Evening star., 1928-03-26
HAZEN'S WORKLINKED CLOSELY
WITH GROWTH OF WASHINGTON
District Surveyor Has Exert
ed Influence Toward Arts
tic Development.
His Work Proved Factor in
Orderly Expansion of
Residence Areas.

An interesting chapter in the history
Of Washington was recalled during the
past week with the reappointment tc
his sixth four-year term OF Melvin c
Hazon, District surveyor. for Mr., Hag-
ems IaborS have been linked vitally with
all that has been done here in the past
20 years 70 provide a monumental high
way system through the National
Capital
Starting with the days when street
building was a hit-and-miSS affair, the
surveyor has seen changing times
bring about new order Of things, and
has himself been instrumental in fur
thcring the development of a city
/ beautiful laid out on unsurpassed lines.
Mr. Hagen will enter on his new term
/ July -. In the years he has been as
/ Sociated with the District government
virtually every landowner has at some
time or other dealt through his Office.
Appointed i'm 1908.
/ Before ha was appointed surveyor in
! o0s Mr. Hazeu had been the assistant
surveyor for the District and worked
+ out many Of the street plans into the
\ then agricultural areas which today
/ are lined With houses When he en-
/ tered the Office of surveyor no COM
I prehenSiye street plan had been worked
cut beyond that Of the LEnfant plan
/ between Florida avenue and the river
the old city of Washington. But there
had grown up in the area north and
east of this line a collection of dis
iointed communities with small. short
streets. that went nowhere, as eyi-
dcnced by Mount Pleasant. Columbia
Heights. Lanier Heights. the ESlin
estate Washington Heights Kalorama
Heights, Trinidad. RoSedale and Isher-
wood.
At that time a landowner seeking to
subdiylde his property into lots could
use his own Judgment. He might put
in blind streets, narrow streets, short
streets, in fact, anything he wanted,
and all he had to consider was himself,
and in those days he, for the most part,
considered Just how he could cut il up
and get the most out Of the land With
the advent Of the automobile, Mr.
HaZen saw that the problem was going
to become serious one and through
streets must be provided. and 1t was
then that the Government found IL
necessary to condemn and open such
streets as Connecticut avenue, Rhode
Island avenue, Sherman avenue, Elev-
enth street, Sixteenth street Four
teenth street and Massachusetts ave-
into well paved arteries. have displayed.
the wisdom of the move AS they pro-
vide the real. effective means Of travel
into and out Of the city today. 1t is
not difficult 10 realize what might be
the situation here today If the city had
been allowed 10 grow as il did in the
small communities outside the city of
Washington as above enumerated.
The LEnfant plan became effective
in 1871, and It was just 100 years later
that the new highway commission was
appointed 10 lay out a permanent plan
of highways for the District, as 1t is
today in the county nearer the
boundary line. This highway commits
sion was composed Of the Secretary Of
the Interior, the Secretary Of War and
the chief of engineers of the United
States Army. and 1t functioned until
two years ago, when its duties were
transferred 10 the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission, of
which the District Of Columbia En-
gineer Commissioner is a member.
Brought Order From Chaos.
These commissions. largely the for
mer, have succeeded in bringing order
out Of the chaos which was presenting
itself at the time the body was pro-
yided for by Congress. Under this
plan a subdivider cannot put into ef-
feet his plan until IL has the approval
OF the surveyor, and in IL the former
must provide for The dedication Of
streets and parking For minor streets
he must provide for a width Of so feet
and for major street not less than 90
feet. Formerly, the District had TO pay
FOR the streets through subdivisions,
taxing them by condemnation. Even
today the local government is con-
fronted with the problems Of the sys-
TEN prior 10 the passage Of the high
way plan act, and there now are pend
ing ia the courts about 30 condemna-
ton cases. according 10 Mr. Stevens,
Wnlcn require the purchase Of prop
erty to cut through street. now closed
on one end
The District nov comprises SO square
miles, according TO Mr. Hazen. and it
Wlu not be many years before il VIII
be soiidly built up The greatest
growth, of course. has been during the
period since the beginning Of the World
War. To insure that the city does 90
ahead IN accordance with the highway
plan act Of 1891, which provided that
the L,hnfant plan should be carried
70 the District Of Columbia line the
surveyor must keep q close check on
al building operations To ascertain
that there are no encroachments that
would destroy is effectiveness
The surveyor must survey and re-
cord all lots and make them a perma-
nent record The growth Of the home
Ownership idea has increased the work
II the surveyors Office many times.
particularly for building associations
and other loan organizations outside
u tne city which win not approve
loans for any property until the sur
veyor has made resurgcy and records
the fact that the building on which
the Joan Is sought occupies only the lot
which u Is declared N occupy. Every
new building must have q survey 0f
Us foundation walls. for the iutorma"
iioD 81 the building Inspector ~ that
u may b. known that IL Is not en-
cTOachjng On any other property II
must report On party walls IN cases
brought ~ rs attention.
Work of Surveyor.
While me- National Capital PARK and
Planning Commission must approve
highway changes before they are put
INTO effect. and laid down on the map,
This Work d purely peTfunct0ry Most
~ the work is done by The District
government lu winch the surveyor haa
the master hand
Under the system today, proposed
thanReg sFe studied and worked out by
tbs GgagrGiuatluv committee of the