Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-06-23
PROPERTY SAVINGS
| SOUGHT BY BOARD
Trade Body Will Cooperate
/ With District in Seeking
PreventabIe Expenses.

District officials will cooperate with
The Board OF Trade In its projected
campaign for preventable expenditure
Of public or private funds--if prevent
able cases be found-growing out of
unco-orcinated improvement projects.
Following q conference with District
Commissioners Taliaferro and Ladue,
Edwin c. Graham, past president of the
trade body, announced that the city
heads had voiced willingness to CO.
operate in the study of the matter to
be made for property owners.
Graham is chairman Of the special
committee created by the Board of
Trade on municipal expenditures, which
Monday viii begin its study of means
Of bringing about better coordination
OF departments making improvements.
1t is hoped to prevent the ripping up
OF newly laid streets to make provision
for sewer, light and gas connections
which might have been anticipated be-
fore such streets are paved BY warn
ing private property holders that streets
are 70 be widened or repaved and that
contemplated cuts in the pavement for
sewers, light or gas facilities should be
made before the streets are repaved. it
Is believed by officials of the Board of
Trade that thousands of dollars could
be saved to the citv and to private
owners.
whitehurst to Aid.
Capt H. c. whitehurst, Assistant
Engineer Commissioner in charge of the
highway department, is to meet with
the Board of Trade committee In its
study of the matter, the board an
nounces. It is pointed out that the
work of the committee is not to consti-
tute an attack on any public ofilcial,
but rather is to be done in cooperative.
helpful manner. In fact, officials of the
board have praised Capt. whitehurst
for the improvement along this line
which he has made in the past several
years.
Capt. whitehurst, in discussing the
matter, has stated that since taking
charge Of the highway department he
has devoted considerable efforts to the
problem OF reducing cuts made in the
surfaces OF streets and sidewalks. He
said:
IF I succeed in doing so, win con-
cider that my tour of duty with the
District government has been q distinct
success. / know that q great number
Of cuts now are being made. But am
quite confident that they are fewer in
AktAAAk0C& kAAa11 dAC u1dOc IA Ot1lCI Cat4co
of the country OF comparable size
Fully 30 per cent of all these cuts are
made IN and contiguous to the business
district.
Due to Emergencies.
They are due chiefly to either emer-
gencies or unforeseen conditions. We
cannot anticipate when laying q new
street surface that there win be q break
or leak IN g water main or gas conduit
q few weeks later; neither can we tell
when some merchant In the business
district is going to demand additional
service from the power or gaslight
company
we VIII gladly cooperate with the
Board OF Trade or any other organiza-
ton n the District with view to solv-
ing this problem. Perhaps some of
these organizations can be of material
assistance to US In preventing q great
many Of the cuts.
There is no lack Of coordination
between thu various departments Of the |
city government having to do with un-
GergrOuud construction. We have an
underground construction committee,
composed OF representatives of the
water, sewer and highway departments
and the Pubic Utilities Commission,
which makes q study of all contemplated
Undcrsurface construction and keeps the
highway department In constant touch
with these plans. No street Is resur-
faced until It has been released by this
committee"