Evening star., 1925-07-28

includes Rosslyn, Park Lane. Thrift
ton, haywood, Cherrydale. West
Cherrydale and as far as East Falls
Church.
Increase Is Shown.
This shows a total of 657 houses
built in the entire area during the
period covered, while the previous
year, or from February. 1923, to Feb
ruary, 1924, 500 houses were built,
according to the county assessors
figures, or a net increase of 1877
houses. Those familiar with the
building in the District point out,
however, that since February. 1925,
there has been a notable increase in
building for which there are no ac-
curate figures available. AS the fig
ures indicate that the Arlington dis
trict experienced the greatest amount
of house building for the year endAg
February l, 1925, so observations have
shown that the greatest development
is in the Arlington district, following
generally the line of the Wilson
boulevard.
While the last decennial census
showed a population for the entire
county of 10000 people, officials of
the county say that a conservative
estimate from those in close touch
with the development places til, pres
ent population at $4,000, or an in
crease of $4,000 people in the last
five years. or rs per cent.
Laws to Be Sought
Many matters affecting the develop
ment of this district will be presented
70 the Legislature after il meets in
January. These will have for their
purpose the bringing of Arlington
County, so authority will be asked for
placing It in the city class, so that it
can be improved as a city. The State
law now provides only for 30-foot
streets. This will never do for a
city such as is planned of Arlington
county, so authority will be asked for
60-foot streets, to provide sidewalks
and ample room for modern traffic
conditions. Even now the effect of
30-foot streets on traffic is felt in this
territory.
Arlington County supervisors have
no direct authority to approve the
streets through subdivisions. Persons
opening property can put streets in
as they wish, and the supervisors can
not reject them because they will not
eventually connect up in straight lines
with other subdivisions as they all
grow and expand. But they have this
to hold over the subdividers' heads,
and it has worked successfully in
many instances: If the streets are
not laid out in accordance with devel-
opment plans, the county supervisors
can refuse to take over their main
tenance, and thus leave them to the
property owners to keep in repair.
But this is another matter which is to
go to the Legislature this Winter.
Arlington County officials will seek
law similar to that governing the
Wa shington suburban sanitary dis
trict in Maryland. There no subdivi-
sion can be opened until it's plan has
been approved by the sanitary COM
mission and the plat recorded in the
! land Office of the county affected.
Sewer Plans Held Up.
Even efforts to put in sewage dis
, posal for the towns and villages have
met with snags. A sanitary law was
passed, but it was declared unconSti-
tutional. The trouble was this: The
ma gisterial districts were used as
basis for the sanitary districts, thus
directing the taxing of all the people
of the district for a sewage disposal
plant from which they obtained no ad-
vantage, for the reason that the natu-
raj drainage areas did not conform to
the magisterial districts. In other
words, man-made laws did not follow
natures work However, a sewage
disposal system now is being con-
structed in the Arlington district by
the people themselves-tha is, the peo-
pie are paying for it, using the county
engineering facilities for directing the
work. Those who tap the sewer pay
for it, and those who do not use it will
not have to pay. The disposal plant
is to be erected at the junction of
Spout Run with the Potomac River,
just above Georgetown.
For the purpose of providing an ade-
quate and safe water supply, two sur
veys now are being made, one by
firm from New York and another by
firm from Alexandria. Generally, the
plan, as so far developed. provides for
the erection of a waterworks at the
mouth of Pimmit Run, which empties
into the Potomac River right along
side the Virginia end of the Chain
Pyid0o