Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-12-04

| Of regulations embodied in An act and owen
Inc Inc E ETaT1 g. iaw accompanied by power in
to time, would 60 far towards efecting the
purpose.
ARREARS OF TAXES
Attention has heretofore been called to the
| necessity for more efficient means of enforcing
payment on arrears Of general and special taxes
| Or assessments, and the Commissioners trust
tnat snis subject Will early receive serious at
tentton rom Congress.
STEAM RAILWAYS
Inc great need OF congressional action in rela-
ton 10 the status OF the steam railroads in this
District mas heretofore been urged by the Com
missioners In numerous annual or special re-
present condition of AFFAIRS is alike unsatisfac-
tory 10 tne cll1ens OF the District, the railroad
companies and their patrons It ia useless to
Ueier aCHon WIN any expectation Of fully salts
lying all the conflicting Interests involved, for
Whatever IT may be-. and whenever taken,
mutual concessions will have to be made. The
Commissioners deem it unnecessary to repeat
the details of the several plans heretofore suq.
gested or OF the bills that have been laid before
congress ana urged with great force by their ad.
voeates, but they simply submit the following
general conditions as among the most import.
two roads baltimore and Ohio and Baltimore
ana fotomacl should enter and pass through
the city on 81 substantially the same lines. ID.
! union building, or composed OF twoindep
structures adjoining each other. Sd. This depot
emily reached from the principal hotels. 4th.
Suitable provision should be made for hand.
Ling freight, and otherwise meeting the require
ments Of a well regulated railroad without un.
duly fnturing the adjoining property; 5th, pro-
| visions should be made Tor avoiding, to the
| steam car tracks at grade; 9Th, the duties and
powers Of the Com mfssioners of the District in
| defined. In relation to the route to be followed
through the city, the Commissioners would add
| as their opinion, that the Baltimore and Ohio
road should join with the line of the Potomac
| road by one of the several routes that have been
indicated In previous reports and discussions,
! abandoning the northeast section of the city II
practicable. The two roads might then be al
lowed to place their main depots in the vicinity
| OF the present Potomac depot, approaching the
| nue. at a point midway between 9th and TIN
streets west; the tracks on 9th street should be
entirely removed, SO as to reopen that import
| ant thoroughfare to the public use. The Com
| missioners are aware OF the great opposition
| that has shown itself ION their part as well as
the mall for railroad purposes; but having
| already held on to its Judgment there for the
past II years, the Potomac company will stren-
| its removal there1rom, end undoubtedly it
would be difficult to select a depot site that
lc-citizetis of the District as we'll as its numer-
Gus visitors The principal objection to the
present arrangement is the complete appropria-
ton OF 9th street by the railroad, and the OBJ
struction of pleasure travel through the system
| OF parks extending from the White Lot to the
Capitol; a.. Bu IT. both Of these objections will be
! be made in the manner now indicated in this
report; certainly the railroad companies could
make no substantial objection to it.
DISTRICT BUILDING.
The construction of q suitable building for
the District offices should be commenced at the
earliest date possible. Captain Greene, in his
| final report to the Engineer Commissioner.
says, in relation to this subject: 1.-The present
They are very cOmbustible, and are liable to be
destroyed by fire with all the records contained
| in them at any moment They are wholly In
sufficient in size for the clerical force now en-
ployed; the arrangement of rooms is extremely
incOnvenient, both for the public and for the
officers; they are infested BY rats and vermin,
which not only add to the discomfort of the in,
mates, but seriously injure portion OF the rec
ords; they are badly ventilated and so badly
i rooms at all hours, and several Of the clerks
have had their eyesght permanently injured
thereby &c, DC. In like manner the inspector
OF buildings has urged the Importance OF action
for several years past especially in his report
for 1882, from which the following is extracted:
"There are twenty-tour rooms, four. of which
are Of fire-proOf construction and used for stor.
age of records; seven of the rooms are located
| in the center of the building, having no light
therefore, OF use for offices, leaving
put fourteen rooms TO be occupied The num-
Der OF sous employed in those fourteen rooms
is "a; rooms except two the first floor
originally intended for stores, are of ordinary
size average t0X2O feet. In these fourteen
rooms ere stored all books mans drawings
measurements, receipts and requisitions special
and general assessment books; in fact nearly all
the records since the board OF public works was
established, and must be kept there on account
OF the vaults being crowded. This building was
originally intended for two dwellings and is
built throughout TO, of wooden stairways. joists
row to let two persons pass each other conven-
iently. Several of the more important offices
are located on third and fourth floors, and there
being no elevator they constantly being
complained OF by the great number of persons
having business to transact. There is little or
nd he, gir 4
becomes SO foul that il is necessary to open the
windows The only heating apparatus are two
ing only the hall and the two large rpoms on
the first floor, all otI.i ROOMS beng heated IN
stoves or CRATES, which makes the heating eS-
pensive compared with Il general heating appa-
ratns run with one or two fires
THE building with its two small well .holes,
one in each section, extending from the second
| floor up, and of very combustible construction,
would, in case of fire, in an instant be envei-
oped in flames, and in such an event the loss to
the District would be irreparable, and, all re-
| cords being lost, would evidently lead TO end
less litigation.
| located in buildings adjoining the above and of
inferior construction to the Morrison building:
| aud it seems conclusive that in justice to the
property owners the records should be placed
In q more suitable building at the earliest DOS
sible date, as suitable Offices provided for the
transaction OF the steadily increasing business
Other reports might also be quoted in this
connection, but 1t appears to be unnecessary
erection OF suitable fire-proof building for the
Offices OF this municipality has become vitality
important, and the Commissioners desire to
urge that action to accomplish this be no longer
delayed. An appropriation for that purpose
can now be made without diverting the avail
able revenues of the District from any more
important application, and accordingly an esti-
| mate for commencing the building has this
| year been submitted.
ENGINEER DEPARTMENT.
This report cannot properly be extended SO
as to afford clear idea of the operations OF the
engineer department Of the District during the
year, but they are fully detailed in the several
| special reports which are transmitted herewith
| as follows: LIST. Report of Capt F. v. Greene,
engineer commissioner, which furnishes plain
statement OF the condition of the streets and
avenues at the close OF the fiscal year, and con-
tains most Interesting history Of the success
siVe steps oy which IT has been attained; it also
describes Inc work done on the sewers, and
deals with the subjects of street repairs. street
and alley cleaning, street lighting, work on the
county roads, operations of the parking COM
mission. and other miscellaneous matters that
were under his immediate supervision. The
Commissioners will not impair the value of
his report by submitting simple extracts from
1t, f0r IT should be read in its entirety. It is
his nnal report, made ON his departure to enter
upon another field of dutE, and displays
thr0ughout that spirit of devotion to, and intel
ngent appreciation of, the interests OF this
District, which characterized his administra-