Evening star. [volume], December 03, 1900, Image 17

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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THE EVENING STAR.
PUBLSNED DMLY. ECE SUWAT
Oaom rIce. Wrm Strees amd Psesvafta e eeeee
The Evening Star Newspaper Company.
8. t. KAUFFTAN. Pres't.
ftw York OnMCL: 126 Tribuse Baliding.P r . ae
Chicage O111ca: BPwe Balding.
b. Evening Star to served to subscribers in the
city by carrer, on their own acunt at 10 eents
ve week or 44 cents per month Coples at the t.. ~ ie amc
cotater, "at eeh By mail-anyw re In lb"
C. S, OrCauada -post&Ve prepaild- -504muta per n,ontb. pel ase a te
Saturday Quin Sheet star. $1 per ye-r with
foreign postage =ude 5|!ees
- Entered at the P-st Ace at Washington. D. 0..
as second-class mail matter.)
9PAU mall subseipio ns be paid in advanc .
o.knn " aaleatLn S HTOat1
ANNUAL STATEMENT
Commissioners' Report Submitted to
the President Today.
EXHIBIT FOR FISCAL YEAR
Police and Fire Departments and
Public Schools.
THE NEEDS OF DISTRICT
The Commissioners of the District today
submitted to the President for the informa
tion of Congress, as required by law, their
ar.nual report for the fiscal year which
ended June 30. 1900. It is as follows:
Appropriations and Revenues.
The appropriations for the year, which
were payable out of the general revenues
and embraced all but the appropriations for
the water department, were $7,132,41.58.
This included $258,295.70 of disbursements
on account of damages incident to the ex
tension of streets, and for other purposes,
wholly out of the revenues derived from
taxation of private property and privileges.
The receipts from taxes and other re
sources applicable to the payment of sai.1
appropriations (including the amount con
tr:butable by the United States as its share
of the District expenses, and a surpla.3 of
S03.255.28 of District revenues of former
years) were $7.520.418.76.
The expenditures of the water department
were S407.174.42, and were wholly payable
out of the revenues received from water
rents and assessments. The revenues of
said department, including a balance of for
mer years amounting to $351,712.08, were
3715.661.42.
The details of the revenues and expendi
tures for the year are stated in the accom
Danying reports of the collector of taxes
- and the auditor, respectively.
Funded Debt.
The funded debt of the District of Colum
bia on June 30, 1900. was $15,094.570.18. No
portion of it was incurred under the pres
ent form of the District government. The
,treasurer of the United States, who is
charged with its management, reports !t in
detail, as follows:
Ci
X a W Cr
a
StS
: : I : :
-r C. g.
In addition to this Indebtedness the Dts
trict had a small floating debt for current
arAi emergent expenses not authorized by
anteceden , appropriations: but this floating
d.-t was not more than the revenues were
!-:fficient to meet, as well as to provide for
the current annual expenses.
Trust Obligations.
The District o- Columbia Is required to
r-iceive in payment of special assessmen-rs
vr of arrvars of general taxes $10,447.2V ol
d:rawhaek certificates which were Issued!
undor acts of Congress approved June 19,
alm 2pg 6; Jue2,17,vlm
21 pge:AJuy , 38, olme23 pg
13, ndJne2,190 vlme26 ag 14
nd lbition to is inuetdofs the genera
. 10 entita mAll flatn dtorvd for uren
dispoite nof sssent ceresntiiautoied byth
poses about more thherevenesi were
:nnum ct tol mee, 189s wels toresente fore
depi othe extent ofnuthoseenswo
amTthe District olia prcica rqiredebto
d o threaors ofera tae ert,447ate ..n
b1ak certificates teiJun 30,e899 isspro
undiedb at rc of Cobia appro ue11
priatio law papproved;March 2, 1899.lm
Th.epae was,outltanding84 ulvolume82, pag
1the ands Junvae 2.h olues, pa,76.e of4
li(nsoagainst privateapropertntforevpeciay
IY'm rmupagoverments: and seue yseisalas
ufscri igseaginsto privte ofer genr
fbyd udertecptionw of the cty of Marci
Irgton9, and.iao sen ctuoroide for ea
amoint of ec assessmentties. of case
anytr.. ofi Colusmi,entshd for otny rea
pes, boue wholenbeve ah erns ouscr
would74 bearingeemabres aut 10 te cenera
fund unde tJuyid act0 if Maresente for9 re
dtionhoath extentanblgt of the w
* Amn batita the District is prcialndet
edn tcont ofny of said certificates .is
muc-horeo thn life. The isse spefa drs
ba-mentifts afether Junetr,ict ,ning pro
31.1.2by and Disruiterestlumbatheroa
theiateof law aprvent Mar annumfor
haer ae ouotann Julny years9, nd
ithe hands of prte trealuers of thej ofte
. Sats amontpigte proer,00r0,eia
Chrroeaeake and secure Cbya specia.
The isct of Cotiglumbi,a threesc
byo the munatpa corporation s ofthctyoWa
rn hngo and Ggtw, also pourdss nequal
aznoi,,nf al assessme750 nts bon caste
aChefsaiak and Oe hounl oany.a
Tse m bondsaretibpe te liepn osi
wAild of rhihdeerbe osued o the genyraf
Wandone ~and a25t o Grchetown.9 an
* xc hatgextent arlie amobligton sock the
sany obligiaties. Thahey Disrei udepr
unde an aut of anysa of aCryates ai
provedh mor 1t,hich austhory the caa
"-- et comue the Dcanaic, andomating
them1 a. endo accred ievnesto theo atm
taie. rTe ondspe matr Mayn31, for
It ere of due than twnty Juyar, and
Ti hol ecrtins ore snuhe ussts owh
ithhnoftetreasurer of the UnitedStesae-oco
nmitnafte District of a, s hhe u.
sirking fund, who refers at length to their
status on pages 15 and 16 of his sixth an
nual report, pages 15 and 16 of his seventh
annual report and pages 14 and 15 of his
eighth annual report.
Estimates for 1901.
Estimates for the support of the govern
ment of the District for the fiscal year to
end June 30, 1901. were prepared and sub
mitted to the Secretary of the Treasury in
compliance with law. They amounted to
$7,657,773.31, including $135,341 to be paid
out of the water fund. The details of these
estimates are contained In the book of es
timates for that year, which was published
by the Treasury Department.
General Assessment.
The assessor reports the assessment of
taxable real and personal property in the
District of Columbia on June 30, 1900, and
the estimated tax derivable therefrom, as
follows:
Washington city:
Taxable on land.....$82,737,086.00
Taxable on improve
ments.............. 70.843.235.00 ..
Washington county:
Taxable on land at
$1.54) .............$11.643.067.00
Taxable on improve
ments at $1.54. 8,707,100.00 20,350,167.00
Taxable on land at
$1.00............. $4.501.423.00
Taxable on improve
ments at $1.00..... 919,900.00 5421.323.00
Total assessed value of taxable
real estate............... -$179.351,811.00
Personal property ..... $10.326.585.00
Street railways taxed
on gross receipts..... 1,371,348.00 11,697,0300
Total assessed value of taxable
real estate and personal prop
erty in the District of Oolum
bia on July 1, 1900..........$191.049,744.00
Amount of tax:
Washington city, at
$1.50.............. $2,303,704.82
Washin on county,
at $1. ........... 805,232.51
Washington county,
at $1.00........... 54,218.28
Total real estate
tax..............- 2,6=3,170.56
$10.826.585 personal
property, at $1.50... 0$~808.78
$1.371.848 gross re
ceipts street railway,
at 4 per cent........ 54.853.92
Total tax on personal property..... 209.752.70
Total tax on real and personal
property........................ $2,872,923.26
Rate of General Tax.
The rate of general tax for. the year was
fixed at $1.50 on each $100 of all taxable
personal property and of all real property,
except that used solely for agricultural
purposes, the rate of which was $1 per $100
of assessed valuation.
Population.
The population of the District of Colum
bia, according to the census of 1900, is
278.718.
A Municipal Building.
Among the many pressing needs of the
District goVernment there is not one which
constitutes more of an emergency than the
want of a fireproof municipal bul.ding. For
nearly thirty years the local government
has been compelled to rely upon such rent
ed buildings as could from time to time be
found most available.
When it is considered that all plats and
records of underground construction, as
well as all records relating to assessments
and taxes, are stored in a building which
may be destroyed by fire, and that such
destruction would involve an injury to
United States and District interests -yhich
would be irreparable and wholly beyond
computation in money values, the invest
ment of an amount necessary to construct
an appropriate fireproof District bul .ng,
which would avoid such a catastrophe,
would seem to be required by common
sense and by the ordinary precautions which
a business man would take for the protec
tion of his own interests.
The Assessor.
In the office of the assessor the card index
system has been instituted with regard to
arrears of taxe-, the numerical index, and
all outstanding tax sales since 1878. The
inauguration of -his system will greatly ex
pedite the transaction of the public busi
ness, and will conduce to the convenience
of all who have business with that office.
Recently the office of the clerk In charge of
special assessments, and that of the clerk
having charge of assessments for water
mains, have been consolidated with the as
sessor's office. It is believed that thereby
the convenience of taxpayers will be sub
served and a better system of facilitating
the issuance of tax bills and certificates of
taxes will ensue.
The Collector of Taxes.
The Commissioners invite special atten
tion to the estimate for an increase of the
force in the collector's office, the business
of which has grown far beyond the ability
of the present employes to properly perform
it. The numerous subdivisions of land
which have been made In recent years have
by increasing the number of separate par
cels of land correspondingly added to the
number of tax accounts with which the
collector's office has to deal. While this'in
crease in the number of accounts Is burden
some in every branch of the office, it makes
partl2ularly onerous the work of preparing
the statements and certificates in connec
tion with the sales for delinquent taxes,
which have to be completed within a very
limited period. Over five thousand of such
certl..cates have been prepared and Issued
during each of the last two years, and the
number will probably be as large or larger
in the future. This work has made It ne
cessary to provide assistance for the col
lector during its progress by detailing clerks
from other offices, to the prejudice of the
work in the offices to which they belong.
As the most of those so detailed are un
familiar with the tax records, frequent and
serious errors occur, which might be avoid
ed by clerks accustomed to the records by
reason of their regular employment. From
time to time new duties with respect to
various forms of special assessments and
permits have been Imposed, and contribute
to augment an amount of work already
largely disproportionate to the force allot
ted to Its performance, and render the rec
ommended increases necessary for the ade
quate accommodation of the public, and the
keeping of a proper system of accounts,
Street Cleaning.
The hand system of cleaning the streets
of Washington, which was adopted July 1,
1897, has been continued with unqualified
success; and the area cleaned by hand Is
being Increased as rapidly as the appro
priations therefor will allow, The daily
area cleaned during the first year was
394,128 square yards, at a contract price
of 32 cents per 1,000 square yards. The
second year the daily hand cleaning sched
ule was increased to 702.640 square yards,
of which 308,512 were cleaned directly by
the District, the average cost of which was
18 cents per 1,000 square yards, as com
pared with 32 cents per 1,000 square yards
paid the contractor for the same work.
The excellent showing made by the super
intendent of street cleaning in demonstrat
ing that the work for which a dontractor
was paid 32 cents per 1,000 square yards
could be done under his supervision without
contract for 18 cents per 1,000, caused the
insertion of a provision in the appropria
tion act for the fiscal year ended June 80,
1900, which limited the rate to be paid un
der contract to 22 cents per 1,000 square
yards, thereby enabling the Commission
ers to secure a contract at the rate of 213(
cents per 1,000 square yards. By this re
duction In the rate they were enabled to in
crease the daily schedule to 1,230,778 square
yards. In the current appropriation act
Congress further reduced the limit tobe
paid under contract to 20 cents per .000
square yards, and in the event of failure
to secure a contract at 20 cents or less,
authorized the Commissioners to do the
work without contract. As no bids were
received, the work is being done by day
labor without contract, the cost of which
will not be more than 18 cents er1,000
penses of equipping the department with
twenty horses, eight large modern wagons,
bag carriers, bags, brooms, sprinklers,
shovels and all other Implements necessary
to perfect organization. This reduction In
the cost has enabled them to further en
large the daily schedule to 1,565.809 square
yards, upon which is employed 201 deserv
Ing men at a fair rate of compensation
promptly paid.
The machine sweeping, which comprises
a daily schedule of 730,000 square yards of
street surface, the most of which Is swept
between the nours of 8 p.m. and 5 a.m., Is
being done u ider contract, at the low rate
of 18 cents per 1,000 square yards. The
work under the present contractor Is being
performed in a very efficient and satisfac
tory manner; but as under the allotment of
$35,000 it is Impossible to sweep any of the
streets oftener than twice a week, It is
hoped that the appropriation may be so In
creased as to allow some of the more Im
poi tant streets to be swept three times per
week.
Disposal of City Refuse.
The collection and disposal of city refuse
has been one of the long-standing prob
lems with which the Commissioners have
had to contend.
In the approprlition act for the current
year an appropriation of $115,000 was made
for the collection and disposal of all kinds
of city refuse; and the Commissioners were
authorized to enter into a contract or con
tracts for a period of five years for the
performance of such work. The method of
disposal of garbage heretofore has to a
certain extent resulted in nuisance. The
collection thereof, under the careful super
vision of the .iealth officer, has for several
years past been performed in a most effi
cient and thorough manner; but the method
of conveying the material down the river
upon scows and depositing -it along the
shores has been a source of endless com
plaint.
The Commissioners, after careful consid
eration, decided that the entire subject
matter of the disposal of city waste should
be placed under the Eupervision of the su
perintendent of street cleaning, his depart
ment appearing to them to be the one to
which the work most pftoerly belonged.
The health office, which had supervised
the collection of garbage and.night soil so
efficiently for many years, was thereby re
lieved of this burdensome duty and left to
devote'its entire time to the special duties
for which It was established.
Regulations and specifications were there
fore prepared, under the supervision of the
superintendent of street cleaning, and pro
posals were solicited for the various classes
of work. For the collection and disposal
of garbage and dead animals the Washing
ton Fertilizer Co. were the successful bid
ders, at the contract price of $51,600 per
annum. The garbage and dead animals
will, under the contract with this company,
be disposed of by what is known as a re
duction process, in regard to which It is
2lalmed that in no instance has it failed to
give entire satisfaction. The material will
be conveyed twenty miles beyond the city
limts, and In such air-tight receptacles as
to cause the least possible nuisance; and
the people of Washington are to be con
gratulated upon the fact that the shores
of the Potomac river will be freed from the
deposits of garbage apd refuse whose of
fensive odors have so long been a source of
annoyance to travelers upon that river.
rhe contract with the Washington Fertil
Lzer Company will go Into effect December
1, 1900.
The accepted proposal for the collection
of ashes wair that made by R. V. Rusk, for
a weekly collection service from private
residences, at $29,979 per annum. The ap
propriation was not sufficient to allow the
acceptance of proposals for such removals
from other than private residences, nor for
more frequent collections. The contractor
began operations August 1, 1900, and while
the service is not yet all that might be de
sired, yet It Is very commendable consider
ing the time it has been in operation and
the time required to inaugurate a new sys
tem.
The proposals of R. V. Rusk for the col
ection and disposal of night soil, at $17,000,
and waste paper and miscellaneous refuse,
at $8,000, were accepted; and the services
rendered have been found to be a marked
mprovement over the old methods.
With a proper spirit of co-operation be
tween the citizens and the collectors in the
various branches of the service Washing
ton will soon realize an ideal condition of
,leanliness and comfort.
The Metropolitan Police Force.
During the past fiscal year the police
force of the District has maintained the
ligh record of efficiency which has char
acterized it for a long period of time.
On the 30th of June, 1900, the force con
sisted of 571 members. By reason of sick
ness, details and assignments to post duty
inly 315 privates could be assigned to pa
trol duty. Of these only seventy-eight men
could be assigned to duty during the day
time and 157 during the night. Yet this in
sufficient force upon actual patrol duty is
expected to protect the capital city of the
United Sthtes, with Its population of 278,718,
E,nd an area of seventy-one square miles.
In the list of cities given in the report of
the major and superintendent. showing po
lice areas and numbers of policemen, It ap
pears that St. Louis, with a precnct area of
10,000 acres, has a force of 976 men, while
the District of Columbia, with an area of
14,320 acres, has a force numbering only
571. Of this force fifty-seven are assigned
to important post duties, and eigWy-four to
special duty at localities where tre services
of policemen cannot be dispensed with. The
major and superintendent has asked for an
iracrease in his force of 160 men. The Com
missioners have approved this estimate, and
they will earnestly urge that an appropria
tion embodying tifls Increase be enacted
into law
This increase would be but just were the
interests here to be protected merely those
of sn ordinary municipality. When It Is
considered that the police force of Wash
ington have in their keeping the security
of the Executive Mansion, the homes of the
representatives of foreign powers, of sena
tors and representatives, and of all the resi
dential offhcials of the federal government,
It will be seen that the responsibilities rest
ing upon them ax e "of the most serious and
delicate, nature, and that no policy of un
wise economy should curtail this Important
branch of the public service to a number
Inconsistent with the dignity of Washington
among the great capite.ls of the world.
The major and superintendent notes many
recommendations in his report looking to
the improvement of existing conditions, to
which the attention of Congress Is earnestly
invited.
There is embodied in his last annual re
port the codification of the statutes relating
to the police force and analogous subjects.
This proposed legislation has, as to the gen
eral subject matter, received the approval
of the courts, the board of trade and the
Bar Association, and should, in the opinion
of the Commissioners, be enacted into law.
The Commissioners Invite the favorable
consideration of the Congress to the recom
mendation of the major and superintendent
that appropriate legislation be enacted in
order that the superior facilities afforded by
the institution known as'the Junior Repub
lic, located in the state of Maryland, for the
reforma,&ion of youthful offenders, may be
utilized for the wayward youth of the Dis
trict.
There should also he made adequate pro
vision for the payment of pensions to the
disabled members of the metropolitan police
force, Including Its oflcers highest. in rank.
While the half-and-halt provision for the
payment of all legitimate expenses of the
District should apply also to the police pen
sion fund, yet. In case the eommittees of the
two houses should refuse to authorise such
equal payment on the part of the United
States, there will be an absolute necessity
of providing by law in some manner for the
deficlency which annually exists In the fund
provided for this most just recognition of
faithful men who have become disabled In
the line of duty.
Bathing Deaek.
The Commissioners are gratifled to note
the continued popularity of the bathing
beach, and commend it to general favor.
The reports of the superintendent and of
the committee having general' supervision
of this branch of. the mnicipal service give
an Interesting and instructive aecount of its
ando poin o seLure b hih t
beyond the stage of eNperiment, and in re
garded by thousands as. an indispensable
adjunct to the facilities s4orded to the pub
lic for diversion, coMfOr% and useful in
struction.
The experience on which those recom
mendations are based entitle the views
therein expressed to the favorable consider
ation of Congress.
There Is a pressing dMand for certain
municipal Improvements, which- have from
time to time received congideratin from the
committees &f Congress, And which, in the
opinion of the Commis-siomers, Mnnot long
er be ignored. It would be:an Insult to the
public spirit of our natiOalJ kgislators to
intimate that these necessary improve
ments would for a moment be postponed
if the revenues of the District were now
sufficient to meet the 3PIti-CVt's one-half
of the expenditures requreil -1or their com
pletion.
This demand include a municipal build
Ing; the completion of the sewerage dis
posal system; the construction of a water
filtration plant and the instalation of a
complete system for the maintenance of an
abundant water supply to all parts of the
District.
The Commissioners do not believe that
these important and urgent matters should
be postponed until the revenues of the Dis
trict become sufficient in amount to pro
vide for the payment of the one-half
chargeable to the municipality. In view of
their paramount importance to the very
wellbeing of the people of the District, and,
so far as the most of theil are concerned,
to the health of the public officials residing
here, the public works mentioned should
be begun at once and carried to their
earliest possible completion.
To accomplish this purpose one of two
plans should be authorized by the Con
gress: 1st, an advance by the United States
of the amount necessary to meet the Dis
trict's one-half of the necessary expendi
tures. to be repaid in annual installments;
or, second, the issuance of bonds to an
amount necessary to meet the District's
one-half of the necessary expenditures, to.
bear interest at the rate of 2 per' centum
per annum, with the payment of the prin
cipal and interest guaranteed by the United
States.
The benefits to be derived from these
proposed public works would Inure to the
benefit of the people of the United States
and the District of Columbia during the
next century. The Commissioners believe
that it would be a wise policy to make these
Improvements for the Washington of the
future and to pledge future revenues for
the payment of the same.
Improvement of the Anaeostia River.
In response to a joint resqlution approved
April 11. 1898, which required the Secretary
of War to prepare and submit to the Con
gress forthwith a project for the improve
ment of the Anacostia river and the rec
larnation of its flats from the line of the
District of Columbia to the mouth of said
river and an estimate of the cost of the
same, and to report on the area and owner
ship of the land to be reclaimed, and If any
portion of the said land be vested in private
persons to estimate the cost of acquiring
ths same, the acting secretary of war sub
mitted a report on the 14th of December,
1698, embodying 'a communication from
Brigadier General John M. Wilson, chief of
engineers, U. S. A., and a report with maps
by Lieutenant Colonel Charles J. Allen,
corps of engineers, of a surviy of Anacostia
river, estimating the cost of the reclama
tior. of the Potomac flats from the mouth
of the Anacostia to the Navy Yard bridge
an.I from the Navy Yard bridge to Benning
bridge, at $2,194,720. with a statement that
$400,000 could be judiciously expended an
nually under that plan.
While this matter is wholly under the
control of the federal government, the Com
mhsioners deem it only fair to the people
of the District to state that they regard
this proposed improvement as one of the
highest importance to the best interests
of the national capital.
A recent statement has been prepared
for the use of the Commissioners showing
the number of cases of malarial disease re
ported by 433 physicians during the months
of July, August and September, 1900. For
the purpose of the computatien.an estimate
made by the health officer in December,
1898, showing a population of 287,462, was
used. From the said report it appears that.
in the northeast section of the' city, with a
population of 11 per cent of the said total,
there were found 21 per cent of the total
nur-ber of malarial cases; in the southeast
section, with 10 per cent of the total pop
ulation, 17 per cent of the total number of
rr.alarial cases were found; and east of
the Anacostia river, with 4 per cent of the
total population, the number of malarial
cases amounted to 14 per cent of the total.
The annual report of Surgeon General
Van Reypen states that in 1895, 98 per
cent of the persons employed at the navy
yard became ill with malaria at various
times during that year.
A report to the Commissioners from the
stperintendent of the Government Hospital
for the Insane, during the months of July,
August and September, 1900, shows as fol
lows: Intermittent, 317; remittent, 67; ir
regular, 119; making a total of 508 malarial
cases in that institution during three
m(r:ths.
The Commissioners believe that no
stronger argument could be presented,
showing the urgent necessity for an im
mediate beginning of this important work.
- Board of Charities.
Upon the recommendation of the superin
tendent of charities, Herbert W. Lewis.
who crowned his faithful service to the
District with this act, and in response to
the request of many of the citizens who
are interested in philanthropic work. Con
gress abolished, at its last session, the of
flee of the superintendent of charities, and
created in its stead a board, of charities to
be appointed by the President of the United
States and to have supervision, under the
authority of. the-. Comissioners, of all
penal, reformatory and charitable institu
tions sustained in whole or- iin part by pub
lic funds within the District of Columbia.
The board of charities was provided by
Congress "to promote the -effective and
economical -management of #f affail'd" of
the institutions under its supervision and
to co-ordinate their efforts so as to bring
them into genuine co-uperation. It is be
lieved that such a board, made up of emi
nent citizens, serving without compensa
tion, will be able to do this work better
than a superintendent of charities, required
by law to be a non-resident and receiving a
salary for his services. The people of the
District were gratified by the appointment
of S. W. Woodward, John Joy Edson, Si
mon Wolf, George W. Cook and Charles P.
Neill as members of this board of charities.
They promptiy took up the work assigned
to them by the act of Congress, and trwi
be prepared to submit the preliminary re
port respecting it at the 'boming session of
Congress, transmitting, In 'the meantime,
an estimate for substantially the same ap
Dro priation as was made last year for the
Institutions under the supervision of the
board. It is believed thaM this board will
be able to ca.rry' out the purpose of .the act.
and thus bring about a 1stter steem of
public charities. The reports of thekharita
ble and -reformatory, institutions 'for the
past fiscal year indicate that they have
done their work as well as in former years.
The comp'etion of the new building at the
Reform E jol for Girls wilt give incr eased
accommoo-ons that will geatly facilitate
its work. The plans for a chapel and as
sembly hall at the Reform Scoo for Boys
have been approved' and paations made
for beginning building,
Realth Dptartet. -
The health department, 'whose operations
are of such vital imorta to the wel
fare of the District, has bee n edeing as
eficierit service as possilegith its Inade
quate force. The health serm dens all
that could possibly be ea.ets to improve
the health conditions ofi ad
ministering his office wiUjg c and
energy. The Co j' ~in11 a~
prove the recommendatios mes Iis
annual report. -
The population of the, as showsa
by the United States ifnnJuneJ
11100 was 378,7I, consgi es thaan
been anticipated, In ponce een
she of April, 1611. 1en=hm.' of
deaths durin the ered
by this repoet was ath rate
was, - therefore, ft sI- theiaad. s
ahows a slight d -e t yeiu
is, however, slightly in excess of the aver
age for the past five years. Of tne de
cedents, 3,25 were white and 2.28 colored.
No definite statement can be made, how
ever, as to the relative death rate In the
two races in view of the fact that the fed
eral census has not yet reached a point
where it will permit such calculations to be
made. The most regrettable feature of the
reported mortality Is the Increase in the
ntimber of deaths from typhoid fever. The
total number 'f such deaths, 221, Is not
large, yet it points to the existence of a
ccnsiderable number of cases of this dis
ease which, being preventable, should not
have existed. It is hoped did expected that
the proposed filtration of the public water
supply will materially diminish the preva
lence of typhoid fever in this District, even
If it does not prevent it altogether.
Scarlet fever has been less prevalent than
during last year, but the number of cases
of diphtheria has increased. The health de
partment was enabled, through the agency
of the milk law, to suppress an outbreak of
the former disease, involving thirty-three
cases, due to milk infection. The wards
for the reception of minor contagious dis
eases, which have been constructed in con
nection with Providence and Garfield
Memorial Hospitals, have been constantly
occupied by Patients suffering from such
diseases. for whom, prior to the existence
of such wards, no hospital accommodations
whatsoever were available. Many of these
patients were treated at public expense,
but some came from well-to-do families,
and sought hospital treatment solely on ac
count of the advantages offered by It.
Smallpox ha... been present during the
greater part of the year. The mild charac
ter of the disease, and the repeated impor
tation of it from other places, have ren
dered its suppression difficult, and a few
cases remain under treatment at the close
of the period covered by this report.
The abolition of the box privy nuisance
proceeds more slowly each year as he
total number of such structures diminishes.
Only 38 have been done away with during
the yea-. Difficulty has been experienced
in securing the abolition of box privies on
property belonging to non-residents because
of the absence of an appropriation enabling
the Commissioners to have such conne:>
tions made and to assess the cost against
the property benefited. This difficulty has,
however, been removed to a certain extent
by a small appropriation for use during the
present fisca! yeSr. A further obstacle is
being pla.ced in the way of the abatement
of this nuisance. by secret conveyances ot
property on which box privies exist. In
such cases no deeds are placed on record,
so that the health department is unable to
discover either the name or the address of
the supposed real owner, the owner 01
record relieving himself from liability by
filing with the district attorney an affi
davit alleging a sale of the property, or by
going on the witness stand at the trial and
alleging such a sale. The manifest purpose
of such transactions is the evasion of re
sponeib'lity for the sanitary condition ot
premises in this District. It suggests the
advisability of legislation requiring dee,ls
to be recorded within some specified lengt;i
of time after they take effect.
Prosecutions instituted during the year
for violation of the provision of an act to
prevent th- manufacture and sale of adul
terated foods anc. drugs resulted in an
appeal !n one case to the Court of Appeate.
The court, however, in an opinion handed
down on February 7. 1900, sustained the
law. The auth6rity of the health depart
ment with reference to such matters has,
therefore, been strengthened.
Inspeetion of dairy farms and of dairy
products under the laws enacted for that
purpose has been carried on as thoroughly
as the available inspection force would
permit. The general quality of milk brought
into the District has, from a chemical
standpoint, been good. There is, however,
need for the extension of the inspection
service to outlying farms from which milk
is shippet. into this District. The sanitary
condition of the prefilses on which mi.k
is produced,- and the physical condition
of the cows producing It, are of vital im
portance to the consumer, and yet cannot
be satisfactorily determined by chemical
methods. The milk law needs certain
amendments which have been pointed out
in a special report made during the year.
The inspection of live stock is on an un
satisfactory basis because of the absence
of needed legislation and of a sufficient in
spection force. The establishment of one
or two public abattoirs would solve the
problem in respect to this work. In the ab
sence of such abattoirs, however, legisla
tion is needed to authorize the licensing of
slaughter houses and to regulate the hours
of slaughter. Slaughtering at night and on
Sunday, so as to avoid inspection, have
been resorted to In some cases, and cannot
be prevented under existing law.
In the preceding report of the Commis
sioners it was noted tnat a case involving
the validity of the act for the prevention nf
smoke was pending in the Court of Appeals.
The opinion in this case was banded down
on May 8. 1900, and fully sustained the law.
Prostecutions that were ins,ltuted prior to
this test case have been discontinued, as in
view of the length of time since the al
leged offenses occurre# It was believed that
no good results could be secured by contin
uing them. Since the decision of the Court
of Appeals all reasonable effort has been
made to induce parties responsible for
smoky chimneys to adopt such measures as
were necessary to enable them to comply
with the law. In some cases such efforts
have been successful, but in others viola
tions of. the statute continue. One prosecu
ton has already been instituted and is now
pending, and others are about to be begun.
It has been suggested that the smoke
law requires certain amendments, but in
view of the fact that Its validity, and, to a
certain extent, its construction, have al
ready been passed upon by the Court of Ap
peals, it seems undestrable to tamper
with it.
An effort has been made to enforce the
act to cause the removal of weeds, but
with out perceptible effect. The weed nuis
ance is so extensive that It has been impos
sible to undertake more than to secure the
removal of weeds upon complaint and in
cases in which they were causing nuisance
in fact. No effort has been made to cause
the removal of all such vegetation, as the
Inspection foyce at the disposal of the health
department 'hsbeen entirely inadequate
for such a task, and as there has been no
appropriation to enable the Commis
sioners to cause the removal of weeds
from the property of non-resident own
ers under the assessment system. Such
an appropriation having been made It
will be possible during the present
fiscal year to do someth.ng toward remov
ing vegetation of this character from prop
erty belonging to non-residents, but until
the inspection force of the health depart
ment is increased the law cannot be en
forced generally. It has been suggested
that the removal of weeds could be more ef
fectually secured by .requiring all owners
or occupants of property to cut them and
carry them away on or before certain speci-I
fied dates without notice, and authorizingI
the Comissioners to have thenm cOt in all
cases where the law has not been thus com-i
plied with, without further notice, the costI
of such work to be assessed against the
property whether belonging to residents or
non-residents. It is respectfully recoin-:
mended that the legislation necessary to
secure this result be enacted.
The increased work done by the pound
service during the year has demonstrated
more forcibly than has ever been demon
strated before the necessity for a new
pound. The present structure used for this
purpose was designed for temporary occu
ancy only; it is badly located and poorly
constructed.' It is urged that prevision be
made for the ereotfon of a new pound, and
in connection with it a suitable stable for
the use of the health department to replace
the nsatisfactory rented structure now
occupied..
It is a, remarkable fact that in this Dis
trict there are no public bathing" faeilties
available during cool and cold weath, and
that the only such facflities available dup
ing the summer a..n at the bathing
beach are at best a manke.hift, so far gg re
gards purposes of simple clanne. As
a large number of citens are se unfortu
natl. situated as to have no bathing fa
cilities' in their reuidenees, they are in
aetual need of public baths. The example
ot other eities to the importance of
that neieia b
nual report of the coroner is that which
calls attention once imore to the need for
a suitable morgue, which. as he says, 'Is so
self-evident as to require no demonstra
tion." The Commissioners recommend an
appropriation of $15,000 for a building for
that purpose. It is hoped that the District
may no longer be obliged to use a por
tion of the stable in the rear of one of
the police stations, which is the only place
now available for a morgue
The total number of deaths investigated
by the coroner during the fiscal year was
775, a decrease of six from the number in
vestigated in the year before.
Electric Department.
The greatly increased use of electricity
in the District of Columbia has made it
necessary to establish a new department of
the District government, which ought to
have full recognition commensurate with
the importance of its work, which also in
cludes the gas a-1 naphtha lighting sys
tem, telephone service and fire alarm tele
graph. A portion of the officers and em
ployes of this department are on the per
mane2t rolls of the District government.
but a considerable number are simply on
tne per diem rolls. The efficient head of
the department, the electrical engineer, is
himself carried on the per diem rolls. As
a matter of business organization, and for
the good effect it would have upon the
men engaged in the work, this department
ought to be placed on the same basis as
other departments of the District govern
ment. The volume and Importance of the
work done by the electrical engineer appear
in his annual report.
Gas Lighting.
The results obtained from the few Wels
bach street lignts pow maintained are so
successful as to warrant the recommenda
tion that the system be extended, a-d foe
that purpose it is recommended that the
amount be increased from $5,000 to $15,000.
Incandescent Electric Lighting.
The extension of this satisfactory system
of lighting is prohibited east of Rock creek
by lack of authority in the Commissioners
to grant permission for the stringing of
the necessary wires and the erection of
poles. It is recommended that the Com
missioners be given such authority as will
enable them to erect wires and poles east
of Rock creek and outside of the fire limits.
Electric Are Lighting.
. .e extension of this system of lighting
beyond the city limits can be made under
tae prezent wording of the appropriation
act only where coi luits exist or where the
buiding of conduits would -be remunerative
to the electric lighting company. There are
a .few main thoroughfares into the city
where the gas lighting facilities are --tolly
inadequte and where arc lights could be
maintained to great advantage. To do iis,
however, it would be necessary to erect
overhead wires, either upon existing poles
or upon poles erected especially for that
purpose. It is recommended, therefore,
that the wording of this appropriation be
changed as follows:
"Provided, however, that the Commission
ers of the District of Columbia are hereby
authorized to permit the erection of poles
and the stringing of wires thereon outside
of the limits of the city of Washington, as
in their judgment may be necessary for the
maintenance of public electric arc lamps,
such poles and wires to be used only for
public electric arc lighting."
Another change which seems desirable is
that, where there are railroad conduits now
laid, having sufficient available duct room
for lighting wires, the Commissioners
should be authorized to grant permission to
the owners of said conduits to connect them
to public arc lamps. On New York avenue
from 7th street northwest to Florida ave
nue northeast, on C and D 9treets northeast
from 2d to 13th streets and on 5th street
from Massachusetts to New York avenues
there are conduits originally laid by the
City and Suburban Railway Company, in
which there are available ducts controlled
by the two lighting companies. By the
wording of the act approved June 27, .98,
amending the charter of the Eckington and
Soldiers' Home Railway Company the raIl
way company is prohibited from using their
conduit or cables or electrical conductors of
any character whatever for the purpose of
electric lighting and power, except for the
operation of their road. It is suggested
that this act be amended as follows:
"That so much of public act No. 156, ap
proved June 27, 1898, amending 4he charter
of the Eckington and Soldiers' Home Rail
way Company of the District of Columbia,
and fox other purposes, which provides,
'That nothing herein contained shall be
construed as authorizing or permitting said
company to use their conduits or cables or
electrical conductors of any character
whatever for the purpose of electric light
ing or power, except such as may be neces
sary for the lighting and propelling of the
cars and other machinery of such road and
the power house of said company, or other
property owned or acquired by said com
Pany adjacent to the lines of the road and
necessary for the operation of said road.' is
hereby repealed, and the Commissioners of
the District of Columbia are hereby author
ized in their judgment to permit the use of
the conduits and cables and electrical con
auctors of the City and Suburban Railway
Company to be used for public lighting pur
poses, and qre authorized to permit connec
tions for such purposes to be made to the
conduits of this company."
It is very desirable that a portion, at
least, of the above mentioned streets should
be lighted by means of arc lights, and this
proposed legislation will permit this to be
done without the bullding of additional
street conduits.
Telephone Conduit.
Attention is invited to the fact that the
Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Comn
pany is prevented from buUlng conduits,
either to bury its existing wires or to make
extensions to Its existing underground sys
tem, while the electric lighting companies
enjoy unlimited privileges in this direction.
The telephone company is ready and willing_
to take down a great many of their over-.
head lines, which they cannot do, however,
without the building of additional conduits.
A carefully drawn-up bill was introduced
in Congress at its last session, which would
not only relieve this restricted condition of
affairs, but enable the company to extend
its house connections by means of over
head yires outside of the city limits, which
they are now prohibited from doing by the
existing law. This bill (H. R., No. 9058) has
many features which it would be desirable
to have enacted.
Under the present law no telephone wires
of any description or character can be
erected outside of the city limits, and with
in those limits only such wires as can be
strung from alley pole to alley pole. This
restriction has resulted in depriving nu
merous citizens of telephone service and
has worked hardship to many. Some relief
in this direction is urgently demanded.
District Wires.
The electric department has succeeded in
rebuilding the majority of thie telephone
lines maintained by the District, substitut
ing metallic cfrcuits for old grounded cir
cuits, There remain but three engine
houses, one pollee station and five schools
to be changed. In addition to this about
one mile of pole lne, carrying over thirty
seven miles of wire, has been removed and
the equivalent wires plcdin underground
conduits of the telph ncmany. With
libeal agp rsao from Congress this
workwDI arrid onuntil a large portion
of the District wires are placed under
ground.
=coettie -awas
A bHi was again introduced at the last
semin of Co.sgress requiring each and
every railway oanyn in the District to
install and use asetallic circuit trolley sys
temis,-either Overheail or underground, and
to abandon the use of-rail and ground re
turas. This billty of ecnsMarable impor
tenel hilaWPSUS to subservice
sivesarles,rp w ether mtaniic con
#8seMons be asse. sThe
trolley system, but is operating only one of
such lines with that system.
Electrie Wiring.
A bill requiring that all electrical con
tractors and wiremen should be licensed.
creating a board of electrical control to
supervise electrical installations and re
quiring that the District shall inspect the
installation of all electric wires and plants
in buildings has been introduced and its
passage will be urged by the Commission
ers. With this enacted the danger from
cheap and unworkmanlike construction in
electric wiring would be reduced to a min
imum and the danger from fires greatly re
duced.
Fire Department.
The fire department has maintained its
reputation for efficiency, although during
the year it had no remarkable fires to fight.
It responded, however, to 689 alarms during
the fiscal year and did good service as
usual. The need for an enlargement of the
department and for the improvement of
the existing buildings belonging to it is
still great, notwithstanding the fact that
through the action of Congress two addi
tional truck companies and one chemical
engine company have been provided. The
increased facilities for rapid transit have
spread the population of the District over
all portions of It, so that there has been a
general and rapid increase in the number
of buildings in the suburban places which,
therefore, appeal, with reason, for fire pro
tection that cannot be given without weak
ening that to which the older portions of
the District are entitled. At the same
time the normal increase of population
and the number of buildings in the city of
Washington. including Georgetown, demand
an increase of fire p%tection there. The
chief of the fire delrtment gives good
reasons in nis annual report for an in
crease of three new engines companies a'nd
two new truck companies. The Commis
sioners would gladly ask for all of these,
but, in view of the other pressing needs of
the District, they have asked in their esti
mates for only one new engine company
and one new truck company, and defer the
others until next year. A stable where
the sick and disabled horses of the fire
department may be treated and extra
horses kept is greatly needed, and Is once
more asked for.
As a mere matter of justice, a :fteen per
cent increase of the salaries of the offi
cers and men of the fire department, fthich
has been asked in this year's estimates
by the Commissioners, should be granted.
For some reason the fire department has
never received the same rates of com
pensation as other departments under the
District government, although its members
work as hard, and with as great and con
stant risk, as any other employes of the
District, while they are separated from
their families as no other employes are.
It has become difficult to retain frst-class
men In the department because of the fact
that their compensation is so inadequate.
The increase of the department and the
expansion of the city demand that the
number of assistant ihiefs shall be in
creased from two to four. At present each
of the assistant chiefs has to respond to
all alarms in one-half of the District, n!ght
and day. This is more than any man can
do easily and well, and there is no doubt
that the service will be improved by dou
bling the number of these officers.
The fire alarm system of the District of
Cclumbia continues to give great satisfac
tion. The electrical engineer and his as
siritants,in immediate charge of fire alarm
hEadquarters have adoptei every improve
ment that can be devised to increase its
efficiency. The employes in charge of it
show a singular fidelity and irrustry under
very uncomfortable conditions at head
quarters.
CentennIal Celebratien.
Under the action of Congress and the
steps taken by the committees authorized to
make arrangements for the celebration of
the centennial of the establishzent of the
seat of government in the District of Co
lumbla, Wednesday, December 12, has been
selected as the day for the ceremonies. A
simple but dignified and worthy celebratlon
Is provided in the program prepared by -.he
executive committee, representing Congr s,
the governors of the states and territories
and the citizens of the District of Columbia,
who have had the co-operation of the Pres
ident of the United States in their prepare
tions.
A reception by the President in honor of
the governors of the states and territories
at the Executive Mansion in the morning,
during which brief addresses on the history
of the White House. the history of the Dis
trict of Columbia. and the development of
the nation will be delivered, and addresses
on the subject of the celebration, by emi-.
nent senators and representatives, at a
joint session of the Senate and House, In
the afternoon, are the principal features of
the program.
A trilitary and naval parade is to escort
the President and his distinguished guests
from the White House to the Capitol at
noon. The people of the District of Co
lumbia have shown a deep Interest in the
preparations for the celebration of this
memorable anniversary, and there is every
remon to believt that it will prove to be a
notable occasion.
Sealer of Weights and Measures.
whe sealer of weights and measures is
able to report continued improvement in the
work of his office, which has been carried
forward with seal and discretion. He re
ports that there is very evident improve
ment made in the scales and measures in
use in the District. He recommends that
there should be an annual inspection of all
measures, 'instead of simply one inspection
in each case. He also recommends an in
sI.ection and sealing of milk Jars for the
protection of the public, which would re
quire an additional assistant sealer at a sal
ary of 1900 per annum, which outgo would
be more than counterbalanced by the in
come from fees. The sealer makes other in
telligent and interesting suggestions, which
are worthy of consideration.
Harbermaster.
The harbor master has done the best he
could to police the waters of the District of
Columbia with his police boat, "Vigilant,"
and has accomplished wonders when it is
considered that his boat is probably the
slowest on the river, and that he nas only
a day crew. It-is high time that the Dis
trict should have a suitable boat for this
necessary business and that the harbor
master should have a night crew as well as
a day crew. This Is more necessary than
ever, now that new duties have been placed
upon the Commissioners respecting the
wharfage of the water front. it seems plain
that there should be no further delay in
this matter, and the modest estimate sub
mitted by the harbor master will be earn
estly commended to the attention of Con
gress.
Excise Beard.
The excise board reports that 515 retail
Uicenses were Issued in the year ending Oc
tober 81, 1900, which Is one less than dur
big the same period of the preceding year;
while the total number of wholesale
licenses issued was 125. the same as In
the former period.
The Commissioners desire to repeat their
commendation of the excise bili now pend
lng in Congress, providing needed amend
ments for the exie law.
Beard of Edmeatien.
Congress having provided at its last see
ilon as a result of an investIgation made
by the Senate committee on the District
of Coinmbia for a reorgnieation of the
public school system, creating- a board of
education of seven members, in place of
the board of school trustees of the pubis
schools, and a superintendent with two
assistant superintendents 'in place ot the
superintendent of .white schools and the
superintendent of colored schools, the Corn
misEnners,. acording to the direction of
Congress, appointed the board of educa
tion to serve beginningr the first day of
July. As the act reguired that memhbes
of the board must have been far five yeats
Immedatetly precesig the apstasa**
resMeants and taxpsyers, and as the usk
oWr eragens.aeenn which the hardm was te'