Evening star., 1920-05-20
STREET REPAIR PUT
UP TO CONGRESS
District Commissioners Ask
ed Connecticut Avenue Paw
ing 3 Years, Kutz Says.

Engineer Commissioner Kutz placed
the blame for Connecticut avenues
condition squarely on Congress in a
speech last night before the Chevy
Chase Citizens Association.
For three years." he said, "the
District Commissioners have endeav-
ored to impress members of Congress
with the need for permanent paving
on Connecticut avenue We have TAX
en- conSr essmen over the road time
and again, showing the need of re-
placing the present macadam surface
18th concrete paving as far as Chevy
Chase Circle. Each .:ne our request
ed appropriation has been cut down.
II do not intend that this should
be interpreted as a criticism of Con-
Eress." he said. Congress probably
has reasons Te- rrtting down the ap-
preparation .@cE time. But the case
of Connecticut avenue is true of other
streets which We have sought to have
put in condition of permanent re-
pair Tha District government can
not be blamed"
ErpI! 10 Criticism.
The Commissioners remarks we're
made partly n reply to criticism of
the District government for the un.
repaired state Of Connecticut ave
nue.. They were called forth when a
letter from Representative Zihlman
OF Maryland. addressed to member
of the association. was read Mr..
Zihlman characterized the unrepaired
state of the highway as "deplorable."
and stated that it was a reflection
on the District and on Congress that
more than 200 miles of road beyond
the Maryland border in Chevy Chase
did not contain single yard of
paving in such poor repair as that
found within the District on Con-
necticut avenue.
Mr.. Zilhman cited his own efforts
toward obtaining in appropriations
funds sufficient to remedy not only
Connecticut avenue. but other high
ways in the District.
Following Mr. Zihlman's letter one
member after another rose and told
stories of broken wheels on automo-
biles. blown-out tires. damaged ma
chinery. all of them resulting from the
holes in the surface of the roadway.
Resolutions were passed praising the
District government for the work
which has been done on District roads
with the funds in hand and clearing
them of any blame for not repairing
the streets in Washington.
Workers Paid More Than Foremen.
During the discussion of the road
conditions an interesting fact was
brought out concerning the difficulties
under which the engineer department
of the District has to labor in street
repair. A member called Commits
sioner Kutz's attention to the alleged
"loafng" of gangs of repairmen en-
gagged in street work.
This is remedied Immediately when
ever it is called to the attention of
the officials, Col. Kutz stated. but the
trouble lies in obtaining foremen to
supervise the work of the gangs.
These foremen.' said Col Kutz,
"are employees of the District govern
ment. and as such they have received
no advance in wages. with the excep-
the war. Members of their gangs,
however, are hired as laborers by the
government We have to pay the
gang members more than we do the
foremen. The foremen insist on re-
signing their jobs and joining the
gang"
OutlAes Z0nfnE System.
Commissioner kutz outlined the
now coming system for the District
and recommended that the citizens
association appoint a committee which
would confer with the zoning COM
mission. Such a committee was ap-
pointed Resolutions addressed to the
health department.. the> chief of po-
lice and the District Commissioners
requesting that no changes in Chevy
Chase street grading be made with
out the consent of so per cent of the
citizens in the community. were
passed.
The meeting of the association was
prefaced by a meeting of the Eliza
beth v. Brown Community Associa-
tion and the Public School and Home
Association.