Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-03

ton therein given ID greater and more
varied than that heretofore published in
one compilation. and complete explanation
is made for the use of Congress of all the
estimates submitted for appropriations for
charitable and correctional service through
the District bill.
Public Library.
A public library, especially adapted to
the requirements and opportunities of the
mass OF our residents, should bo estab-
lished here without delay. The Congress
sional Library and the libraries of the de-
parements are practically inaccessible to
the public at large. and. therefore, of very
limited service. The facilities needed can
only be furnished by free lending library
with a reading room attached and open
az night for the benefit Of all who seek
il for Intellectual improvement. The move
ment in this direction, inaugurated by the
Washington board of trade and seconded
by the Commissioners In their Endorsement
of III. r. bill G6i2, and Senate bill 2OOo. TO
establish q free public library and reading
room in the District of Columbia" should
receive the favorable consideration OF Con-
gress.
Removal of Ashes.
The removal of ashes from dwellings by
the municipality has been urgently pressed
on the attention of the Commissioners.
The problems connected with the accumu-
lation and deposit of this refuse are in
creasing to such Importance as to demand
governmental action in the interest of the
public health and convenience. The sys-
tenn appears to be in satisfactory operation
in many other municipalities and should
receive trial here. An item of s3D,UO for
this purpose has been included in the Com
missioners' estimates for 1895.
The Garbage Question.
The collection and removal of garbage
has not been entirely satisfactory to the
public or the Commissioners. The reduc-
ton plant Of the National Sanitary Com
pany was destroyed by fire in December
last, which compelled that company, under
the terms of it's contract, to remove the
garbage beyond the limits of the District.
This has been done en- boats, and for
time the garbage was disposed OF to farm
ers along the shores of the Potomac river.
who used 1t as a fertilizer. Owing to the
destruction Of its reduction plant and the
loss to the company Of the extra allowance
for destruction Of the garbage, together
with the inadeQuacy of compensation and
the increase of expense of removing the
garbage beyord the District limits. that
company passed into the hands or re-
ceiver a few months later.
With the advent of warm weather ire
quent complaints came t. the Commission
ers Of irregular collections and or hoaung
garbage in the river, indicating rareiess-
quirements of the contract.
Inspectors were Immediately employed by
the Commission ers, at the expense OF the
contractor, to enforce proper observance
of the contract, which has since resulted
in a more satisfactory service. In justice
to the contractor, however, 1t Is fair to
state that the service has been performed
at a heavy loss to the company and that
many of the complaints have resulted from
a want of proper garbage receptacles, in
some instances, and from a failure to make
the garbage accessible in others. One of
the conditions of the contract is that
proper receptacle shall be provided at every
house and that 1t shall be kept in a con-
venient place. A faithful observance of
this requirement by every householder is
an indispensable condition to proper gar
bage collection. This requirement of the
contract the Commissioners have no power
to enforce, so that the collection must
necessarily be more or less unsatisfactory.
In view of these facts the Commissioners
recommend the passage of act, with
Pre- per penalties for its violation, requiring
the owner of every house to provide
garbage receptacle satisfactory to the
health officer.
The price paid the present contractor is
inadequate and far below the cost of gar
bage disposal In other cities Of equal size.
TEiS necessarily results In an imperfect
and unsatisfactory service, which must
continue until the conditions are changed.
The handling of garbage at the wharves
during hot weather Is very Objectionable
and the dumping of garbage into the river
and the offensive odors from the garbage
boats are frequent subjects of complaint
to the Commissioners.
The capital of the country should not be
obliged to seek a dumping ground on the
shores of the adjacent counties In vir-
ginia and Maryland. but should be pro-
vided with proper means for disposng Of
the same within its own limits. This can
only be accomplished by authorizing the
Commissioners to enter into contract for
sufficient length of time to Justify the
contractor in erecting a suitable incinerat-
ing plant. For this purpose and to pro-
vide for much needed daily service dur
ing the hot weather. the Commissioners
have included in their estimates 100000.
Metropolitan Police.
The operations of this department and
it's requirements are clearly and forcibly
set forth in the report Of the major and
superintendent.
The attention Of Congress Is invited to
the fact that the increase In the force has
not kept pace with the increase in the pop
ulation of the District, while the rapid
development of the suburbs, now covering
nearly the entire area of the District, re-
Quires even larger expansion of the force
than the growth In population would in
dictate. In this connection 1t should be re-
greater area than st. Louis or Baltimore
both of which have nearly double our po-
lice force, while Chicago, New York, Phila-
delphia, Boston, Brooklyn and Baltimore
all have a larger force in proportion to the
population.
The increasing number of conventions
and public assemblies here cause frequent
and large augmentations in the population
requiring greater vigilance on the part of
the police. and calling for greater details
for special service and an increase in their
number. The Commissioners concur in all
the recommends tons of the major and SUI
perintendent which they believe are neces-
sary for the proper protection of the lives
and property of our citizens. 1t has been
the aim of the Commissioners during the
past year to raise the standard of the force
and increase it's efficiency. To this end an
unusual number Of dismissals have been
made, and the vacancies thus created filed
by better class of men. These changes,
together with the recent revelations of
corruption in the police force in New York.
have given rise to sensational reports in
some of our local papers which have been
altogether misleading. Some bad men have
been discovered, and more may be re-
moved before the force can be brought up
to the plane upon which the Commission
ers would like to place 1t. But they are
glad to be able to state that they believe
the force as a whole compares favorably
in faithfulness and efficiency with that of
any city in the country.
Harbormaster's Office.
The experience Of the past year has en-
phaszed the Importance Of having a new