The Washington times., 1914-02-04
MERCHANTS INSIST
ON STREET PAVING
Citizens Call Mass Meeting to
Protest DisgracefuI Condi-
tionS on Seventh Street.
cContinued from First PageJ

It
School. tile street is paved with asphalt.
because the children could not study
on account, of the noise. Are the mer-
chants not just. as Important"
Joseph Berberich. of r. Berberich's
Sons, says the need of new paving in
this section is a crying one. which de-
mands immediate attention.
He states "it Is a well-known fact to
the merchants of this part Of Seventh
street that considerable trade is d.
verted from this thorOushfare by the
horrible state of the paving. over which
no customer cares to drive his automo-
bile ! feel that We have been discriinl-
mated against when lesser streets nave
been paved with the smooth asphalt,
while we have been compelled to make
the best of our CObble stone street.
am bending every effort toward a
change for the better
Hard To Telephone.
Charles S. Shreve. prominent real
estate man whose office Is between K
and J. streets in Seventh. in comment
ing upon the existing conditions said:
Seventh street; from q to boundary,
o.. Florida avenue. was set with granite
blocks in 1Sn0. but from New YORK ave-
rue to q street 1t was surfaced with
Erunite blocks in 1878, and with the eX-
CtDtlOn OF from " 10 II hoi tIMest 'IVST DSY,
granite blocks. with a few repairs, still
remain. Sixth and Eighth streets,
however long ago have been concreted
and the traffic running north turns at
New York avenue, Iand running south
turns at Florida avenue, being thus d.
verted to the Smoother streets.
There are now more than thirty stores
vacant in Seventh street, between those
! uiHts. as a result of the rough sur
face: and even those few customers VINO
.Iff f,, linz
owing 10 the nuiss. and telephone con-
VersatiOn is n great hardship. we are
uniustly Disseminated against and only
ask ar equal chance with other business
street residents"
Blocks Put Down In 1878.
NJ Frank Rupert, hardware deal
er, at lO21 Seventh street, in a letter
to the Midcity Citizens Association,
says:
Gentlemen: THESE granite blocks
were put down thirty-five years ago and
turned over twenty years ago. SO both
sides of this road have been worn out.
We want a square deal.
About fifteen years ago we mer-
chants Of Seventh street north of New
York avenue started to plead for a con-
crete street. In a body we called upon
Commissioner Lansing II. Beach, who
gave US a hearing and agreed that We
existing one was very rough and hilly
and diverted business from us.
Since then we have pleaded and paid
taxes in vain. | am satisfied we are
stepchildren OF the District Of Colun-
hla. as you can find small cross streets
concreted and 20 per cent of the alleys
paved with better stone than Seventh,
north Of New York avenue.
''The past year several persons were
killed at Seventh and X streets north
mi
of congested traffic at the north side
Of Mt. Vernon place, all caused by the
rough. rocky. and hilly approach to
Seventh street. north, which diVerts
traffic westward from Seventh. Con-
creting this street would relieve this
congestion and save life and limb"
Commissioners For 1t.
Engineer Commissioner Charter Hard
ing said the Commissioners had agreed
that the section should be repaved and
had included this recommendation In