Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-07-27
THE WASHINGTON CANAL.

THE WASHINGTON CANAL.
There are now two projects before the CITY
Councils in relation TO the Washington canal;
one proposing its safe outright to parties
named, and another to lease Ii for thirty years
at an annual rent of $1,000 to company OF
prominent citizens. W no undertake to keep it
In good condition, with water always in it Of
specified depth. The Corporation finds this
canal such an elephant on its hands tina. it is
not improbable that q salts factory proposition
to reIeve it from the burden will be received
with favor. Whatever is done, however, the
Corporation should never surrender the entire
control over the canal, as would be the case
were i: to make an outright sale OF the prop
erty. The city should always have control
over the main artery of Its sewerage; and there
are ether reasons why it would be mad visabie
to give permanent right t. main tain a canal
in the heart OF the city. The time may come
when the interests of the city may impera-
lively demand its removal. Its lease for q
term Of years may not be SO Objectionable, as,
by the time the lease expires, experience will
show whether 1t is desirable to keep it up for
canal purposes.
But 1t is we'll TO consider ughtfully at
his time, whether 1t for the best interests OF
the city that the canal should be maintained
longer for business purposes. The desirability
of removing the temporary places of business
along the line OF rhe canal has frequently been
adverted to in the public papers, and the Cor
poration has been subjected to sharp censurs
in Congressional debates for permitting the
canal borders to be thus occupied. Five min
utes' walk sourhward from Pennsylvania We
nue-the principal street of Washington, with
its fine business edIfices and private dwelling
houses-will show Us, first, an intervening
section of buildings of very inconsiderabIe
size, and which will not bear fave rable COM
parison with buildings the same distance north
OF The avenue; then we come 10 those temporary
structures where the trade in wood, coal. sand,
lumber, felt-rooiag, junk, &c, is carried on,
On both sides of the canal and next is the pub
lie mall, intersecting the city from the Capitol
to the river.
Along the canal banks, where the business
of the character above described Is. carried on
are constantly deposited coal-asnes, rubbish,
and other kinds of refuse material which tend
TO make the intervening section along its
banks unsIghtly to the eye and sometimes Of
fehsive to the nostril. These places of bust
ness pay to the Corporation an annual amount
OF rent OF from $500 10 $4,000. They are,
however, really Of no business advantage to
the city. The use of he canal for purposes of
navigation is inconsiderable. The advance.
ment in the value Of properly in the Vicinity
of the canal is necessarily retarded by it's un-
earned on there. Washington is perhaps the
only city in the country with a broad and ca.
pacious river front on which but little Of lis
business is transacted Goods, wood, coal.
&c, are transported from the river front and
Georgetown to Pennsylvania avenue and the
borders OF the canal where most Of our buai-
ness is transacted. The emlnently proper
place for all this wood and coal trade is the
river front. Having it transacted on the ca
cal Is of no advantage to the Corporation, to
the vender, or to the consumer. The consu.
mer, OF course. pays the expense OF two.fold
transportation from the river to the canal and
from the canal to his residence.
The Corporation, it is true, receives its small
amount OF rent, but by permitting this class Of
business TO be carried ON in this section il is
preventing the advance OF properly there
aoouts, and thereby checking its own revenue
In the way OF assessment and taxation More
over, If this class of business were removed to
the river front its removal would increase the
valuation Of property Ia the neighborhoods
abandoned by 1t; and increase Of business OF
TINS Character, in its legitimate locality, 1.-THE
river 'front.' would naturally enhance the
value OF property thereabouts. This two
fold increase in the value of properly in two
sections OF the city would certainly increase
the revenues of the Corporation 10 an extent
much more than sufficient to coulter balance
the loss OF the revenue from the canal.
Ihat the removal OF this business to the
river front would increase the beauty Of large
section OF our city, clean up portion OF III that
Is now but little better than a nuisance and ar
the same time increase our revenues cannot
be doubted. tits not Improba BILE that Genara,
Michier, Superin dent of the Public BuiId
ingS, Will soon be enabled to carry out his in
telllgent and enlarged views for the i'm prove
ment OF the Mall, and that would be the
proper time for the Corporation IN nm,
rs front to the public grounds in order
aoate nuisance, and rid ourselves nj
reproach TO the city. There is no donhr
were We rid OF the canal In is present To-
cality, the site Of 1t facing upon these public
grounds would be speedily covered with first
class dwelling houses, such as seek similar
positions on public parks in other cities Mis-
souri, avenue. from sd strt ct to 9th street pre
sents succession of fine fronts OF desirable
dwellings, they being separated by the intar-
Nening square from the filthy sheds and other
olsaaIeeabie surroundings met with further
west. The law governing the canal did M,
contemplate having permanent places of bnsi-
ness on It's borders; and provision OF the Ian
requires that wood, ceal, &c, landed on ira
Dol dsrs snail be removed within twenty.
1onr hours Neither was 1t the intention OF
Inc GoVeinment to have permanent places for
business located between 30 and 9th streets nm
the margin of the canal; and II is understood
that notice will soon be given by the United
States authorities for the removal of the elias,
OF business that now disf1gures the appearance
of the Propagaung Garden, the Green Houss
Square, and the Botanic Garden.
THE NIGHT SOIL QUESTION
Some time 90 tho roupcElo l.,