Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-05-12
BOARD CREDITED
At AVENUE BRIDGE
VICTORY BANQUET
Tydings Pays Tribute to
Fighting Qualities of
Trade Group.
INITIAL APPROPRIATION
SUBJECT OF SPEECHES
Actual Construction of Span to
Begin This Summer, Says
Col. Dan I. Sultan.


Members of Congress and officials Of
the District joined with three com.
mittees of the Board Of Trade last
night at a victory dinner marking the
successful attempt to obtain an ap-
preparation for beginning construction
of the new Pennsylvania Avenue
Bridge.
The Bridges, Streets and Avenues
and Traffic Committees of the trade or.
ganization, which played an important
part in getting the initial appropria-
ton for the new span at this session
Of Congress, sponsored the victory
celebration at the Mayf1ower Hotel.
Senator Tydings, Democrat, OF
Maryland, member of the Senate Dis
trict Committee, who played an i'm.
portant part in obtaining funds fol
the bridge, paid high tribute to the
Board of Trades long fight for this
project. Although Congress probably
will get the credit, the board deserves
it, he said.
Board Part Of Government"
''This Board of Trade is hard
boiled" he said. And it's we'll that
it is, since the District of Columbia
has no representatives in Congress to
look after its interests. The board
really is an unofficial part of the
United States Government"
Recalling the changes brought about
since he came to Washington as a
member of the House Is years ago,
the senior Maryland Senator said he
wasn't so proud of the city at one
time, but that now a real foundation
has been laid and Washington one
day will be one of the most beautiful
capital cities in the world
Il feel that as congressional rep
resentative of Maryland I am actually
an unofficial representative of the Dis
trict because this National Capital
was carved out of the soil of my native
State" he continued.
Cites Important Changes.
Senator Tydings listed as some OF
the more important changes in recent
years the widening Of Wisconsin ave-
nue., extension of Sixteenth street
New Hampshire avenue and Michigan
avenue; construction OF viaducts on
New Hampshire and Michigan ave-
nues and Benning road: the Benning
bridge and, near to Washington, the
ship testing basin now under con-
struction at Cabin John, Md. the ami
NAL experiment station of the Agri-
cultural Department and the National
Cancer Research Institute.
Col. Dan I. Sultan, Engineer Com
missioner OF the District, told the
guests that specifications for the new
bridge have been finished and that
actual construction will begin this
summer. The southern half will be
built first, he said, then the old bridge
will be removed and the other half
constructed. with very little inter-
ruption to traffic.
The total cost will be approximately
$2,000,000, he said. He pointed out
this probably would have to be spread
out over three fiscal years unless the
District receives aid from the new
Federal highway program.
Hazen and Dirksen Speak.
Speaking in a humorous vein, Com
missioner Melvin C. Hazen explained
that he land George Washington laid
out the city in 1871, and made plans
for the Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge
to be built l01 years later" He wa.
followed by Representative Dirksen
Republican, of Illinois, ranking mi
nority member of the House District
Committee, who explained:
Some ones got to deplore the pass.
ing of the old bridge, and I therefore
name myself as the official deplorer.
So I'm lamenting its passing
by the way he continued. TIN
going to stop voting for these impor-
tant projects for Washington. We
give you an appropriation for new
bridge and what happens? Commits
sioner George E. Allen resigns and
Col. Sultan gets ready 10 go back to
the troops"
La WIEAlSC Z. WlllldIIiS, llISl VICE
president of the board, recalled that
when the Bridges Committee of the
board started almost so years ago,
there was only one bridge-the Long
Bridge-across the Potomac. DR..
Llewellyn Jordan of the Bridges Com
mittee paid tribute to the work oil
George c. Shinn. chairman of the
bridges unit, and George Graham
chairman of the Streets and Avenues
Committee.
Washington I. Cleveland acted as
POSTMASTER Guests of honor included
Senators Austin. Capper and Lun-
deem, Representatives Anderson, Bates
Brewster. Cartwright. Lord, Short,
Stefan, Wilmington, Wolcott, William
F. Allen, Arnold, Cole. Shafer and
Jacobsen; Traffic Director William A.
Van Duzer, Capt. H. c. Whitehurst,
director of highways, and Clifford r.
WHITE