The Washington times., 1917-02-20
Georgetown Citizens ASsocia'
ton to Take Steps at Once to
Break Deadlock.
CONFERENCE IS PLANNED
Committee From Organization
to Confer With All Principals
on Matter.

Immediate steps to break the dead
lock on plans for construction of the
Key bridge, to replace the old Aque-
duct structure, are to be taken by the
Georgetown Citizens Association.
\ committee of three will be ap-
pointed by President 3. A. Bowles to
seek a conference of all parties inter-
ested, with a view to composing the
situation so that some action can be
secured at once.
The association last night adopted
resolutions urging the absolute ne
cessity of new bridge facilities and
authorizing appointment of the COM
mittee.
May Order Traffic on.
Secretary C. w. offut, jr., reported
to the association that army engi-
neers in charge of the structure had
declared that the condition of the old
bridge was such that all traffic MAY
be ordered off at any moment, cut
ting the main artery of commerce be-
tween the Capital and northern Vir-
ginia-
Such a situation. it was pointed out,
would be a serious blow to George
town and the other communities di-
rectly served by the Aqueduct bridge.
The committee is authorized to seek
any solution of the difficulty with
I'VE want a bridge" as the slogan
of the association.
Faces Indefinite Delay.
In bringing the bridge matter be-
fore the association, Ralph A. Collins
said that after working for years for
the bridge and apparently having the
fight won. the association was con-
fronted with a situation that might
Indefinitely delay construction. He
introduced a resolution, providing:
That in view of the honest diff
ference of opinion entertained as to
the character of the new bridge, that
the association exert its most earnest
efforts to compose the situation and to
have a satisfactory agreement reached
to the end that residents of George
town and northern Virginia may no
longer be subjected to inconvenience.
tx not danger, by having to continue
to use the present bridge.
The president of the association
was directed to appoint a select COM
mittee of three members to wait upon
Judge AdamsPn, chairman. of the
House committee, who steered the |
bridge authorization, with a view to |
interesting him in the arrangement of |
joint conference for a frank and full |
discussion of the questions at issue on
the bridge construction"
Due To Increased Cost.
Frank P. Leetch, chairman of the
Executive Committee told the meet |
ing that the deadlock was due to in
craaaad materials
Changes in the bridge plans by the
Fine Arts Commission, he declared,
while improving the bridge archi-
tecturally had cheapened its cost, by
substituting open concrete work for
solid concrete spans. 1t was impos
sible, he declared to build an ade-
quate concrete bridge within the ap-
preparation allowed, because steel,
labor and materials had increased
from 20 to 60 per cent in cost.
plans for a double-decked struc-
ture have been put aside" he contin-
ued, land engineers are considering
a simple bridge of barely adequate
proportions. 1t is a mistaken i'm
preston" he concluded that the
Fine Arts Commission wants to make
the bridge a monumental, ornate, or
more expensive structure"
Baker Elected Member.
On motion of a. K. Paris, Secre-
tary of War Baker was unanimously
elected an honorary member of the
association. Secretary Baker IS
resident of Georgetown.
After a lively debate, the Associa-
tion put over to the next meeting dis
cussion on a resolution introduced by
DR.. n. DuVall Brecht, urging a ref
erendum on the Sheppard bill, and all
1pRiSlariOn Of vital imDOrtanCe
to the people of the District.
Objection was raised to the meas
ure by several members on the ground
that the association had always steer