Evening star., 1896-03-03
South Washington Citizens Discuss
Necessary Reforms.
CRUSADE AGAINST THE CREMATORY
Congress Called Upon to Help the
PopuIous Section.
REPORTS AND SPEC HES

tion, and are doing all in their power
to secure them while Congress is in ses-
sion. Having failed to get just what rec
concentrations they want on the part of the
authorities, the members Of the asSocia-
ton have gone direct to Congf ess, and at
last nights meeting they had Congress-
nan Coffin present to get him interested in
the needs Of their section.
The proposed bridge at the fo OF of South
Capitol street came iE for large part of
the discussion, while interest in the gar
bage question was not lacking. Reference
was also made to the James Creek canal,
the iong-Standing nuisance and death trap.
Concerning the garbage question Chair
mar Martin OF l., special committee made
report, in which he referred to the pc
titlon recently introduced in Congress.
which Iecites that after the destruction, by
fire, of the garbage reduction plant located
at the foot of South Capitol street in 1888,
Congress, by the District appropriation act
of August Z, 1884, directed the Commits
s1onerS OF the District of Columbia to make
special investigation respecting the best
mctaod of collecting and dsposing of the
garbage ard dead animals in the District of
Colum ba, and authorized them to receive
proposals for the disposal of the same, un-
der the different methods presented, and
to report tie result of such investigation at
the next session.
Continuing, the petition says that the
ton to be made by the health officer and
made report Oh March . 1895, and that
On the same day On which this report was
Gated aid without having opportunity TO
ccnsiter that report Congress passed the
District appropriation act of March 2,
1S'J. authorizing the Commissioners to en-
ter into contract for four years for The
collection of the garbage and dead ami
mails and their disposal by incineration
or otherwise. The aforementioned appro-
priation bill, as it parsed the House of Rep
resentatives. proviued that under such con-
tract tfe Sarha Se and dead animals should
be incincrated or otherwise disposed of
within the limits of the District of Co.
lunbia, which restriction was stricken out
in the Senate. thus affirming the spirit and
intent OF former legislation, that this often
sive matter should be removed beyond the
more densely populated sections of the
District and even into an adjoining state.
Against the Public Wishes.
The document continues as fellows:
The said Commissioners have entered
into such a contract for the collection
and cremation Of the garbage and dead
arimals, and at the instance of the con-
tractor have approved the old site at the
ftot of South Capitol street for a crema-
tory, against the spirit and intent of the
legislation, contrary to the health regula-
tions and building regulations (both of
Whish nave the force Of law by virtue Of
auihority from Congress), against the
strenuous objections and protests of the
eople of South Washington and contrary
to the will and desire of the public gem
orally ard the public press"
1t concludes by declaring that it is the
Will and desire Of the people of South WASH
ington and of the District of Columbia gen.
orally that garbage crema tories or reduction
plants II necessary to our garbage disposal
system, be located outside of the city limits
and prays Congress to pass law requiring
that no garbage factory, crematory, or re-
duction plant, or other like institution, shall
be located or operated within the cities Of
Washington or Georgetown or their more
denSely populated suburbs.
Other Nufsanccs Complained OF.
Chairman Brown of the committee on
nuisances referred to the James Creek canal
and told of the finding of human head on
dump near this so-called waterway. Cor
oner Hammett made an investigation and
concluded that TO murder-had been commit
ted. and he thought the head had been de-
posted on the dump from the premises of
some careless physician or medical college
He said that the CT mmittee found no nui-
sance at the dispenSary at No. SIT IL
street. The work done there is all charity.
There is no place for surgical operations in
the dispensary but a number of physicians
go there every day and lend their services
free of charge. He made complaint about
the condition of the dead animal wharf but
said that the Offal wharf is kept as clean as
possible. The contractor for this work, how
notice to give UP the street there that he
occupies. The chairman also reported sew
eral other nuisances which, he said, had
been aba ted.
mittee made report, showing the number
of unimproved streets covering an area of
seventy blocks.
Vice President Shea said he thought 1t
would be good thing to get report con-
cerning the question now being agitated as
to whether or not the tracks of the Penn
sylvania Railroad Company should be de-
pressed.
lis of very much Importance to the residents
of South Washington, and think the COM
mittee OH steam railroads should make a re-
port at an early date
Members of the associa TONS committee on
the South Capitol street bridge and the COM
mittee of the bridge association were called
upon for report, but the two committees
had not had a meeting, but will have one
Friday.
Secretary Storey said that the members
of the executive committee had been doing
some work concerning the bridge, and had
had resolution offered in Congress. He
read the resolution affecting the James
Creek canal and the proposed bridge at
South Capitol street. These matters, he
said, had been introduced in Congress-in
the Senate by Senator Stewart and in the
House by Representative Coffin, both of
whom, he said, are friends of the associa-
ton.
After these bills were introduced he said,
the attention of each member OF the House
and Senate was called to them.
Congressman Collins Remarks.
Representative Coffin was then intro
duced and he congratulated the association
upon the good in which the association is
engaged, and assured the association that
the Maryland congressman, especially those
representing the districts bordering on
Washington, will lend all the assistance in
their power to further their interests. The
improvements made here, he said, benefited
the people of Maryland, and he, for one,
would certainly urge congressional action
on the measures. He said that SO far as the
South Capitol street bridge is concerned,
the report of the Secretary of War is dis
couragng. but he thought that that report
should not affect the members of the asso-
c.ation, for greater obstacles than that re-
port have been overcome in the past.
The association, by resolution. thanked
Mr.. Coffin for the interest he had taken and
what he had DONE and he was given the
credit of getting through the bill for the
survey.
.'All that has ever been DONE" said a
member. has been done by Mr.. Coffin.''
Other Matters Of Interest.
William B. Matchett spoke in behalf of