The Washington times., 1921-12-05
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proved, the cost y not assessed a.
special benefits. but the improve
ments are covered by roadway taxes
which apply generally over q large
territory. In the case OF property
owners living on either side OF the
Of Columbia and Maryland. the prop
erty owner In the District Of Columbia
il now required by law to pay half the
cost of paving the highway in front
of his premises, while his AUDITING
neighbor in Maryland does not pay
more than q small proportion OF the
cost of tho roadway in front Of his
property, the cost being distributed
over the whole county.
while the principle Of the law
may be sound, in its application II
works inequity and hardship; II places
q burdensome cost on the develop
District which was not borne In prevt-
GUS years by older sections Of the city
which did not bear any assessment
for paving roadways. The commits
uioners feel that the law Ii tneQuit-
able and they believe that some new
should be enacted which
would remove the inequalities OF the
present law.
Poor Pay Hits Library.
Touching on the Public Library
serytce. the report states that the
best efforts Of the library are being
blocked by failure to pay adequate
salaries to employees of the library.
and asks that an additional branch
library be erected every year In the
more thickly populated sections OF
the city. A branch library IL to be
built at Seventh and ID streets south
east. but there Is a big demand for
a branch in the Mt. Pleasant section
and It is urged that q library be au.
thorized there in the vicinity OF Four
teenth streets and Columbia road.
Recommendation Is again made Tor
the institution Of a traffic court ana
legislation that will restrict the sale
of deadly and dangerous weapons.
The Commissioners also renew
their recommendation for q home or
a colony for feeble-minded children.
who are now farmed out In New Jer-
sey, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
where homes are established. This
method is not in the best interests
of the children. the report states. and
is also a big expense to the District.
much of the social legislation
which Is being urged for the Capital
CITY vitality affects the field of work
in which the Board of Children's Guar.
dams Ia especially concerned. The law
to provide pensions for mothers; the
welfare code, which includes the
children's code: the school attendance
law; more Fairgrounds and other
supervised recreation; and the alley
Improvement law. All of these, when
obtained, will go a long way toward
making good homes for children. and
good children in their homes" the re-
port states.
Complain About Lack Of Parks.
There 10 no provision Tor parks out
side Of the city proper. the Commits
sioners complain, and IL this condition
spots in the District will be destroyed.
and the outlying sections Of the city
will be without parks.
THE original Federal city ID famous
for it's street plan and for Its beautiful
parks" the report says. Outside the
original city we have a highway plan
for the entire District of Columbia, and
all property which il subdivided must
conform to this plan. The entire Dis
trict il therefore being developed In
accordance with a comprehensive and
orderly street plan, but there Ia no
provision for parks outside the Federal
city except such as are acquird from
time to time by special acts of Congress
This is usually not done. however. In
accordance with any plan that has
been adopted. II Is true that the Nc
MILAN park plan was submitted to
Congress in 1902. providing for a plan
outside of the cities of Washington
and Georgetown, but there was no pro-
vision made for executing IT, and land
il being subdivided and improved with
no consideration for this or any other
plan.
IF this condition is permitted to
continue over the entire District,
many of the beauty spots OF the Dis
trict will be destroyed, and the Dis
trict will be developed without any
provision for parks. Much Of this
land Is sparsely settled, and is com.
paratively cheap. These beauties
should be preserved so that the
citizens can walk and ride through
open and breathe the fresh air, to
promote the health and happiness Of
our people. Many magnificent trees
and lovely areas are being destroyed
by subdivisions and improvements,
thus creating the newer Washington
without the liberal park spaces pro-
vided in the older city. 1t Is renec-
ton to say that the original designers
Of the old Washington showed greater
foresight than the designers Of the
new Washington. These areas
should be acquired for the health,
and pleasure Of our people.
1T is gratifying to note that the
on streets and parks Of the
Board Of Trade, Of which
the surveyor is a member, have had
in Congress bills providing
for Piney Branch Parkway, KlinRle
Road Valley, and the Patterson tract.
The necessity for the acquisition of
these parks needs little comment.
Their locations are ideal, they are
covered with magnificent forest trees,
and they are well distributed In DIFF
rerent parts Of the District. They
have previously been approved by the
and should be included
again, with the addition. It is thought,
Of extending the Fort Drives so as to
include the old civil war forts built
for the defense OF Washington. two
Of which have already been acquired,
Fort Davis and Fort Du-
pont."
Cite Alley Menace.