Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-15
FIFTY YEARS AGO IN THE STAR

presume. as we hope, that a congress
sional investigation will bring them
out. should the matter arise to the
dignity of an inquisition of this char
acter. Until they are pronounced.
however. we prefer to take the more
charitable view and consider people in
nocent unless proved guilty and to con-
tinue in the faith also that legtsla-
ton can still be procured in this
country without the use of corrupt
agencies"
Fifty years ago a national parade
could not have been held on Pennsyl-
vania avenue
Pavement Proposed in wet weather
for the Avenue. the mud There
was no pavement worthy the name.
In The Star of December II. 1868. Is
an editorial reference to the POSSIBLE
ity that this condition was finally TO
be cured:
There is at last a prospect that
Pennsylvania avenue will be properly
paved-that is to say. il movements
in Congress looking to that end are
to be regarded as meaning anything.
Where an improvement Is as badly
needed as in this case, the public
should. perhaps. be thankful for any
thing that will afford relief; never
theless, everybody is interested IN
having that style of pavement adopt
ed which combines in the greatest
degree the essential qualities of ex-
cellence and cheapness. In this view
of the case we hope that the bills Will
be carefully examined and that the
one which best serves the public in
terest may be passed with the least
possible delay. To our mind. that IN
troduced by Mr.. Cole is preferable,
for the reason that it leaves the Sc
lection of the kind OF pavement 10 De
used to a board composed OF olsln-
terested. competent and honest gentie-
men, while it divides the cost OF the
work fairly between the city. the
property owners. the street railroad
company and the general government.
instead of taxing 1t all against the
latter, as the Harris bill proposes to
do.
Congress has shown disposition
in the case of other improvements to
share the cost with the corporation.
but a decided indisposition to shoulder
the cost alone. We imagine that q
bill proposing to tax the government
for the whole cost of paving the
Avenue will stand very little chance
of getting through, but we have no
doubt that Congress will readily vote
to pay what it considers a fair pro-
portion of the cost.
THAT the board referred to would
or would not select the Nicholson
pavement we are not prepared to say,
for, without knowing anything about
it, we take 1t for granted they have
as yet formed no opinion on the sub
ject. Nor do we propose to interpose
any obstacles in the way of it's adop-
ton, for in some respects We consider
it unsurpassed as a method of paw
ing. The objection is urged against IT.
however, that once down it is almost
impossible to remove it for the pur-
pose of putting down or repairing
water. gas or sewage pipes and this
objection is a very serious one in this
city, where there is SO much unim-
proved property and where so much
underground work remains to be
done. And manifestly, as it seems to
US, the expense of the proposed i'm
provement ought to be borne in
proper proportion by all parties di-
rectly interested in or benefited by it.
In any event, however, we think the
question of selection ought to be left
open to and decided by competitive
tests as to excellence and that the
consideration of cost should also be
taken into the account. That our citi-
Zens generally will agree in this view
of the case We have no doubt"