Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-05
THE COMMISSIONERS PLEASED.
The Work of Congress Viewed From the
District Government Onces.

| District Government Omces.
Speaking Of the District appropriation bill
| and the work that Congress had done for the
District during the session just closed, Col.
| Robert said to STAR reporter yesterday: That
he was very much pleased, taking the ap-
| preparation Dill as a whloe. Il think. y"
I he said it wise bill. There
are of course some things which un-
doubtedly wrong and which should not have
| been put in il. / refer first to the clause i'm
posing one-half the cost of the maintenance of
the National Zoo upon the people of the Dis
| trict This think is an outrage upon the citi-
zens of the capital city. / am very much pleased
| with the pool bill as passed, which prohibits
gambling within the city and for one mile out
side of the boundaries thereof. / regret very
much that the license bill did not become q
law for it would have been wise measure
and one which would have gone a long
way toward solving the liquor question and in
creasing the revenue of the District. There was
not much money appropriated for the improve
ment OF streets. but this l would not deplore
had the sewer department. received liberal
appropriation, for / am heartily In favor of a
complete and efficient system Of sewerage be-
fore the Improvement of streets. The clause in
the bill transferring the cost of the water main
to the revenues of the water department in
stead of to the general fund is to be deplored,
for il will be the means OF reducing to the ex-
tent of about $40. 600 per year the extension of
water mains within the District. However, it
was the best thing that could be done under
the circumstances"
COMMISSIONERS ROSS VIEWS
Commissioner Ross said: Il am very much
pleased with the District appropriation bill
and think the District has been well treated all
around. OF course 1 am disappointed that
more District bills did not get through.
ha rratrr %ha a.4rnt
bill on the appropriation bill was
the most important measure think
outside Of the appropriation bill itself. An
other important provision which seems to have
escaped the general eve of the public is that al
lowing the taxpayers OF the District to pay the
arrears of taxes without enormous penalties up
to the Goth of June next. 1t would have been
better to have an effective license regulation
and we hope to get this next winter. l think
the restriction upon pool selling will have
most salutary effect upon the District, as it will
be the means of cleaning out some of the worst
places in the District with which the police
have had TO deal do not think that the
District should have been made to
pay one-half the cost of the National Zoo, but
as have already said. everything considered
the District has Jared very well and the Com
missioners have been most kindly and cour-
teously treated by both committees of Con-
gress having the affairs Of the District in
charge"
COMMISSIONERS DOUGLASS VIEWS
Mr. Douglass said: 1.-The District, through
the loyal and earnest interest of the commit
tees of both houses of Congress, has accom-
pIished an unusual amount of favorable
legislation. We will be enabled to fin
ish our entire schedules We expect by 1892
by virtue of the extension of the Indebtedness
incurred by the forty-inch main. We have a
fine appropriation for cleaning the streets, an
admirable addition to the assessment law of
the District and. to use the language of Colonel
Mulberry Sellers, there are millions i'll it.
The appropriation for sewers is generous and
opportIne as is also the general appropriation
for gas and electric lighting.
The pool bill is a special providence and
the Soldiers Home bill another. l was sorry
not to get a license bill through. which
wOnld have completed the millennium charac-
ter of the legislation. We were greatly disap-
pointed that the District was not relieved from
the current expenses of the ZOO for we do
not believe that il is just 10 the citizens. The
Benning bridge bill was much needed i'm
provement for the northeast and, for one, L
shall hope that the structure will be not only
useful but little more ornamental than our
bridges have been hitherto. The appropriate
ton for the addition to the female workhouse at
the Washington Asylum will more than
double the capacity of that branch of the in
stitution and enableu to adopt the single-cell
plan that has proved SO valuable in
eastern cities and will aid very materially
i'll requiring some remunerative industry on
the part of the female prisoners, as has hitherto
been the case with the male prisoners.
The refunding bill We especially
been impossible to explain to our
creditors abroad why this great country
had not taken care of an indebtedness SO small
and important. In short. consider the DIS
trict as in booming condition, materially and
mOrally.'