Evening star., 1932-05-11
GAS TAX MONEY "SAVED,"
BUT ONLY TO LIE IDLE
Pressing Projects Stricken Out-Street
Maintenance Endangered-City Light
Fund Cut, Lamps Must Be Turned Out.
Continued From First Page)

otherwise they would not have been In
cluded in the 1888 budget
The largest item of the 13 elimi-
mated called for S96, 300 to widen, regrade
and straighten Good Hope road south
! east from Minnesota avenue to Naylor
road. In its present state Good Hope
road is regarded as a dangerous high
way. being narrow, of line and of
grade, and having numerous curves. 1t
also is one Of the main arteries OF
, travel into southern Maryland. District
officials said the necessary property to
widen and Straighten the road already
has been acquired through condemna-
tion.
The second item of major Importance
removed by the House was S35 900 to
surface Fourth street northeast from
Franklin street to Michigan avenue,
which would provide a direct connection
between North Capitol and Twelfth
streets. The first link in this project
already has been completed by the
improvement of Fourth street from
Rhode Island avenue to Franklin street.
Piney Branch Road Item.
Two other items of outstanding i'm
portance stricken from the program
called for $4,000 for the improvement
of Piney Branch road from Georgia ave-
nue. to Van Buren, street, and SIS 800
for the surfacing of WaterSide drive
from Massachusetts, avenue to Rock
Creek Park. The Piney Branch road
| project. it was pointed out would pro-
vide direct approach from Georgia
| avenue to the Fern street underpaSs of
the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. This
item was knocked out despite the ap-
proval of an appropriation for a link
| in the same project-the improvement
of Piney Branch road from Butternut
to Fern street
Elimination of the item for the sur
facing of WaterSide drive it was said,
prevents completion of a desirable exit
from Rock Greek Park. The roadway in
the park has been completed, it was
said, leaving an unimproved link from
| the entrance to Massachusetts avenue.
The Highway Department also suf-
fered the loss of an item of $37 500 for
the widening. Strengthening and resur-
! facing of Fifteenth street from Florida
avenue to Euclid street-an improve
ment designed to eliminate a dangerous
cor diticn on Meridian Hill and at the
same time provide a relief outlet for
Sixteenth street traffic north on Flor
| i6a avenue. Traffic now avoids Fiji
| teenth street north of Florida avenue
as much as possible. it was pointed out,
due to the curves and dangerous grade
parallelng Meridian Hill Park.
Many Streets in List.
The eight other items eliminated in
! one sweep by reduction Of the gasoline
tax fund were for improvement Of the
! following streets:
| Sixteenth street from Irving to Law
renee street.
! Varnum street from Tenth TO Twelfth
street.
Third street from Sheridan to IN
| derwood street.
Tuckerman street from Eighth street
| to Georgia avenue
Dahlia street from Georgia avenue
| to Ninth street.
Hamilton street from Thirteenth to
Fourteenth street.
| Forty-third street from Jenifer street
! to Military road.
| Ingomar street from Forty-second
street to Wisconsin avenue.
These 13 items in the gasoline tax
| fund represented approximately one
| third of the Highway Departments new
construction program for 1888. Their
| elimination from the appropriation bill.
/ coupled with removal of an item for
widening and repavlng Constitution av-
enue from North Capitol to Sixth
street, is destined to seriously retard
| the orderly execution of the highway
| Improvement program which Engineer
| Department officials planned in 1880.
| This program was drawn up with the
/ idea of avoiding a fluctuating develop
ment from year to year. What highway
officials wanted and have carried out
quite successfully since 1880 is fairly
stabilized program over period OF
/
| planning and consideration of the most
urgent needs of each individual COM
munity.
Setback Is Threatened.
| By reducing the expenditures from
/ the gasoline tax fund. the House not
only has tied up funds that will serve
no other purpose, but has paved the
way, unless the Senate intervenes, for
| a one-year setback in a well planned
| highway development and improvement
| program.
The serious feature of the delay in
the Constitution avenue project it was
| said. is the dilemma in which the
| Standard Oil Co. is placed. This COM
pany, with the approval of the Com
mission on Fine Arts and District off,
Gals, has erected on the north side of
| Constitution avenue between Second
and Third streets monumental build
| ing, designed to harmoniZe architectur-
| ally with the new Federal buildings to
! be constructed in that area. The build
/ ing is now nearing completion, but can
not be used, it was said, until Constitu-
ton avenue is widened and repaved,
since the building was constructed on
the new grade fixed for the avenue
when it is improved.
Maintenance Fund Cut.
! 1t nay not be possible, even though
tremendous efforts are made according
I to District officials, to keep the more
than 500 miles of streets ani roads in
the District in good condition in the
coming fiscal year if the Highway De
partment is crippled by the House in
the street and road repair fund.
/ When the 1888 appropriation bill
went to the Senate it carried 5000 900
for repairs to streets and roads, a cut
| Of Sis, 900 under the amount recon-
mended by the Budget Bureau, and
! S257. 900 less than the funds appropri-
ated for the current fiscal year. The
/ House said it believed 100000 would
be sufficient if the fund is administered
| economically and its use restricted TO
work that is urgent and essential
District officials, however, think
/ otherwise In the first place, it is point
/ ed out, the estimates for repairs had
! been reduced to an absolute minimum
| of essential needs before the Budget
! Bureau took them under consideration
| Due to the demands of economy, the
Budget Bureau further trimmed the fig
ureS. and as a result Of the House ac-
tion the repair fund now is approx
mately IL per cent under the amount
! regarded as absolutely necessary by Dis
officials n in
proper condition in 1888
Neglecting streets that need repair is
| regarded at the District Building as
! false economy. Deterioration sets In