Evening star., 1897-05-07
The Commi..ioner.' Opportunities.

An unusual prospect of opportunities
opens up before the new board of District
Commissioners. just organized. There Is q
great accumulation of pressing needs,
caused by the Congressional policy of let
ting various projects go by. session after
session. with the promise Of taking them up
in comprehensive fashion "in the future"
1t may be useful to note briefly some of
these lines of development and improve
ment on which Commissioners Wight, Ross
and Black will be called upon to act during
their term of office now beginning. One Of
these is the selection Of some plan for the
abolition Of the grade crossings. The sub
ject will never be easier of solution than
during the next three years and 1t Is In
better shape for action than ever before.
The present Commissioners will probably
have in charge the consummation of the
street extension plans. for it is altogether
likely that the question of constitutionality
will soon be settled and the necessary ap-
propriations will be made for carrying the
highway act into effect. OF equal impor-
tance is the question of providing a general
system of sewerage for the city. which is
now suffering from inadequate outlets for
Its wastes. The public health Is to be pro-
tected in other ways. notably through the
reclamation of the Anacostia flats, and the
Commissioners will doubtless have many
opportunities to bring the item favorably to
the attention of Congress. In the same
line is the matter of garbage disposal.
which Is at resent in a most unsatisfactory
shape and which must soon be regulated
and placed on a better footing. The public
lighting is also on a practically temporary
basis. with the great question Of the estab-
Hshment of a permanent system of sub
early attention. One Of the most pressing
matters is that of the street sweeping con-
tract which will soon be signed for a
reriod beginning with July 1 next. Bids
have been invited for two. three and five
year terms. and it will rest with the Com
missioners whether they bind themselves to
a long or a short contract. This is impor-
tant. as has been recently pointed out in
view Of the fact that there Is now pending
before Congress a bill which permits the
Commissioners to have municipal works of
this character done by day labor instead of
by contract. and 1t Is highly probable that
this measure will become law within few
months at most. The sidewalks of the city
are still. in a large degree. a disgrace to
the nations capital. and 1t Is one of the
nores entertained by the public that the
Commissioners Will be able to secure ap-
preparations large enough for the displace-
ment of all the remaining brick atrocities
with some more modern form of walks.
1t is not too much to expect that a start
may be made on the long-delayed municipal
building. and If the Commissioners can
succeed in convincing Congress that the
time has arrived for legislation to this end
they will have earned hearty public appre-
ciation- II is to be seen that the list is long
and that the opportunities for results. as
well as for hard work. are plentiful. The
board is so constituted as to warrant the
belief that the record Of its performances
when made up at the end of the term. will
be one of the most satisfactory ever known