Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-01

W-N~\ ~ handsome archltectu-
NM S/I' raj design and it Is IN
WI derstood that the same
architects whose design for the great Episcopal
cathedral which is to be erected in New York
city was selected the result of competition are
engaged in preparing the plans FOR this edice. 1t
IL therefore natural to expect that the new
church building will surpass anything Of the
sort in this city. The sdifiee is to be Roman
esque in design, and will be in the form of a
Latin cross with a large dome at the intersec-
ton. The dimensions are given as
one hundred and twenty feet wide
and one hundred and seventy-fve feet
long. IL not the finest church in the city it
will certainly be the largest. There il no
church in the city the outside dimensions OF
which equal those proposed for the new struc-
ture. St. Aoysius which Is probably the largest
church, Is $40 feet long. but il has n width Of
only 81 feet The length of 1T. Dominic's
Church is about $50 feet, but the width is rs
feet The edifce Of the First Congregational
Church probably comes nearest the proposed
new structure in dimensions as il measures
some 100 feet wide and I6c feet deep. With its
galleries II has probably greater seating accom-
mediation than Rny other church edifice in the
city. The dimensions of others of the larger
church buildings IN the city rs follows: First
Presbyterian Church. los by liz feet; Epiphany
Church, so by $50 feet: Metropolitan VI. E
Church, IS BY 100 feet. and the New York Ave-
nue. Church. 50 BY 100 feet
THE PROPOSED swEDEyBoEGrAS CHURCH
fine church editce is to be erected BY the
Swedenborgian denomination. They have
already site selected. and. what is perhaps
more gratifying. il il paid for. II has a 'front.'
age Of some eighty-eigb SSeet OH 18th street Mt
the corner Of CorcorasSstreet. for which the
sum OF s320cO vas paid The congregation
which represents .he denomination in this city
has contributed. and so have the members OF
the denomination throughout the country.
After the ground was paid for the collection OF
money went on under the direction of an eff
eient committee. of which Mr.. John joy Edison
il member. and is still in progress and will
prots5ls s,oz;iz1s until all the money needed
IL in hand. The contribution. nov amount to
$4,000. which makes quite comfortable little
nest egg, and il seems probable that before
great while active building operations will be
begun
YEAR OF ACTIVE BUILDING OPERATIONS.
Nearly nine millions of dollars were ex-
pended during the fiscal year Just ended in
brick and mortar. This is the story that the
figures in the Office of the building inspector
tell The year before the amount reached over
nine millions. but the building then done in
this city was unprecedented. More money was
spent in putting up new houses aud in i'm
provements Of various Kinds during the wear
ending June 80. 1892. than in any previous
year in the history Of the city. IL was an in
crease over the previous year of about one
million and quarter OF dollars. In the num-
bers Of new houses alone there were 7S3 more
houses put up IN the year ending
June, lssz, than IN the year end
the year ending June. '93, there were 2. 720 new
houses erected in this city. { decrease over the
phenomenal record OF the previous year of
only about 200. The total amount expended
in building improvements is only slightly less
than that which Ia the record of the banner
building year. 1t is probable that the decrease
Is due largely to the law which went into effect
In June last. which practically prohibited the
erection Of houses in alleys. Now. in order to
get permit to erect house in an alley, il is
necessary. in the first place. that the alley
should have a width Of thirty feet and that the
building line should be five feet back. Then
the alley must have water. sewer and gas and
must run through from street to street.
FEW ALLEY HOUSES
As q result OF this legislation but COMPARE
lively few permits for alley houses have been
taken out daring the year. This fact will no doubt
account FOR the slight falling off in the number
OF new houses erected during the year which
has just closed compared with the record of the
previous year.
There is further evidence Of the activity in
building in the fact that the total
amount expended in building during
the past year is nearly great as that
Of the former year. So it NAV be said in spite
VI tuc uOES unlaEOraDlc cOnultlOpS
which have existed during the past year that
Washington has maintained the gait which was
set at such a rate during the year ending June.
1891 IL 10 evident that this city is prosperous
and il growing in population it is in beauty
and in all the qualities which make q city q de-
sirabls and delightful place Of residence.
THE COST OF RUNNING THE CITY
During the fiscal year which begins today the
amount Of money that will be available to meet
the current municipal expenses is s5,41S, 600 In
bulk this seems to be a large sum Of money
But when it Is considered that it keeps the
municipal government of q population of some
$50, 900 going for one year it does not seem to
be so large after all Especially is this true
when the various items Of expense are con-
sidered. The single item Of interest on the
debt Of the District and the payments into the
sinking fund amounts to 1.2l3, 900 Then there
10 expended about million Of dollars on the
streets. The public schools cost nearly
million, the police force about half million.
and these items alone when counted amount to
nearly 81, 900 600 Then there is the fire depart
ment and other expenses of a great city
which easily absorb the million and a half re-
naming. All these large sums of money are
expended b. payments from the United States
treasury with all the safeguards which are
thrown about treasury disbursements II is
safe to say that in city in this country is
such o large percentage OF the money collecte
from taxpayers expended for their benefit and
that OF c1tlZens generally as Is the case IN this
city.
NO LONGER HALF AND HALF.
The government, which owns 81 per cent OF
The real estate in the city. contributes toward
the expenses OF the city one-half Of the amount
Of the yearly appropriations Upon this basis
the District paws for the new year a little over
". 500 900 apd the government similar
amount But this sum does not represent the
entire expenditure of the District funds ior
the reason that s15O, 900 for the payment OF the
annual installment for the Districts half in the
Rock Greek Park is not included Neither is
the sum Of something like s15 600 representing
the Districts contribution toward the main
tsnance OF the Geological Park counted in. IL
sometimes happens that all of the
money raised b. taxation from the
citizens of the District and paid into
the United States treasury il not appropriated
by Congress. thus leaving balance OF District
funds in the treasury. Several years ago this
balance or surplus reached quite a large sum
and at one time II something like half
million Of dollars. But during the past few
years there have been extra charges brought
against the District funds as, for example, the
ctty's share in the cost OF the abandoned
aQueduct extension and its half in the cost of
the two parks, SO that the outSo has been abou,
equal to the income.
1t IL evident that as the revenues of the Dis
trict increase there is a disposition on the part
Of Congress to make certain expenses charges
exclusively against the District fund In this