The Washington herald., 1914-02-05
DEMAND SEVENTH
Street REPAVING
Business Men Want Item Put
Back in House District
Appropriations.
MASS MEETING SATURDAY
Merchants Assert Thoroushfare Is
Disseminated Against in Cir
culating Petitions.

We want Seventh street northwest ~
paved and we're going to get it repayed.
square deal is all we ask"
This is the unanimous assertion OF mer-
chants having places of business in Sew
enth street northwest from X street. 10
Florida avenue. as well as the residents
of that thoroughfare. Through the me-
dunn of the Mid-City Citizens Associa-
tion they are carrying on strenuous
campaign in order to have the item Tor
the repaving placed back upon the Dig
trict appropriation bill from which 1t was
stricken by the House Committee.
Petitions of merchants and residents
s protesting against the present condiuon
Of the street and urging the House Com
mittee to provide for the originally pro-
posed remedy were circulated yesterday.
LATE last night II was r-ported that sew
eral hundred signatures have already been
obtained. A mass meeting will be heia
Saturday night.
The movement for the repaving Of this
important business street is not connneo
TO those doing business or living along
seventh street, but is being puohed by
washingtonians from all sections nt tne
city. The sentiment expressed by them
Is that the present condition OF the street
is a disgrace to the National Capftal, NOT
TO sneak OF the hampering influence II
exerts upon business in that section OF Sne
city.
Charge .sDiscrininatfon."
Discrimination is the opening gun to
be fired in the argument in defense Oh
their demands. There is no reason they
explain. why streets in the immediate
neighborhood OF Seventh street should be
improved when the necessity Tor those
improvements is not nearly as crying as
that for the repaving of Seventh street
The cobblestones of Seventh street are
thirty-five years old, while the thorough
fares on both sides of it have been paved
with asphalt, it is pointed out Ine
crevices of the paving blocks form men
ace TO health because they are breeding
places of deadly germs.
Seventh street extends for sixty miles
and taps the heart of Montgomery
County, Md.A Yet, it is claimed that 1000
or more owners of automobiles and
pleasure vehicles of this city are unable
to drive on the street because OF Its
present condition. Another important rea-
son why Seventh street should be re-
paved, it is pointed out, is the fact that
the noise created by the clatter Of We
hicles pounding over the rough pavement
of the street is hardly bearable.
I'VE consider this street one Of the
Oldest and the best business streets in
the city, yet, as it is now, one cannot
use the telephone in the front part OF
a store account OF the hldeOuS NOISE
arising from the street." said Somerset
r. Walters, wholesale grocer and presi-
dent OF the Seventh Street Savings Bank,
yesterday. Seventh street is one of the
biggest taXpaying thoroughfares in
Washington, not only on real estate,
but on personal stocks and merchandise
Are not those who pay these taxes en-
titled to fair return? Is not the demand
for repaving the street perfectly justi-
fed and reasonable?'
The horrible state of the present paw
ing diverts a considerable amount of
trade from Seventh street, according to
Joseph Berberich, of r. Berberich's Sons.
THE pavement with smooth asphalt Of
lesser streets means a grave discrimina-
tion against u.s." he added.
The District Commissioners showed
that they were heartily in favor of re-
paving Seventh street by including this
recommendation in their estimate re-
Gently submitted to Congress Col.
Chester A. Harding, Engineer Commits
sioner, said yesterday that the subcom-
mittee on appropriations took the Com
missiopers on a ride over Seventh street
and that at this occasion the need for
the Improvement of Seventh street was
pointed out by the Commissioners. No
comment was made by the members of
the subcommittee. he said.
c. B. Hunt engineer of highways, also
was emphatic in expressing his belief
that the repaving of Seventh street is
one of the most urgent needs Of Wash
ington today"