Evening star., 1909-07-17

fact remains that these small streets
never have been ceded TO either the gen
eral or the local government. Conse-
duenuy they are not paved: they are
rarely If ever cleaned. and naturally they
become the general receptacle of refuse
of every description. which nobody takes
the trouble to remove because the alley
belongs to nobody.
Through some inadvertence these high
ways for the sole use and benefit of
abutting property while their title re-
mains to the present day in the names of
the owners of the original subdivisions,
have never been assessed, and not dol
lar in the way of taxes has been paid
upon the land involved In the aggregate
the area of this untaXed ground in the
District of Columbia is enormous. and
while the loss to the District has been
great this account alone the loss has
none the less fallen heavily upon the pur
chasers of the home sites, because in all
their Years of residence In the blocks
which are served by such alleys they have
been denied the benefits which other own
ers of property abutting upon public al
leys have enjoyed
There is one other type OF private al
lev, and this. while it is no alley at all,
has served also to gather unto itself in
nearly all cases maximum of uncleanli-
ness IN exchange for a minimum of bene-
fit to the purchasers of property con-
cerned. This added type owes its being
to the practice in the subdivision of GER
tain blocks. by which each lot purchaser
secured title to the land all the Way TO
the central dividing line of the block,
save that each deed contained the cove
nant that the owners of adjoining prop
erty should always have right of way
five feet in width which would enable
them to reach an adjacent street or ave
nue.. These rights of way. of five feet off
the end of the lots on opposite sides Of
the block. form an ALLEY ten feet in
width, but because of the multiplicity of
n1 in, ,,,l& ct,. II,
too. have fallen into the state of neglect
which has caused them to be centers of
activity only on the annual municipal
house cleaning day." when alleys and
broom and shovel brigades. With these
rights of way alleys there is a greater
problem when it comes to converting them
into public alleys because the conversion
implies the taking away of the property
of many individuals. and when objection
is made this can be done only by con-
demnation.
Under the regulations there are three
ways in which public alleys may be
opened. extended, widened or straight
ened, the law in the matter reading as
follows.
First. Upon the petition Of the owners
of more than one-half of the real estate
in the square or block in which such al
ley or minor street is sought to be
opened, extended. widened or straight
ened.
Second. When the Commissioners deem
that the public interests require.
Third. When the health officer of said
District certifies to the necessity for the
same on the grounds of public heat
Just what means the government lie
District will take to overcome these
phases of the alley problem cannot yet be
indicated. but 1t is certain that the evils
are thoroughly appreciated and an extern
sive campaign for the elimination Of the
private" alley may be anticipated in the
very near future.