Evening star., 1909-05-01
WOULD WIDEN ALLEYS
Commissioner West Opposed
to Narrow Passages.
WANTS LAND DEDICATED
Proposed Regulation Regarding the
Opening of Subdivisions.
NO CURVED OR CROOKED LANES
Steps to Be Taken In the Interests
Of q Clean and Healthful City.
Commissioner Judson's Views.

Following UP the "spotless town cru
sade so that it will have more than a
temporary effect on the cleanliness Of
the city Commissioner H. l.. West in
charge of the street cleaning department,
and Engineer Commissioner William "
Judson will at once take steps to have
alleys Of proper width and publicly owned
in all the squares OF the city
Commissioner West announced this
morning that he would ask the engineer
department to make up a list OF all the
narrow private alleys in the city. so many
Of which have recently been found filled
with refuse Of all kinds. Then steps will
be taken by the District officials to get
the owners to dedicate the alleys to the
District. with such additional ground as
will make the alleys Of suficient width
that they can be properly cleaned by the
street cleaning force.
Alleys Nine Feet Wide.
Engineer Commissioner Judson de-
clared that the efforts should be direct
ed to getting the owners to dedicate
land to make the alleys at least nina
feet wide. so that the street cleaning
machines can be operated in them. II
only three-foot alleys can be dedicated
he thinks there should be some police
regulations compelling the owners OF ad-
joining property to keep them clean and
the police instructed to enforce the regu-
lations strictly.
Commissioner West has also announced
that he will urge upon the Commissioners
that they refuse to allow the opening of
any new subdivision In which wide alleys
are not provided, and this plan has the
hearty Endorsement Of the engineer COM
missioner.
I'VE are soon to have hearing on
that very point said Maj. Judson.
division and want to continue some past
practices by allowing no alleys. AS / do
not think the practice should be con-
tnued. I recommend that the Commis-
Commissioner West also believes that
the alleys in new subdivisions and new
alleys created in old ones should be made
straight. He wants no winding or
crooked lanes through the middle of
squares.
If an alley runs straight through a
square and has couple Of gas lamps in
1t. police officer can look down it's entire
length" said the Commissioner. THAT
will do much for the welfare of the city"
Commissioner Judson's View.
Engineer Commissioner Judson said this
morning that his attention has been called
to the alley problem of this city by
member of the Presidents homes COM
mission. He has visited some of the
worst of the inhabited alleys and has de-
cided that some comprehensive plan for
improving them should be adopted by the
District He continued:
In Berlin. general plan was adopted
and when the scheme had been carried
out 1t was found that the city had made
money. Where there was an inhabited
alley, with lot of old houses facing on
1t, the city bought strip OF land through
the middle of 1t, condemning the main
street of the alley and the land upon
which the sheds were built. Then the
old houses were taken down. an improved
roadway replaced the old alleyway and
the land facing on this minor street was
sold for small residences, with certain
restrictions. The city found that the
property bordering upon the alleys was
so much improved that its sale resulted
in profit to the municipal government.
II do not know that there is sufficient
funds in the District government to al
low large amount to be tied up in that
way. But l think some comprehensive
plan for alley improvement should be
adopted"