Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-17
ENTER STRONG PROTEST
CITIZENS OBJECT TO THE MAR
ROWING OF STREET.
Hearing Granted at District Building
Today-Commissio Consider
ing the Matter.

Members of the Northeast Washington
Citizens Association. ait q hearing granted
them by the Commissioners at the District
building today, vigorously criticised the
policy of the District authorities in order
ing the narrowing of certain streets In the
northeast section of the city. The COM
mittee from the citizens association was
composed of President Evan H. Tucker, S.
Scwerbutts, A. H. T. Holster Dr. Starr
Parsons, DIR. L. d Walters, Harry Bosh,
w. j. Frizzen and Harry Williams
The particular .matter discussed at the
hearing was the proposed narrowing of b
street northeast east of 4th street from
thirty to thirty feet
The first speaker on behalf of the aSso-
citation was Mr.. Sowerbutts, the secretary,
who argued that in view of the immense
Improvement contemplated in the vicinity
of the new union station site E street
would be the main thoroughfare between
Northeast and Northwest Washington, and
that 1t would carry fully two-thirds of the
traffic between the points named He said
the present width of the street would not
be too much for future traffic, that the
Commissioners should leave it as it is and
If in five or six years the conditions do not
warrant a thirty-five-foot width they can
reduce to proper width.
Regarded as Foolish.
at Is foolish to narrow the street at this
time" said Mr. Sowerbutts. when i'm
provements in that vicinity are in their IN
fancy. as it were. We have been waiting
for more than ten years to get this street
improved and now it looks as though the
entire street is to be spoiled 1t is thirty
five feet wide from North Capitol street to
4th street east 1t is proposed to narrow 1t
to thirty feet from 4th to 7th streets. Is
this artistic, is it beautiful or is it fair to
the property owners and residents In That
locality?'
During the course of his remarks Mr..
Sowerbutts said that it is the opinion of the
association that it's request for hearing
had been purposely obstructed and delayed
until the work has actually been COM
menced. To this charge Col. Bfddle re-
sponded that the Commissioners are not in
the habit of doing things in that manner,
and, on the contrary, usually meet all Is
sues Squarely.
1t was argued that e street is really the
only outlet east in the vicinity of the new
station site that F and G streets VIII be
closed permanently and that H street will
be carried through an So0-foot tunnel.
Mr.. fuckers Views.
President Tucker said the difficulty with
the present administration of affairs is that
improvements and changes are ordered of
which the taxpayers know nothing until
work is actually begun. He said he noticed
workmen tearing up the street and in
know, and he came to the District build
ing, where. after much trouble, he ascer-
tanned that the street, was to be narrowed
He said that the order for the narrowing
of streets is a penny wise and pound fool
ish policy, and a rare display of narrow
mindedness. He said that he did not in
tend to be personal to the present board
of Commissioners in his remarks, but he re-
ferred to whoever inaugurated the system
of narrowing streets in the District of CO.
lumbia. 81
Mr.. Bosh said that the property owners
along street had recently put down
granolithc sidewalk at their half cost, and
now they would have to lose that amount
or have a sidewalk paved part of its
width only
Col Biddle stated that the District ex-
pected to save $500 by the change, and
that thirty feet will carry all the traffic
E street will ever have. The Commission
ers finally agreed to take the matter under
consideration, their decision to be an
nounced later. In the meantime, 1t is stat
ed, the work of narrowing the street will
continue.