Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-02-27

partws are questions tina, have not been con-
slider, IN this comm nica'ioS, the whole oh.
jet OF which is simply to mark on; q needed
system of general Improvements nv which ali
may BE- benefited. Certa! n portions Of the RI ysr
improvement, such as that west Of i2tn street
might per haps De made by private enterprise
the paItie receiving for com pensation part of
the land to BE- reclaimed. provided the work
done shall be made 10 conform TO such q gen
erai system as may be adopted by com tent
authority, ana the general reg iation and con
uoi thereof shall remain under the city or
national authority.
But the canal being the property of the city,
lying As IL does wholly within its corporsts
limits, and being the most important d Art of
and indispensable to the successful working of
lis extensive system or sewers, the efficient or
III working of which will affect favora bly, or
nntavoraoly the value OF most OF the property
OF the city, as well as it's general health, TINS,
sside from ITS commercial value, gives to the
canal 100 uch general importance to make it
sSfe or proper 10 allow 1t to become in any way
SUBJECT 10 the caprice or avarice Of any pri ate
company or private interests Such comp auies
constituted as they usually are, having for
th-ir nrst object the maSisg of the greatest
possible amount of money, will not be likely
10 provide In the best manner for all the public
Interests connected with and depending on the
proper improvements OF the canal Their ind,-
vidual interest, and perhaps connections with
other companies, or with some yet d de vel.
oped projects, might incline them to the very
opposite. Whereas, tue city, realizing a. Il
does the i'm portance of first aud fully pro vid.
also feels the importance of improving the city
canal in the beet possible manner for the ad
yanCemrnt of the commercial int rests not
re- arGing il merely as a section connecting
ibe Chesapeake and Ohio with the proposed
Annapolis canal, hut a Iso As a link con nectiug
both of these witb the destined ex tepsiys com
mrrce OF the Potomac.
These views appear to be sound and practi.
cal, and the results anticipated are lutte with.
in the bounds of reason. The objects aimed a,
are certainly of great importance. The sug
RestiOn that whatever work may be done in
the formation and execution OF these i'm prove
nents shall be mace to conform TO a well ma
tured general system, and that the regulation
and control thereof shall remain under com. .
petent authority. Is certainly important For
instance, the form and location OF the Sims
piers, wharves, ard the entire line of river
front should ali be exactly established, and
the construction Of every part, whether doas
by the Government, the city, or by private
parties, should all be ell exec uted on clearly
dehLed plan, and thus avoid such Irregular
~ and confusion as exists in the wharyes and
piers OF some of our leading commercial cities
There Is no necessity for such d,sKracsfuI
work besides. it is far more economical, on the
whole, to de the work right at first All tina
proposed work could and should be we'll and
permanently secured along the water side bv
substantial walls composed Of stone above
water, and resting Oh firm pile foundations.
the cost of which will be from SIS 70 $40 to the
hneal foot, equal 10 $4,000 or $IOOOOO To the
mile. Such walls will last for centuries And
obviate the necessity Of frequent, disaxreea5ls
and expensive repairs, which always attend
wooden structures of this kind. The surest
way to secure all the ends desired, would,
perhaps, be 10 have the whole work and All
other work of this nature planned and executed
under the direction and supervision of a com
peteDt and faithful commissioner.