The Washington herald., 1910-03-20


ISOLATION was held last night at the resi-
dence of Senator Carter. the president OF
the association. Mrs. Carter presiding.
This meeting was called for the pur-
pose of discussing several grievances.
namely: the taking away by the new
Commissioners of the name Avenue of
the Presidents for that section of the
street above Florida avenue the delays
in finishing Plney Branch Bridge, sc.
Mrs. John B. Henderson read a mes
sage prepared for Congress which was
approved by the association by unaHi-
nous action. It is as follows:
Concerning the change Of name Of
sixteenth street to Avenue of the PreSi-
dents, or Presidents avenue.
Referring to the Importance Of Six
teenth street and its worthiness to be
called an avenue, l will say that origi-
nally the Capital was laid out with the
White House as a center of wheel from
which radiated seven important avenues.
one Of the two widest is its central one
Sixteenth street-it being the same
width as Pennsylvania avenue. This
great central avenue was originally in
tended to be a most important residential
thOroughfare
Generally Called Avenues.
Now thoroughfares in the country are
called roads, IN town streets while the
wider and more important residence
thoroughfares are generally called ave
nues.'.
From the old accounts il is found
that an original intention was to call this
central thoroushfare Avenue of the AM
bassadors,' and sites were offered GER
tain foreign governments If they would
erect legation buildings upon them. All
countries are slow at that and so Six
teenth street lost that fine start
SWhen Rock Creek Park was created.
IT'S eastern boundary led alongside Six
tenth street. which was extended 10
the District line Thus was planned ty
Senator Gallinger and others OF the Con-
gressional committees of the time a stu
greater avenue, which for length. breadth,
and natural advantages could and VIII
be the most magnificent residence thor
oughfare in the world. Reasons for this
assertion are as follows:
Reasons for Assertion.
Il It's great length and breadth. namely, 80 feet
broad. seven miles long. and leading in an Also
ntely straight line frum the White House to the
District line.
- It leads more directly 70 Rock Creek PARK,
which Il borders for several miles.
3 Like the Champs Elysees. az Paris; the Fifth
avenue, IN New York and Inter den Linden, in
Berlin it IS centrally located providing the most
convenient boulevard for al the city.
4 as a driveway its surface grades and general
topography are perfect.
g It Is perfectly drained and IN every way
hyg1enicaly surrounded.
g Il viii never need contain railway lines.
while it is easily accessible by parallel road
way already existing.
-. On It's entire length it contzins vacant space
aptly suited both settings for handsome resi-
denees and for landscape decoration in the interest
q beauty.
"a. 1t present contains no unsightly houses Of
any kind which cannot be easily removed.
9. While four or five other streets Of the city of &
similar width admirable IN the way OF fine resi-
dences for certain distances the possibility alone
mains fer Sixteenth street to be beautiful from
end TO the other.
10 II may be affected by Congressional lsgisls-
ton and private action that II may become the
model street Of the country, Of the greatest Of
bouleyaris. lined with all that Is best In srchi-
tectural ard landscape at.
ThOrOughfare Badly Managed.
But heretofore this thoroughfare has
been badly managed. I would like to
show why Congress should take the af-
fairs Of this street in hand, our expert
ences with District management having
been chiefly a story of grievances.
For want of building regulations or
protests OF any kind, Sixteenth street, be-
low Scott Circle, became a conglomera-
ton of dsgraceful looking slums mixed
with some of our handsomest residential
buildings. Open spaces became the most
unslghtly OF dumping grounds. A worse
condition came about on Meridian Hill
After the purchase Of Rock Creek Park
a more practical and representative kind
of District government might have ac-
complished the work for the extension Of
Sixteenth street in FIVE or six years.
ION the contrary. over sixteen years
passed before the thoroughfare emerged
from a state Of chaos. For all these
years property holders were uncertain Of
anything but taxes and special assess
ments. Every few years new maps ap-
peared. outlining new changes for the
location of circles and tributary streets.
AS result of these long delays and abb
solute nonuse of property for anything
permanent, temporary buildings for negro
occupation were erected for the purpose
OF helping TO pay taxes. and so one OF
the most beautiful sections OF our great
decentralization HiIl-soon became one
Of the worst slum districts in town No
objection whatever was made by the Dis
trict government for dumping. both by
negroes and the town authorities them
selves. and complaints were absolutely
useless.
Everything Taxable Taken.
THE present Commissioners have now
taken away our new name given us last
year by two of the old board OF commits
sioners. The Commissioners have not
been able to take away the thoroughfare
itself, but taking away anything taxable
that was desirable has been the rule
For instance. Hancock circle appeared
on the maps at the intersection OF three
streets al L street. The rejoicing sur
rounding property holders had hardly
finished paying for the actual building OF
this circle when they were called upon
egain TO pay special taxes for its re-
moval. There WAS some excuse for that
taking away. however. as car line was
run through Z street
"A second circle appeared on the maps
at the crest of Meridian Hill. where some
day a splendid arch win be erected cor
responding as far as site is concerned
with that OF the Arc de Triomphe in
Paris. That circle was next taken away.
It was interesting to hear Mr. John w
Smith. man of emphatic and explosive
rfVla of snaach WIN ever q fterrr,nr I'd