Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-12
WANT CHARGE OF ROAD
Commissioners Desire Control
of Conduit Highway.
REGARDED AS NECESSARY
Bill for That End to Be Presented to
Next Congress.
PRESENT PLAN ANOMALOUS
District Appropriations Not Available
for Thoroughfare as a Govern
ment Reservation.
PRESENT PLAN ANOMALOUS

Determined efforts will be made by the
Commissioners at the ensuing session of
Congress to secure legislation which will
give to the District government entire con-
troll of the Conduit road, both as to main
Ftenance of it's surface and to the construc-
ton of public utilities above and below the
ground. The proposed bill looking to this
end has not yet been prepared, but it will
probably be one of the first introduced
next December when the Senate and House
reconvene.
Engineer Commissioner Biddle was in
terviewed today on the question of the
status of Conduit road and the innovation
which it is proposed to establish in its con-
troll, and he gave final confederation to in
formation gained earlier in the day to the
effect that the Commissioners regard it as
necessity that the Conduit road be
changed from a United States government
reservation to an integral part of the net
work Of municipal highways.
For some time past, but particularly dur
ing the present year. the Commissioners
have keenly felt that the lack of control of
the Conduit road was hardship. All other
thoroughfares within the District. nclud-
ing all that connect with the highway
which follows the line of the big water
supply conduit. are maintained by the Dis
trict. and lighting sewerage and surface
conditions can be changed as necessity re-
qures. At the last session Of Congress the
demand Of the travelling public for proper
lighting of the Conduit road at night was
made the basis of strong argument and
a substantial item for this purpose in
cluded in the appropriation for suburban
lighting in the District for 1907.
Soon after the appropriation became
available the Commissioners took active
steps looking toward the construction of
system of tights along the Conduit road
throughout its length in the District. but
when plans were almost completed the
question Of the use of a District appropria-
ton for maintaining lighting Service on
United States government reservation Was
raised. All facts in the premises We're sub
nlitted to the controller Of the treasury,
and he answered that the money could not
be considered as available, because Con-
gress, if it had intended the Conduit road
to be lighted, would have made appropria-
lowances for lighting other government
reservations, which moneys are expended
by the Secretary Of War.
Beside the allotment for lighting Conduit
road contained in the District appropriation
another item Of about 10000 was included
in the appropriation for suburban sewers.
the intention being to construct line suit
able to carry off the waste from the con-
Stantly growing settlement along the Con-
duit road near the distributing reservoir.
Corporation Counsel Thomas ruled that if
the appropriation for lighting could not be
used for line on the Conduit road, neither
could the allotment for service sewer, be-
cause the cost of this sewer, it was pro-
vided must be assessed against such prop
erty as was benefited, and with such
legal flaw in the proceedings it would be-
come a matter of grave doubt whether the
District would ever be reimbursed for its
outlay.
Appeal to Commissioners.
To bring the whole matter again into
prominent place the West Washington Citi-
zens' Association at a recent meeting de-
cided to ask the Commissioners to make
provision for construction of a sewer along
Conduit road, and Creed NJ. Fulton, presi-
dent of the association, wrote letter to the
Commissioners in which it was stated that
large percentage of typhoid fever cases
prevailing recently in the District probably
might be traced to the inadequate sewer
facilities along that thoroughfare. Mr..
Fulton, after drawing attention to the fact
that there is no sewer in Conduit road, said
that the refuse from all houses near the res
ervoir is drained into a channel along the
east side of the road, and the citizens be-
leve that most of this waste finds its way
into the city water supply. d. E. McComb
superintendent of sewers, has reported that
the sewer proposed is an absolute neces-
sity
The proposed action of the Commissioners
to urge bill before the next Congress CIV
ing them entire control of the Conduit road
has for it's chief object the Vesting of the
necessary power in the municipal authorl-
ties to construct and maintain these much
needed public utilities without question be-
ing raised concerning the applica bility of
District apDrODria tons.