The national Republican., 1867-12-09

Although the nation al IAtss s deeply inter.
ssted ip ths central Improvement OF the metro.
polls ii TIE fspasiic, and especially in the 40.
eomplishpspt- OF such grand And much needed
work, still the property holders along the ave.
nus, as well as the citizens generally, are mostly
benefited BY IT. the expense Of constructing an
improved pavement might, therefore, be squita-
bly, proportioued between the municipal and
General GovernmsnL 10 addition TO laying
good oarriage way, other advantageous changes
might be introdussd for the besutifying Of this
avenue, Ths great widths Of the avenues and
streets In Washington offer many reasons, both
In an ornamsntal and In an economical consider
alton OF the matter, for initiating the taste and
utility displaysd In some Of the larger cities Of
Europe. Tbs "Unter- del. Linden" a. described
In the letter from General Msigs, previously re-
fsrsd 70, ''is street Of great celebrity In Ber.
who laid II out two hundred years ago. Itis
the principal street Of q city Of sig hundred
thousand Inhabitants; upon It are the royal pal.
secs those Of most Of the princes; the principal
shops and hotels; wide gravel walk In tho centre,
four rows Of trees which give shade, wide side.
walks next the houses, and yet is 10 never en-.
numbered The central avenue h sometimes
allied 10 the evening by citizens and strangers
enjoying the long summer twilight Of this north.
ern latitude, In which darkness docs not come
until 10 p. m" The General gives . sketch Of
II, and hopes that Pennsylvania avenue may yet
be arranged like II.
Besides the improvements already suggested,
there is smother which should receive prompt at
tention. From IN examination which was made
BY my direction, Mr. Theodore b. ssmo, spgi.
neer Of the Washington Aqued,.ct, reports that
"between First street east and Fifteenth street
cast, on Pennsylvania avenue, there are fifteen
hre. plugs thirteen are similar In construction
to those known - New York plugs ! each one
Is connected with pipe, designated as the four
inch or spring pipe The oihsr two arc Phila.
delphi. ,s pias., and .. ar. , connected with the
pipe Is an old pipe, nearly worn out, and 10 con
nsoted with the twslve.inoh main only ct Third
street west and Thirteenth. and half street
west Not moro than two plugs can be supplied
BY II at once, owing to its small diameter and
the distance between Its connections " It 10 70.
spectfully suggested that the New York plugs,
which are too small and have been constantly
out Of repair, should be replaced by those Of
more improved make and facilities a new six.
inch pipe should bo laid in the place Of the four.
inch, and more frequent connections made with
the tweive.inoh main, In order that q sufhcieney
OF water may be had In cate Of nres. The cost
Of replacing the old plugs Is comparatively
small, considering the groat amount OF interest
at stake, and an estimate 10 herewith submitted.
lne TtlhNlCu VI tuo uONoTumonkt 10 tue
city Of Washington is very ably set forth In two
very interesting pamphlets, the one addressed
BY the Mayor Of the city, November, 1885, to the
Hon. James Harlan, then Secretary Of the Int.
rior and the other 10 copy Of the remarks
which originally appeared In the editorial col
umns Of the Union. The fifteenth section Of an
act Of Congress, approved the 18th day Of May,
1850, Incorporating the Inhabitants Of the city
Of Washington, and the third section Of an sct
approved Nay S, 1854, amending the previous
one, directs that "in all cases In which the
streets, avenues, or alleys Of the said city pass
through or by any property Of the United States
the Commissioner Of Public Buildings shall pay
to the duly authorised officer Of the corporation
the just proportion Of the expense incurred In
impsving such avenue, street, or alley which
said property bears to the whole cost thereof to
bo ascertainsd In the same manner as the same
is spportioned among the individual proprietors
Of the property improved thereby Under the
authority Of these acts large sum is due for the
many Improvements which have been completed
or are In course Of construction, BY order Of the
corporation; the Commissioner Of Public Build.
ings presented claims amounting to more than
ninety thousand dollars, for which an appTopria.
tion has never been made; and only recently the
Mayor has officially informed me Of the colt OF
additional works throughout the city; the latter
have been personally inspected and approved.
As II Is contemplated to continue these improve
msnts during the coming year. II 10 important
that provision be made In advance TO have ready
in tho hands Of tho officer In charge sufficient
funds to pay the Government proportionats part
Unless this 10 done. tho advance Of improvement
is obstructed, and great suffering Is sometimes
caused by the inability to pay the wages Of the
laborer. Instead Of appropristing money for
the immediate caro- Of the INDECENT and poor, It
would perhaps bo better policy to inaugurate i'm
provemen,s so as to enable them to obtain work
and gain their own support. In tho hands Of
honest officers this plan will work WE'LL public
works should be, in more senses than one, public
benefAotors.
During the last winter m act passed to in
crease tho supply Of water In the Capitol build
ing. For accomplishing this object In proper
manner, the sum appropriated was not sufficient.
by means, however, Of certain funds at the dis
posa Of the architect In charge of the exteu-
sion, and which are applicable for tho purpose,
the work Is progressing and will be completed
before the assembling Of Congress. owipg to
shs great quantity Of water daily used In the ma.
ohine-shops Of tho navy yard, supplied only by
the twolye-inch main, many complaints have
been made Of the great scarcity, during working
hours, throughout the eastern section Of the
city. This can be easily remedied by connect
ing tho twenty inch main, now being laid In
north b street for the benefit Of the Capitol,
with the twslye-inch main on First street east,
an additional appropriation Is asked for this
much needed improvement.
The superintendence Of the Washington aque
duct also dovolved upon mo. This most import.
ant work has for several years been under the
general control Of the Department Of the In.
terror, Mr.. Theo. B. Same, the engineer in
charge His very concise report for the year
ending September 80 furnishes, in detail, the
progress OF the several supplemental works In
course Of construction, and also makes such rec.
concentrations as arc necessary for the thor.
ough completion Of many important parts upon
which labor has been suspended for want Of the
necessary appropriations. Certain tracts Of land
are occupied by the Government for aqusduct
purposes, for which, In some cases, only nominal
rents arc paid in others, no rents have been
paid at all, and claims are now being made by
the owners to become either repossessed Of
their property, or to be paid for its use.
As the United States must retain the few acre.
for the benefit Of this national work, II 10 earn
sstly urged that authority be given to purchase
then. But few thousand dollars Is needed IA
meet all claims to purchase the land. Tho great
Importance Of Introducing into the capital an
unlimited supply Of pure and wholesome water
cannot be oyer.estimated. The large amount oil
valuable public properly concentrated In the city
amounting in the aggregate to millions of dol
lars the immense accumulation Of important
Government archives, many Of them stored away
In buildings which are not IRE proof the large
number Of public buildings will certainly show
the necessity for the Washington aqueduct, and
that No arnanaa ahonld ha .narad In on,n,Iatiu