The Washington herald., 1911-02-13
UNITE IN MAKING
BEST LIGHTED CITY
Continued from Page One.

lishment of a municipal power-house to
supply the city with ample electricity at
small cost, as he claimed.
Shoemaker in Hearty Accord.
Louis p. Shoemaker. president of thes
BrightwoOd Citizens Association, togeth-
er with the various members, announced
themselves to be in hearty accord with
the movement for better lighting.
When the Commissioners moved the
lights from Nebraska avenue and Ridge
road. claiming that they were needed in
the city, it was a tacit acknowledgment
that the lighting facilities were not what
they should be, and more had to be pro-
cured" Mr.. Shoemaker said. Personal
ly,' he continued, Il do not believe that
more judicial expenditure of money
could be made than to purchase more
electric arc lights and a greater supply
of current. We need them as much in
the suburbs as residents who live right
in the city: yet / believe the main thing
is tc brighten up the downtown sections
and make the streets safe and attrac-
tive"
Mr.. Shoemaker further said that he
therance of the plan at the next meeting
of his organization. and expressed himself
as confident that better and more lights
would be forthcoming.
Thomas w. Smith. president of the
East Washington Citizens Association,
while taking the stand that the city as
an entirety was fairly well proved for
in the matter Of lights. said that many
of the country roads were in bad condi-
ton, there being practically no illumina-
ton on some of them. Others, Mr.. Smith
said. were so badly lighted that it
amounted to a farce as TO illumination
Committee to Act.
Judge Charles s. Bundy, president OF
the Columbia Heights Association. will
| introduce the subject of added lights for
the District at an executive meeting to
be held this week. The plan will be
thoroughly thrashed out, and a commit
tee will most likely be appointed to de-
| termine the best means of action
Judge Bundy said that he was under
the impression that Washington was not
as we'll lighted as it might be, but that
as yet he had not gone deeply into the
proposition and had formed no lasting
opinion. He said that, speaking for his
organization. everything possible would
| be done to advance the plan and secure
better facilities in the illumination line or
| project
Will Seek Chambers Aid.
Charles Lancaster, president OF the
Northwest Suburban Citizens Associa-
ton, is intensely interested in securing
better lights, and to this end he will take
| ha "a meeting nf the
Federation of Citizens Association. and
some definite plan provided to secure
| from the Commissioners proper illumina-
! ton.
1t is expected that the Chamber of Com
merce will be asked to lend its aid in
behalf of the citizens who have signiffed
their desire for "A brighter Washington
personally and by letter to The Washing
ton Herald office.
| A prominent city official. who. because
! OF the position he holds, could not allow
his name to be published. when inter-
viewed by a representative of The Wash
ington Herald, last night. said that II
should be a matter of civic pride with
Washingtonians to insist that their city,
the Capital of a great nation, be lighted in
| accordance with its rank.
The capitals of other powers, to my
own knowledge. spend immeasurably
more in proportion to population in
the lighting of their streets than we
do" ne said. ''Londoners. who come
here with the brilliance of the Strand
still lingering in their memory. laugh at
Pennsylvania avenue, where most OF the
light is reflected from electric signs set
| ting forth the merits of different varie'
ties of edibles. safety razors, &c"
| Several real estate dealers have come
forward and announced that in their
opinion sales of property are initiated
against by reason of the poor lghtinG
system, and that better facilities would
bring increased revenues into the Dis
| trict''