the relations between the govern
meut and the citizens of the District. 1t