Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-11-28
& Bro,
42O to 426 Seventh Street,
WASHINGTON. d. C.
OFFICIAL.

The following message from George l..
| Simpson, Mayor, was received in the Com
| mon Council Of the city of Alexandria ON No
vember "a, 1908, and laid over until the next
| meeting:
To the Honorable City Council of Alexandria:
Gentlemen; | respectfully return without
approval resolution adopted by the City
Council November 10, 1903. This resolution
appropriates eighteen hundred dollars for the
construction Of sewer on Pendleton street
| from Washington to Pitt, with a lateral
branch extending southwark on Washington
| street, about three hundred feet A careful,
| and think, conscientious examination of the
| premises involved in this matter brings with
| 1t the earnest conviction that the appfopria-
| ton is an unnecessary and extravagant test Of
| the forDearance and patience of our tax pay
| ers, neither the needs of the neighb0rhooi
nor the pecuniary interests Of the community
| justifying an expenditure so large and SO
thoroughly indefensible. AT present there is
sewer on Pendleton street, running eastward
from Pitt into the river, and this sewer is
used by the Portner Brewing Company; in
deed there is no one else to use it, as it passes
through a dreary waste of marsh lands SUR
rounded by clay banks that overlook an ex-
panse of desolation so forbidding that optim-
Ism grows weary in Warrington the transform
alton Of such spot into fitting dwelling
place for man. The present sewer is amply
sufficient for the Brewing Company's purposes
and the only question that presents itself is,
Why should this connecting sewer be built at
an expense Of probably more than six hundred
dollars to this company and, il only intended
for the Brewing Company, why should the
general taxpayer at this particular time be
subjected to such an expense when the bene-
fits are so narrowly circumscribed? Besides,
the proposed sewer does not provide for storm
water, and surely If there were closets sntfi>
cient TO warrant its construction the contents
Of those closets would require more than
closet flow if clearly sanitary purposes are to
be served In the discussion of this subject we
can with propriety recognize only two inn
portant factors; The Brewing Company and
the city of alexandria. The first Of these
owns the whole north side of Pendleton street
from Washington to Pitt and one half block
on the south side between Washington and st.
Asaph streets, and il neither needs nor asks
for additional sewer accommodation. Aside
from the Company, no one else on Pendlet0n
street can use a sewer Our city, the
other factor, has already brought a sewer
northward on Washington street 10
point near Princess street, and this, at a cost
Of probably one-fourth of that mentioned for
Pendleton street can be easily projected 10 a
point three hundred feet south of PendletOn.
Not only could this be done but the property
holders on Washington street north Of Prin-
cess street could be afforded sewer facilities
and their assessments would pay the whole
cost. IL this he so and there still exists an
enthusiastic desire to spend the eighteen hun
dred dollars anyhow, 1t might be wise TO di-
vert a part Of the sum TO cleaning up our
streets and alleys and in removing ashes from
the premises Of our people, for we should as
sumo the superior claims which necessary
tidiness and cleanliness have over unnecessary
sewer work, not that there should be oppose
ton to modern appliances and modern prog
ress but that the evolution of fad should not
be looked upon as an aggressive auxiliary to
public comfort or to public Improvements.
Respectfully.
GEORGE l.. SIMPSON. Mayor