The morning times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-08

CONSULTATION IN n fh IsTfI OR FREE
| fender substituted therefor. This practice,
| which nodoub tspringsfrom tn enosthuInane
considerations, is u serious menace TO the
| public healthy an obstruction to the; en-
| lorceinent of the laws, and should be dis
| continued All sanitary laws should be
| ngldly enforced If any reduction in the
| high death rate is to be expected. -.ss .
In view OF the serious consequences
winch thetaking ofpersonal honiislnyoiyes,
and the long establishment OF the practice,
| the Conmlssoners are Reconstructed to recon
mend, In the interest OF the public welfare,
| that its discontinuance be directed by Con
gress.
ANOTHER HOSPITAL NEEDED.
! An urgent appeal is made for an appro,
| priation to provide for the erection OF q
hospital for the treatment OF minor con-
tagions, and it is recommended that $780,
600 be given for the purchase OF a site
and S25, 900 for the erection OF wards
for the accommodation of patients.
They add that If groundless fear and
prejudice are to determine that hospital,
| SO necessary for the preservation of the
public health, and which ought To be
reasonably accessible, can only be allowed
In some remote and inaccessible corner
of the District, it will be better to have
it there than not to have it anywhere"
The commissioners commend the police
| department for its efficiency, based upon
the showing OF the superintendent; speak
faYorably of the working of the civil
service method OF appointing members
of the force, and say that the discipline
has noticeably improved. They also recon-
mend the adoption by Congress OF. Major
Mcorers suggestion for an Increase in the
number OF men. -
The suggestion OF the building inspector
that the organic act 10 be amended as
that the Commissioners shall be given the
option OF having public buildings erected
by day labor instead of by contract is
approved by the Commissioners.
The placing OF bids for public construc-
ton at prices below the actual cost, they
say has, as a rule, deferred the better
class of bidders from putting in proposals.
TINS has caused costly delays and losses
20 laborGrs, which the Commissioners de-
plore without having the pc wer to remedy.
SCHOOL SITES. .
Meager appropriations for school sites
have compelled the purchase of lots OF n
sufficient area This is q mistake, they
say, which ought not TO be repeated
The abuses alleged TO have crept in I'M
der the act of, February 49, 1895, affect
ing suits filed befure2 the court of claims
for. work done under contracts awarded
by the old board of public works, are
touched upon, and remedial legislation
at great length by Auditor Petty, whose
report was recently printed in The Times.
The Commissioners urge upon Congress
the necessity for an appropriation for the
construction of d municipal building of
adequate capacity TO accommodate all of
the District Offices and the city courts.
Judiciary Square lis selected as the most
desirable site, the ground now occupied by
the old city han being part The sum of
100000 is asked as the initial appropria-
ton. sc
About 81 600 square yards of sheet and
block asphalt pavements Were laid in road
ways last year, and nearly all in the city,
while about 900 square yards of vitri-
fled brick or asphalt were laid in alleys
not counting block set on concrete. for
wheel strips in repaired CObble alleys.
|, The street mileage in Washington July /,
1896, of asphalt paveInents was 114.2; Of
standard granite block or vitrified brick,
2S.6; macadam, IL and cobble or old
stone, 14.2. In alleys the mileage Of
since h pavements was 25.S, granite block
or cobble go g, and of cobble, with smooth
wheel strips, GA. On county roads and
suburban streets the mileage of smooth
pavements was Il; granite block, O.9, and
macadap, 40.
PAVED STREETS.
Mileage of Gnimproved streets in Wash
ington, 16.1 Some of these, although
laid over 100 years ago, have never been
graded
Reference is made to the plan heretofore
detaiIedin The Times of grading AMI Tegu-
lating. The plan is to radiate from
point ge graphically central, on Sixth street.
between d and E streets northwest, and
-as a rule improve the streets III the order
of their proximity thereto, giving prefer
ence to grading and regulating, and as
nearly as possible grade 10 an elevation
for a paving base.
About AT, 500 square yards of cement
sidewalk were laid during the year, against
$4,000 square yards the preceding year,
which latter was more than had been laid
for the preceding five years. 80 - re- nT-
Considerable attention was paid to the
Improvement of tree parkings The hurri-
cane of September 20 caused the loss of
about 1900 trees, and damage to 10000
or more. The cost of removable of wreckage
and the repairing will cause curtailing, if
not suspension, Of spring planting.
Sixteen and one-half miles of water main
were laid, more than two-thirls in WASH
ington. ..~.s
The system of drilling deep wells already
begun, will be continued, if the funds are
Forthcoming, and an item Of $4,000 is in
corporated in the estimates for that pur pose
A total of 343 water meters was placed dur.
ing the year on premises supplied with
Potomac water making total of 1873 in
use
The most urgent present need of the
water service" the Commissioners say. lis
a greater supply Of water The reverse
supply should he doubled by the use of the
reservoir near the Soldiers Home which,
if kept filled by means of a large channel
would materially increase water pressure
over all the gravity area and diminish
present increasing expense.of pumping
GREATER WATER SUPPLY. 2-1-a
The Auueduct tunnel is believed to be. in
economical means to secure a sufficient sup
ply Of water, not alone for domestic use,
but for fountains, sprinking, street flush
ing, and other purposes, including pro-
lection OF property from fire.
The history of the electric light con-
troversy, so prominently before the pub
lie OF late, is given ia detail AS the re-
suit of the delay, caused by litigation and
otherwise, the CoIuniss ioners say: "One-9
half of the fiscal year will have expired
before the appropriation granted for the
extension of the street lighting service
can be used.'' e5s
The board again recommends provision
for comprehensive municipal system of
subways. for electric wires such as will
admit of competition in public and private
lighting service.
..Offensive inipurity'' discovered in gas
is now under investigation
After review of TIE work OF The sewer
department, from which it appears that
the more lmportant work OF the year was
the completion ofs.the first part of the