Evening star., 1921-10-02

Sunday only. yr.. $40; l mo-. zoe
All Other States.
Daily and Sunday. i VI. 5000: mo-, s5c
Daily only. .......1 VI. $1.00; mo-, 60c
Sunday only. yr.. $500; mo-. Csc
Greater Washington's Street Plan.
Through the law excluding the ma
tion from participation In the cost Of
suburban street extension, and through
the Borland law concerning street i'm.
provement. suburban Washington 10,
in effect, set apart In point OF hnan-
cial treatment as though It were not
a portion Of the National Capital, al
though no eye can distinguish between
that section of the city which Is recog-
nized as the National Capital and that
which in point Of fiscal treatment In
the matter of street extensions and Inn
provements Is rated as negligible hin.
terland. .a.. .-" ,.
The unwisdom and unfairness Of
this legislation are emphasized by con-
sideration Of the extraordinary char
acter Of Washington's street plan and
the peculiar obligation imposed there
by upon the nation In respect to its
development, Improvement and main
tenance.
Washington's original street plan
represents the hard bargain driven
with the original proprietors Of the
soil. John Law. a prominent citizen,
who came hero at the city's birth,
charged. In 1890, voicing a general
complaint, that the city had been made
vast by the politicians merely to
crafty their cupidity and tempt as
many farmholders as possible to give
up half their property. Even more
bitter complaints were made concern.
ing the area appropriated for streets
and avenues. not merely one-half. but
all of which was taken by the govern
ment without compensation. The
property owners donated one.hah OF
the lots and all Of the streets and ave-
nues to the nation; and the national
representatives showed shrewd appre-
citation Of the terms Of the benefactton
by setting apart as streets more than
one.half Of the total area Of the city.
3,sos acres out Of q total Of Sill. q
greater percentage Of street surface
than In any other city in the world.
Its vastness has been well pictured by
imagining street 100 feet wide ex.
tending from Washington to New
York. to be graded. asphaited and sup
piled with cutters, curbstones. side.
walks, drains, sewers, lamp posts and
shade trees. As the Senate District
committee said in It's report Of 1885:
The plan Of the city was formed by
the public authorities; the dimensions
of the streets determined by them
without interference by the fnhaoi-
tants or regard to their particular
interest or convenience. It 10 plan
Of 4 great nation. but oppressive from
its very dimensions and arrangements
to the Inhabitants, II Its execution to
any considerable extent Is to be
thrown upon them. No people who
anticipated the execution ana susse-
funds would ever have dreamed OF
forming such a plan. At that period
neither the government nor the pro.
prietors contemplated that the whole
or even large PROPORTION Of the he. bur ar
habitants of the city...' The
streets were not only oppressive
from their size and extent in their
original formation. but they will
from the same cause continue to be
an unending source OF expense in
their repair. They must annually cost
nearly double the amount Of streets
Of the same length OF moderate di.
mensions: The government which
not be very deaf to the complaints Of
those upon whom such burden has
fallen. ~.
Tho eneot Of this legislation ia to
preserve much Of this magnificent
street plan and to extend it to . con.
siderable degree over the District out
side Of original Washington under q
method Of extension in some respects
moro unjustly oppressive to the capt.
tai community than the arrangement
OF which the original property owners
complained. The latter were required
to give land for the streets, but they
were recompensed in part for their
gifts by the understanding. afterward
violated, that the donated streets
should be opened and improved! ex.
clusively or largely at the expense OF
the nation. F
Had old Washington realised that
the nation would disregard Its implied
agreement and throw the expense Of
street development almost entirely
upon individual citizens it would
hardly have consented to dedicate for
street purposes more than half OF the
total area Of the city; and the new
Washington, beyond Boundary street.
naturally shrinks back when invited
to develop the extravasant and ex.
penstve but magnificent street plan Of
a great National Capital with the
feeble. unaided resources Of a scat
tered suburban population. which in
it's natural development would never
dream Of dedIcating to the public and
Of maintaining and improving at its
own expense q street area that would
take out Of the market and render not