Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-09
POINTS TO HARDSH|PS
OF THE BORLAND PLAN
Columbia Heights Citizens Associa'
ton Will Not Recommend
Street Improvements.
Other Associations Urged to Join
Protest Against Destruction of
Half-and-Half System.

That the Columbia. Heights Citizens
Association deems the provisions OF the
Borland amendment to the District ap-
preparation act hardship and unjust
to the property owners of Washington
was evidenced by the action of that
organization at special meeting held
last night in st. Stephens parish hall,
=, 14th and Irving streets northwest. This
amendment is to the general effect that
one-half of all expenses incident to the
paving or resurfacing streets of the
District shall be borne by the owners
of abutting property
In response to a letter from the Dis
, trict Commissioners inviting the asso-
citation to submit, in the past. its
recommendations for public improve
ments in the area represented by the
association, the executive committee of
the organization called the special
meeting and placed before it the result
of its views on the matter, which took
the form of q resolution introduced by
Charles S. Bundy. which was unani-
mouSly passed and which read as fol-
lows:
Text of Resolution.
BE it resolved, That, in view of the
hardship and injustice incident to the
paving or resurfacing of any street,
avenue or road under the provisions of
the Borland act, this association does
not feel at liberty to recommend any
such improvements without first having
the consent of the abutting property
owners.
1t was further provided that the sec
rotary he directed to transmit a copy
of the resolution to the chaIrmen OF
the committees on the District of Co
lumbia of both the Senate and House.
hA nj
property abutting on streets that need
repairs shall request the association
| to be their spokesman in petitioning
for improvements, well and good; but
the association feels that otherwise
the Borland amendment ties its hands
in the matter of procuring improve
ments in the conditions of the streets
of the section, which in the past has
been one of its most important actlv-
tiles.
Termed an Entering Wedge.
In the general discussion preceding
the adoption of the resolution Judge
Bundy characterized this piece of leg
islation as the entering wedge for the
abolition of the half-and-half principle.
Judge Bundy urged that the Columbia
Heights Citizen Association should be
the leader in unanimous protest
against the repeal of this compact.
That the cost in an average case to
an owner of property twenty feet IN
width on a street thirty feet VIDE
works out to about S25, or one-hair
as much again as his average yearly
taxes is information collected from
the District building, according to W.
IL Swanton, who pointed out that IN
many older parts of the city the high
WAYS were fixed years ago at pupHc
expense, and that certain newer sec
/ tons are to be thereby Disseminated
against.
4 resolution submitted by the execu-
tive committee. through j. CLINTON
/ Hiatt secretary of the association
concerning the lighting OF l4th street.
1 was UNANIMOUSLY adopted. The reso-
/ luton provides that the COMMISSION
/ ers be asked TO place IN the estimates
/ for the next fiscal year an appropria-
! ton to install the latest improved elec-
! trio lighting system on 18th street
/ from Florida avenue to Spring road.
Red Cross Contributions.
! II addition to these matters the spe-
, cial meeting was asked to consider the
/ request of the citizens Red Cross war
/ relief committee TO aid by contribution
/ and solicitation by committee IN
/ raising funds for the relief work to be
done abroad by the American National
/ Red Cross transmitted through VIII
| liam F. Guide its acting chairman. The
| suggestion was made by the chair that
| the ass ociation resolve itself into q
| committee of the whole and both con-
| tribute to such a fund and solicit con-
| trihutions from residents of Columbia
| Heights generally. as at the time of
the san Francisco fire, when $500 was
| raised Opposition to this plan devel-
| oping. It was moved by e. C. Lancas-
ter that the organization appropriate
! from its treasury the sum of s25 for
the purpose and stop there An amend
| ment. offered by Judge Bundy, recon-
mended the omission of the phrase
I and stop there" The resolution was
| unanimously adopted as amended.