The Washington times., 1914-04-02
ASK PUBLIC HEARING
ON BETTER LIGHTING
Columbia Heights Citizens Join
Demands for 14th Street
Improvement.

Tentative plans for a big mass meet
ing. to which all residents of Columbia
Heights will be invited, are being con-
s'dered by the special committee of the
Columbia Heights Citizens Association
which is pushing the campaign for i'm
proved illumination on upper Fourteenth
street
]. Clinton Hiatt, chairman. said today
that no definite plans would be made
until after the District Commissioners
hso acted upon the request for n pubic
hearing. This request will be made to-
morrow when the committee calls on
ENGINEER Commissioner Harding and
presents the petition of business men and
residents of Fourteenth street for new
lights.
Ask Public Hearing.
IL after a public hearing the Com
nnjesioners should decide to order the
installation of a new lighting system,
there will be no reason for calling
mass meeting On the other hand, II
the Commissioners should fail to take
favorable action. the committee will call
for the mass meeting.
Chairman Hiatt and the committee
will call on Commissioner Harding, who
Las general supervision Of street nehts,
at IL o'clock tomorrow morning. IL is
expected that the full committee OF
twenty members will go to the listr1ct
building and that William H. Saunders,
president of the Columbia Heights Citi-
zens' Association. will accompany the
delesation.
Resides presenting the petition. which
has been signed by practically every
resident and business man OF -FOUR
teenth street north Of Florida avenue,
and making a formal request for pub
Tic hearing, the committee Will explain
10 Major Harding the urgent need OF
p new lighting system. pointing out
the dangers to pedestrians because 0!
the dark corners and explaining what
they contend is discrimination against
Columbia Heights in the matter Of in
stalling new street lights
Present Lights Anticipated. !
Many of the older business men and
residents of upper Fourteenth street
assert that the street is no better light
ed than IL was twenty years ago. and
while other streets. many OF them cf
less Importance. have been equipped
with modern lights. Fourteenth street
has had to struggle along in the dark
with the out-of-date gas lamps and a
few old-style arc lamps scattered here
and there, which throw a binding ray
for a radius of few feet. and night
the street in a most inadequate and un-
satisfactory way.
presented BY the committee tomorrow
with a copy of the following resolution
introduced by Mr. Hiatt and adopted
unanimously at the last regular meet.
ing of the Columbia Heights Citizens
Association:
Text of Petition.
Whereas, Fourteenth street within
our association limits has become
leading throughfere- and is traversed
nightly by a large number OF auto
mobiles, vehicles of every character
vnd by thousands Of pedestrians,
and
Whereas, The present lighting sys-
tenn is inadequate and insufnclent'
especially at ChapIn, Clifton, Euclio'
Girard. Irving. Harvard and Kenyon
streets, and Columbia. Park and
Spring roads. and more especially
along Fourteenth street from PARK
road to Spring road where there Is
no electric lighting, and
Whereas. A number Of serious &C
cidents, some resulting in death.
have occurred at different points IN
Fourteenth street in this LOCALITY
which probably would have been pre-
vented had the streets been properly
lighted: therefore, be Il
Resolved. That we. the members
of the Columbia Heights Citizens
Association, do hereby vigorously
indorse the plan for more adequate
lighting system on Fourteenth street
from Florida avenue to Spring road.
and at the intersection Of the streets
named and We herein petition the
District Commissioners to give TINS
matter their earliest attention for the
betterment OF the present poorly
lighted conditions.