Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-31
TO FIGHT CATERPILLARs
Warfare on the Pests Planned BY the
Authorities.
Matters of Interest to Local Tax
payers From the District Build
ing-Thc Days Orders..

A vigorous campaign will be waged early
in the spring against the caterpillar cocoons
by the parking commission, and several
novel schemes are being discussed with a
view Of Kidding the city next summer of
the crawling pests
Maj. Powell is particularly anxious to
have the work begun early and prosecuted
to a successful termination. One Of the
most novel ideas discussed was to establish
sort of caterpillar bureau and offer prizes
to the boys and girls of the city for the
largest number of cocoons collected in a
gwen time. This is not a new idea, the
same having been tried in several other
cities and found productive of much good.
The parking commission, however, recently
reported upon this idea and gave it a black
eye, SO to speak. 1t did not believe the
good that would be accomplished would be
commensurate with the loss suffered by the
department in the destruction of the wire
protectors. The boys would surely climb
upon them and tear them from the trees,
exposing the latter to the ravages of the
horses, that are SO fond of tree bark in the
winter. The idea of the parking commits
son to employ a number of boys and
have them do the work. 1t is what they
term the cheap labor system. But the Com
miss!onerS are not certain that the best re-
suits atta:nable this way and have thus
"
tbs scheme of the parking commission.
According to report before the Commas
S.o1erS of the working of the system in one
of the large cities, one little boy, the sue
cessful winner of the first pr-ze, collected
81, $50 cocoons. He found them for the most
part in the tree boxes and under the cop
.ngS of pOrcheS.
Mai. Powell is heartily in favor of the
scheme and will urge plan to get rid of
the caterpillars by destroying their cocoons.
Todny's Orders.
The Commissioners today ordered That
water main assessments be cancelled as fol-
lows on account of the decision in the Burg
dorf case: Against lot H. square 637; against
lots %, "A and %, block 4, Howard Univer-
sity subdivision; against the south 92 feet
and the 30 feet next the north 66 feet of lot
2G7, square 130, Georgetown; against lot 8,
block 43, University Park: unpaid INSTALL
ments against lot II, square Ts1.
Fire hydrantS will be erected at the fol-
lowing named points: At the northeast cor
ner of 18th and Trumbull streets northwest,
on the west side of 7th street, between Flor
ida avenue and Pomeroy street northwest;
at the northwest corner of 9th and N
streets northwest; at the northwest corner
of 9th and NJ streets northwest.
Labor on Public Work.
Referring to the draft of a bill submitted
to the Commissioners by Mr.. E. NJ. Blake
which has for its purpose the regulation
of the employment of labor on public
buildings and works by the District, the
Commissioners today say in reply that the
legislation proposed by the first section
of the bill is superiuous, as the Commis-
sioners already have the supervision the
bill Seeks to confer. The second section
they say is Objectionable as contrary to
public interests, and in some respects i'm
practicable. The Commissioners are of
opinion that under some circumstances it
might be advantageous to employ labor
by the day in the prosecution of the work
now done under contract, and that au-
thority should be given them 20 use their
discretion in that respect in the construo- =
ton of buildings and other public works
authorized by appropriation by Congress.
With reference to the third section, it is
the practice of the District, the Commits
sioners say, to pay the maximum rate of
wages, and there is therefore no necessity
for legislation on the subject.
Fraudulent Divorces.
AS noted in The Star of the 10Th inst,
the Commissioners have reported unfavor-
ably upon the bill to prevent fraudulent
divorces in the District.