Evening star., 1921-09-30
FOCHI ADVOCATES
IMPROVED STREETS
Criticizes D. C. Commission
ers for Not Starting Work
| With Appropriations.

Street extensions and improvements.
including better-lighted streets IS one
public work that should be pushed
aggressively in the National Capital
Chairman Focht. of the House Dlstrlct
committee he,ieves. Street improve
ments in Washington were neglected.
uurlng lne war period, hepfesehli-
tive Focht emphasizes; there were
only patchwork repairs that did not
come anywhere near keeping pace
with the destruction of the streets by
the heavy Army trucks, he says
Chairman Focht and other members
Of the House District committee toaay
pledged themselves to support OF d
drive for better streets, for street eN-
tensions to build up the outlying
territory, thus relieving any housing
shortage.
Representative Focht says he is
just back from several weeks spent
travelling through the eight counties
In central Pennsylvania that con-
Stitute his district. everywhere l
heard the crash of the hammer ana
caught the odor of new paint. The
war is over and they know 1T and
are going agressively forward. Wash
ington alone is languishing. waiting
for tomorrow
As illustrating the attitude of de-
lay that he is crticizing here. Char
cials because the appropriation 'au-
thorized months ago by Congress 1or
a new school for tubercular children.
to replace the obsolete Hamilton
building on RladensburS road has not
been used. "They come asking us to
authorize appropriations and citing
the need as urgent and imperative.
We are ready to give them all the
money they can use. Then When we
give them the monsy they don't use
it want to hear an explanation
from some responsible District Off
cials as to why that school is' not
under way
I'm heartily in favor of Congress
giving the District all the money II
needs for schools, said CHAIRMAN
Focht. but what's the use of author
izing the appropriations if they are
not used?"
The Conimi ssioners have not yet de-
cided upon site for the new tuber-
cular school, Commissioner Rudolph
stated today. Officials at the District
building explain that there are two
reason why work has not been start
ed on this school.
One factor is the opposition which
has developed to placing 1T on the
District-owned property north OF
the tuberculosis Hospital. at 14th
and Upshur streets. The other reason
is that the municipal architects office
has been busy during the past few
months perfecting plans for the
superstructure of the new Eastern
High School. the contract for which
will be let next month
Col. Kutz stated a few days ago
that it had been planned to have
the municipal architect take up the
two new junior high schools next,
but he intimated that plans for the
tubereular school might be given
preference over those two buildings.
1t is expected the Commissioners will
reach a decision soon on a site for
the tubercular institution.
Representative Focht comes back
determined that the street railway
situation in-the National Capital must
he relieved. "If the two street car
lines do no get together soon, and
give the people lower fares, improved
service and better facilities all around
they will find themselves supplanted
by bus lines" Representative Foch.
predicted. LAS good business men, the
officials of these two street car lines
ought to get together and win pub
lie favor by improved service before
some one comes in and takes away
the business on which they have
been making big profits for many
years."