Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-01

roundings or taken as waits from the
streets into private homes rather than In
| situations. The appropriations for the
| board were considerably reduced, and the
| Senate ordered an investigation to be con-
| Quoted by the District committee of the
Senate into the question of congressional
appropriations to charitable institutions, as
Veil as the controversy between the super
| intendent and the board of guardians. This
| inquiry was placed in the hands of a sub
| committee OF five, Senators Mcmillan, Gal
| inger, Faulkner, Hunton and Martin. and
it is expected that the work of the inquiry
will be begun Immediately after the holi-
| day recess. 1t is expected that the investi-
| cation will take a wide scope.
After the burning of the Knox stables
| and storage house in July, in which three
| fremen lost their lives, The Star organized
| charity concert to provide a fund for
| the maintenance of the families of these
| brave men, who persisted in the line of
| duty. This was made necessary by the
| fact that through lack of legislation, and
! partly by reason of the small salaries of
| the hlemen, their relief fund had been eX-
| hausted, and there was no means from
Which to pension the widows of the men.
| Inc Uni ed States Marine Band volunteered
| its serI ices, as did several well-known
| singers and musicians of the city, and the
| handsome sum of 81, 449.75 was raised. In
| addition to this sum, contributions were re-
! ceived, swelling the total of this fund to
something over $1,000.
A New Recorder of Deeds.
Charles H. J. Taylor of Kansas to be re-
| coTder of deeds of the District in place Of
Blanche K. Bruce. whose term had expired.
This nomination aroused great opposition
| among the residents of the District, who
protested vigorously to the Senate District
| Committee to which the nomination was
referred by the Senate. The opposition to
Mr.. TayorS confirmation was based upon
his non-iesidence in the District, and after
of dow.
tee reported the name to the Senate adj
versely by vote of to =. The name
came up for consideration On several &C.
| casions in executive session and finally Mr..
Taylor was confirmed. Charges were flied
against him by the civil service commits
sion. during the summer, of active inter-
ferer ce in political matters through his
connection with certain political organi-
cation and other charges nave from time
to time been made against the incumbent.
Up to the present time, however, the Pres
ident has taken no action on the case.
Ford Thcater Disaster Claims.
The Senate took early action last winter
with a view of ascertaining the amount
of damage inflicted by the fall OF the old
Ford Theater building, whereby over
twenty persons were killed and nearly one
hundred others were injured A corlmit-
tee was appointed and exhaustive testi-
mony was taken. All Of the death cases
were considered and the Senate endeavored
to insert a paragraph in one of the appro-
priation bills, making a grant of 100000
to pay the heirs of twenty-one OF the We
TINS, this being at the legal rate of $3.50.
But the House protested on the GROUND
that it had had no hand in the adludi-
cation of these claims, and the matter was
allowed to go over. Provision was made,
however, for a joint COMMISSION, ana sew
en- members of the House were appoint
ed to act with the Senators, who had al
ready been at work. At the openelng OF
the present session of Congress meeting
of the joint commission was held and the
death claims turned over to the members
of the House 1t is probable that the ap-
preparation of slO5.000 to pay these claims
will be made this year. Action on the
claims Of the injured may be still further
delayed.
Cheaper Dread.
In October The Star undertook to con-
vince the bakers of bread in this city that
the price of -four had fallen to the extent
that it would be possible for them to sell
their product at cheaper retail rate. The
discussion went on from day to day, and
facts were piled upon facts in the columns
of this paper until the bakers were driven
into the position of eitheAraising the wages
of the men or reducing the price OF their
bread. Their various subterfuges in defense
of their old price of cents per loaf were
one by one refuted and exposed, and at
last, after about three weeks OF unreTilt-
ting warfare, in which The Star was the
constant advocate of honest prices, the
bakers decided to surrender and their regu-
lar product placed on the market at /
cents, a reduction of 20 per cent. The
wholesale price OF hour nad iahen ABOUT
100 per cent.
The Theater Hat.
Another of The Stars achievements was
the raid that it made on the high theater
hat. Early in the theatrical season the
Ia in. hap
correspondents against the high-hat NUS
ance and this paper entered the field with
an abundance of material to convince the
theater goer we'll as the theater man
ager that the interests Of all demanded that
the hat should be lowered. The effect OF
this crusade has since been quite apparent.
Seldom is there now seen a high hat In
place of public amusement. Women OF all
social circles have adopted the small bon
net or a hat especially adapted to the audi
torium, and the general public is very
grateful for the change.
Potomac River.
The most conspicuous event in 1c al mari
time matters from the standpoint of the To-
cal mariner was the letting by the Norfolk
and Washington Steamboat Company OF
contract for a new propeller steamer 1or
service between this port and the deep
water ports of the Chesapeake. When COM
pleted in the spring, it Will be the largest
boat Inv many tons IN these WdlSiS NC"
ha rbor regulations were promulgated by the
Commissioners in January. Early IN Mafch
the Senate passed resolution to lnVesti-
cate Great Falls water power as to Its ell
cacy in furnishing the city with electric
lighting The steamer Pilot Boy, which had
been rebuilt during the winter,was launcheu
a : the Belle Haven and placed on the ferry
route in conjunction with the Columbia In
April the condition of the channel dredging
was shown by the report OF Maj Davis, ana
the Senate District committee discussed the
hill to secure rights at Great Fails The
Attorney General made answer TO the Sen
n re- resolution in the matter of the kidweil-
Rottom suit Toward the end of the year
co,npany was incorporated for the purpose
of establishing new line between here and
Norfolk.
Newspapers.
With the exception of the establishment
of the Washington Times, daily morning
newspaper and of Progress" a weekly
naper devoted to business interests, there
have been no changes of special import
ance in the newspaper field in the District
durin, the year 1891. The year was mark
ed however, by the introduction of i'm
proved appliances in nearly all of the news
p;sper offices. The example set by The Star
in the use of type-settiig machines has
4 DENef