Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-01
THE YEAR AT HOME
What Has Happened in the District
During 1894.
THE RECORD OF TWELVE MONTHS
Dull Times Not Over Yet, But There
is Strong Hope for Better Days.
THE STARS ANNUAL REPORT

The year just closing has been quiet for
Washington and the District of Columbia.
There have been few great calamities to
mar the serenity of affairs. and little
enough of a revival in prosperity. The ef-
fects of the panic of 1893 are still felt. and
the twelve-month closes with all hearts
hoping for that coming of better times that
Is usually preceded by such a depression as
that which swept over the country sum-
mer before last.
The District has not got its share of leg
islation from Congress, and hopes are now
conferred in the coming Congress, which
will show many changes. The spirit OF
economy that has prevailed in national leg
islation has extended itself to the AFFAIRS
of the District. and appropriations have
been generally cut down.
Altogether, however, the year has not q
bad record. 1t closes with many achieve
ments to be noted. and the following his
tory of the local affairs In 1884 will be
found to contain many signs of progress.
The city has increased In population, the
death rate has fallen OF. the criminal rec
ord is less and though business generally
Is now dull there are signs of brighter days
to Come:
The District Government.
With the growth of he city there has
been q corresponding increase In the ad-
ministrative work at the DISTRICT puildihs
throughout the year. The executive FORCE
Was kept unusually busy attending TO the
vast number OIL details and seTeral new
questions that came up were met and dis-
posed of by the officials of the District
government. The resignation of Myron III.
Parker as District Commissioner was &C
cepted by the President early IN the year
and George TrueSdeil was appointed on
the 18TH of February TO succeed MIN as
republican Commissioner. Commissioner
Ross was appointed to succeed niinsei'
January 4. On the 11th OF OCTOBER Capt.
Edward Burr, U.S.A.. was detailed py the
Secretary of War as additional assistant
to the Engineer Commissioner, TINS extra
position being provided for in tho appro-
priation bill October 80 Capt. George
Derby was relieved from duty as assistant
to the Engineer Commissioner ana capt.
Lansing H. Beach was detailed by the " ar
Department TO relieve him. IhomaS %.
E.ntwisle who for many ears had held the
position of Inspector OF buildings or the
District, died suddenly November L. Ihere
was considerable competition for the once
and several candidates entered the nelu.
Mr. John b.. Brady, who had for some time
been Mr.. EntwI5ie assistant. was pro-
noted to be Inspector. August z coroner
w. G.. Woodward and Health officer HAM
EFT exchanged places by reSlSning their re-
spective positions and being appointed to
the vacancies thus created. During August
the Commissioners, acting under the new
law for the equalization of taxes, appoint
ed James a. Bates, ). L. G. MOrSeu and j.
Harrison johnson to constitute the board
of assessment and equalization and also
the board of excise. September 80 the
Commissioners reappointed the old school
board. In October DIR. ID. w. Prentss re-
signed as commissioner of pharmacy.
A good many important legal questions
came before the board of Commissioners
for settlement and were referred by them
to the attorney for the District, Mr.. Thorn
As, VINO during the year passed upon many
vital points of law and delivered number
Of valuable opinions. Early In the year he
decided that two of the three Commission
srs whe wers then acting as an excise
board had power to grant liquor licenses
He held also that the Commissioners were
powerless to alter Or amend the tax lists
He decided that the Commissioners had the
right to decide between the use of cobble
or asphalt by the street railroad COM
panies IN paving the space between tracks,
He held that the Commissioners are re-
sponsibe for keeping the wall along the
Canal road in order; that they are without
power to abate the smoke nuisance; and
that the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Co.
has the right to construct sidingS upon its
own or adjacent property. An interesting
question arose as to the exact definition as
to what constitutes a party wall. The at
torney for the District decided that wall
that is wholly within the lot of the build
ing owner. but of which the foundation is
on the building line is party WALL
Early In the year the Commissioners
began to take steps to bring about appro-
pirate adequate extension of the streets
and avenues of the city, and the engineer
Commissioner and his assistants worked
on this problem for several months. The
appropriation bill carried an item of ST, 900
to pay Frederick Law Olmstead for plans
Of such an extension and he and the Com
missioners have had several consultations
rh. md hox fh0
plans and surveyed the ground covered by
them.
New plumbing regulations were put into
force by the Commissioners in February.
Efforts were made throughout the year to
secure an adequate measure for the regu-
lation of the practice of medicine. num-
Der of hearings were held on the subject
and the medical authorities of the District
were consulted, but no legislation has yet
been secured AS a measure of precaution
the Commissioners began In June to close
a number of polluted wells and to discon-
tinus the of several old pumps. The
threatened invasion of the District by the
Coxey army occupied the attention of the
Commissioners during the latter part of
April and as the result of a number of
consultations on the subject the police were
given private Instruction upon the nature
of the law covering the case and were
ordered to enforce II strictly. April % the
Commissioners issued a proclamation warm
Ing Coxey and his followers to keen away
Two important building regulations were
devised and put into force during the year.
One was the result of the Knox fire, where
by number of horses persisted from being
stabbed on the second floor of the burned
building. This regulation was to the eff
feet that In future no stable shall be built
with stalls for horses above the ground
floor. Notwithstanding this regulation the
Knox Company secured a permit to build
such stable by applying before the period
of limitation between the issue of the or
der and the date of it's enforcement The
other regulation resulted from the con-
struction of twelve-story apartment
house on q street. 1t prohibits buildings
higher than the width of the street on
which they are located. and provides that
no buildings on residence streets shall be
higher than ninety feet.
In October the assessor of the District
reported that the total revenue of the Dis
trict for the next fiscal year will amount
to over S.WO,O00. The United States treas
urer informed the Commissioners in Oc-
iober that the District debt then aggregated
n little over S1S.W0.0n0.
After several weeks of session the new
board of tax assessment reported that their
efforts to equaliZe the assessments would
result in an average reduction of about Is
per cent. This board In its capacity az a