The Washington herald., 1919-06-30
sGEORGETOWN UP IN ARMS;
SAY SECTION IS SIGHTED
Citizens Tire of Appealing to Commissioners
sa-. and Will Take Matter of Improve
A>,sa ments Direct to Congress.

Determination against longtime citi-
/, zens Of the District in favor OF real
estate SPECTATORS. Is the charge made
sbyz Mrs Marguerite du Pont Lee, 100
jefferson street, in a communication
to the Georgetown Citizens Associa-
ton
Mrs. Lee. who is a member OF the
noted Du Pont family of Delaware.
has resided in Georgetown many
years and Is the owner of valuable
property there. In common with the
other citizens of the old town she Is
rincensed over the failure of the mu-
nicipai authorities to make badly
needed public improvements. She Is
of the opinion that a congressional
probe should be inserted in District
Affairs to reach the real cause of dis
elimination and neglect.
Tired Of appealing in vain to the
Commissioners for relief, the citizens
of GEORGETOWN will make a direct ap-
peal to Congress and ask that the con-
ditious complained of be inspected py
members of the District committees OF
the House and Senate B. A Bowles,
president of the Georgetown Citizens
Association, will hold a conference
with leading members of the organi-
zation this week and name COM
mittse to call upon Congressman Carl
z. Mapes, chairman of the District
Committee of the House. The COM
-mittee OF citizens will not only pre-
sent their case, but will invite Chair
man Mspes to motor with them over
the long neglected territory.
In this connection, J. Mckenney
Berry, 1858 Wisconsin avenue. in con-
10 al oft
for the fight it is making for fair
play for Georgetown. says he will fur
nish- automobiles for members Of the
House District committee and accom-
pany them over ''the rocky roads of
Georgetown He also agrees to show
the Congressman the old town. quaint
and honorable, in the subdued light
furnished by the authorities in the
afterNdark hours. in comparison with
the brightly lighted and less i'm
portant localities in other parts OF
the District.
The communication of Mrs. Lee to
the Citizens Association has an i'm
portant and interesting bearing upon
the awakening of Georgetown to the
necessity of demanding equity in the
matter of improvements. She writes:
II see in The Washington Herald
this morning an effort is to be made
TO have some street repairing done
in Georgetown. | have more than
once called the attention OF the COM
missioners to the cobblestones on JEFF
ferson street. have contrasted con-
ditions where no one lives. where one
can find miles of asphalt roadway.
concrete sidewalks and trees with
conditions where people have had
homes for nearly, if not quite, two
centuries. I have not failed to draw
attention to the great contrast be-
rween where the rich live. and specu-
lators hope to grow rich. and those
obtaining where the poor live and
meye and have their being. We have
now no trees. and obviously they can
not be planted until the street is
paved.
a w lille on the subject of improve
lnent, 7 would be obliged. if the
CeCrsetown Citizens Association
would make an effort to have trees
planted on NJ street from Rock Creek
70 ThIrty-sixth street. The reasons
given me by the authorities for not
planning trees are laushable and child
5. h: 1t is n business street So is
fouFteenth street. while practically
.every-M street house is crowded with
children.
Z Another excuse is awnings Did
Fny man. not mentally defective, ever
hear Of a few scattered rotting avn
inrS stopping public utilities?
ANOTHER excuse is the expense of
quitting the concrete pavements. II is
y fact that most of VI street is paved
with blocks or bricks: there is little
concrete- The tax I pay on this one
building C075 Jefferson street, would
paw for all the cutting necessary. and
ever.
The congestion is great. We have
no rarks, no grass, and no trees. The
fich have these. Do you blame the
people for socialistic. perhaps anarch-