The Washington herald., 1912-06-24
nr W1NaRovE nArHoN.
4Il.l0l.5O

BY "INGHONE bATHON.
One Of the most important investga-
tons ever conducted by Congress or the
District Commissioners is about to be
begun under the direction Of a former
washingtonian, Daniel Lee McComb,
who. about fve years ago, was in
charge Of the streets and sewers OF the
Capital. The investigation proposed is
| for the purpose Of ascertaining the de-
| STABILITY and cost Of establishing a gov
ernment-owned asphalt plant in the Dis
! trict Of Columbia, so that the work Of
taking care Of what are said to be the
most beautiful streets of any city in
| the United States will cost the taxpayers
less than the enormous sums the govern
mentN has been spending on them in
years gone by.
Aside from the esthetic interest which
always attaches itself to the beautiful
thoroughfares lined with trees which in
tersect the National Capital, the story
Of asphalt and the cold-blooded facts In
relation to that street-making product,
so far as its expense to the government
and the District is concerned, is in it.
self, a most interesting recital.
The average citizen knows little Of
the fact that under the administration
of the presnt Engineer Commissioner OF
the District, Maj. ". V. Judson, great
savings have been made to the tax
payers in the last three years by his
management Of the problem Of taking
care of these artistic and practical thor
oughfares. Commissioner Judson has
made an exhaustive study of the sub
ject, finding in the question material for
deep thought, from an economic as well
as an esthetic viewpoint. Thus, after
visits to many other cities, Mai. Judson
evolved the idea that il was Just as de-
sirable for Washington to have a govern
ment-owned asphalt plant as 1t is for
other cities OF the United States to own
them, and just as desirable for the
United States to save money for the
building and maintenance of Washing
toms streets as it is for other cities to-
so save money by doing the asphalt
contract.
Done Now by Contract.
The work is done by contract in Wash
ington at the present time. at an enoF-
nous cost TO the government; and. 1t
is believed by many engineers, at cost
Of from Is to 30 per cent more than the
same work could be done for II the gov
ernment owned the plant and did the
" ork itself, as many other municipalities
DO.
Washington has its own sewage dis
TcsaI plant, as well as other municipal
plants Of a character necessary to a
great and growing city, in which the
work is done cheaper than it was done
in the old days under the contract sys-
tenn. Why, then, should It not have an
asphalt plant?
That is what Mr.. Daniel Lee McComb,
former District Superintendent Of Streets
and Sewers, is going to find out for
Congress.
In the present District appropriation
bill, now lying on Mr.. Taft's desk ready
for signature, there is an appropriation
cf S, 900 for this investigation to be made
by Mr.. McComb At the time Of Ameri-
can Intervention in Cuba, under Gov. Ma
COON, Mr.. McComb was taken away from
his Washington post and sent to the
city of Havana, where he has been
building asphalt streets for the Cuban
capital. So that he will come to his
task OF investigation here fully equipped.
especially as he is the former superin-
tendent of streets here, and is thorough
ly familiar with the Capital
Mai. Judson's idea.
To Mai Judson' belongs the credit of
the idea that the streets should be bet
ter taken care Of at lower cost. Every
citizens association in the District is in
sccord with him. Of course, in this and
through the winter he has made address
after address to these various civic
bodies, Of which Washington possesses
such a large number, and he has told
them, as he has told Congress, the fol-
lowing:
Three years ago, when became En-
gineer Commissioner. the average age Of
the asphalt street already laid down in
Washington was fourteen years. That
means that some Of the streets had not
yet been laid down one year, and that
others of them were as old as twenty
eight years. Think Of f.! The Capital of
the United States with streets that had
been laid down more than a quarter Of
century aEol When a number Of asphalt
surfaces in a city average fourteen years
Of age II means that the streets OF that
city are below the standard. II means |
that these streets cannot be maintained |
as they should be.
The life Of an asphalt street." Mai |
Judson continued, 'is twenty-five years |
in the city OF Washington. That Is be- |
cause Of the mild climate for most OF the |
year and the absence OF extraordinarily |
heavy trafic, such as iron and stone |
trucking in quantities. Engineers in 9TH |
er cities find that the average life Of an |
asphalt street where conditions are not so |
good as in Washington is less than our |
twenty-five years.
so that three years ago, the average |
age Of the Washington asphalted street |
being fourteen years and the average life |
twenty-five years, Il became necessary to
explain to Congress how We were retro
grading, which we did. and Congress /
ray MURINE EYE REMEDVTI