Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-23
CITIZENS ASK MONEY
Sixteenth Street Improvement
Association Meets.
WILL PUSH LEGISLATION
To Urge Senate to Restore $S5,
Item to Bill.
PARK NORTH OF FLORIDA AVE.
History of Work of Committee APP
pointed Eight Years Ago.
Change in Name.
PARK NORTH OF FLORIDA AVE

| The Sixteenth Street Improvement As
ISOLATION. meeting at the kenesaw. 18th
and Irving streets. last evening acted
on number of questions regarded as
! important. Louis P. Shoemaker. who was
| unexpectedly called to the chair, was in
structed to appoint a committee to repre-
| sent the association before Congress.
Resolutions We're adopted calling on the
| Senate to put into the appropriation bill
| an item of $4,000 for widening the 10Th
| street bridge and for improving 18th
street, which was eliminated in the House;
| favoring the establishment of a park
| north of Florida avenue. preferably on
Meridian Hill. and criticising Congress
| for its failure to make these improve
ments. for which the citizens had long
ago donated large amount Of land. The
assessment of citizens for improvements
In which they did not share was also crit
icised
The first business before the meeting
was resolution introduced by Mr.. Shoe
maker. who said he had prepared 1t some
| what hastily. He explains that he owns
no property on 18th street, but is inter-
ested in the improvement of that thor
oughfare purely from a public-spirited
motive. The resolution contained a pre-
amble setting forth the history of the
WOfk O1 the CITIZENS committee appointed
eight years ago to urge the improvement
of 10Th street, and the failure OF Congress
to hive up to Its promises in the matter.
Mention of Lincoln Memorial.
Mr.. Brown. as the representative OF Mr..
Thomas Blasden. spoke of the interest of
| the latter in the matter, and read an ac-
count, prepared by himself. of the early
| steps in the work. He also called atten-
L Il
plan, OF which 18th street is part.
! Mr.. Brown was interrupted by B. F.
Holman, who described the condition of
the land along 18th street which had been
| assessed for improvements. The latter,
Mr.. Holman declared, after a description
of the manner in Which, he claimed, Con-
gress and the District government cause
delays, are still conspicuous by their alb
| sence. So far as he knew, Mr. Holman
said, the Commissioners had done moth
| ing.
Contract for the Work.
| Mr. Brown said that contract had been
made for the initiative work and that 1t
will soon be going forward. Mr.. Holman
said he hoped So but would like to be
| shown. Continuing, Mr.. Holman said
that If the association is to accomplish
| anything it should have a committee to
| keep after Congress and see that the bills
| in which it is interested are continually
| brought to the attention of the members
of the committees. instead of being pigeon
holed.
The discussion then became general and
extended to other topics. Wilton J. Lam
bert moved the previous question and the
resolution was put to a vote. 1t was car
ried unanimously.
| Mr. ShOem9Rpr then
resolution, which, he said, he had not had
time to prepare carefully. 1t provided for
the establishment of a public park north
| of Florida avenue, preferably on Meridian
| Hill. DR.. Il. T. Sewers said that, not
knowing that Mr.. Shoemaker intended in
Producing such resolution, he had pre-
| pared similar one. which he read. II
| was for the establishment of the park and
the adjoining of it with statues of Presi-
dents and Vice Presidents of the United
States.
Proposed Change in Name.
DR. Sewers said that Senator Carter is
much interested in the improvement of
10th street. and will do all he can in it's
behalf On the subject Of the proposed
change in the name of 18th street to
Executive avenue, Presidents avenue or
Avenue of the Presidents, DIR. Sewers
said that ne had conversed with Mrs
John B. Henderson. and she said that
while strongly favoring a change OF
name, she thought it best not to agitate
the question until single name had
Ibeen decided upon. Mrs. Henderson. Dr.
lSowers declared. has been instrumental
in inducing number of foreign diplo-
mats to locate in 18th street, and that
the diplomats would much rather have
their governments know they are re-
siding on Executive avenue or Presi-
dents avenue than on 10th street. The
resolutions of Mr. Shoemaker and DR.
Sewers were considered together and
adopted as a joint resolution.
At this point Mr.. Lambert moved adj
ijournment, and the motion was carried
William Ramsey acted as secretary OF
the meeting.