The times., 1897-11-16
DISTRICT NEEDS SET FORTH
Continued from First Page.

4 IliOSt flENIcpS Ill every 10 Use Where lIGle is
/ water service.
Tne committee is Of the opinion that the
| meter system snould not he pushed beyond
/ tHe experimental stage until L is GenlOn-
/ strated most clearly lnat meters are truth
| tellers, a present the Com mnittee - not sure
/ Jnat any meter can claim lull pubic
| confidence as to accuracy. The diffi-
| cutlies trat now beset Us can lie remeiied
Tor long time 20 come by re prompt com
! pletiOn OF tie tunnel and Howard Cniver-
sity reservoir, a1ttr winch the aut horities
/ viii nave ample time TO test and develop
| the meter system, u AuGh development is
| then deemed proper.
| I he pullIc heaItn is OF first importance.
| TO tnat consideration everything els 2 should
| be subordinate; therefore the water supply
! ought 10 he as ample as its source is un-
Gentlemen of the Washington Beard of
| Trade, there is testimony ut the uufayor-
ahle conditions III the tact that we, to-
| night, ask Tie governing powers To give
US ne Satne improvements that were petit
| tlohedt Or II year q 70. AMOR Us nave known
! how serious has been the financial de-
| preston or the past year, so none of us
| Is really surprised when he notes the fail
| ure which, from causes far beyond our
/ powers uI Control has overtaken SO many
| excellent enterprises III which the people of
| the DiSurict OF Columbia are deeply inter-
eSted we have however, no reasons Tor
| selt-reprUach. Wherever and whenever
| the Board OF Trade has had an opportunity
| to advance the interests of Washington, it
| has done So; ii we have not succeeded
| az we deserved to, the inability has been
| Congressional, and not local. The made
| Hudte revenues oil the General Govern
| 1nent naturally resulted in appropriations
| thut were also ma adequa Ce, and, as a logical
| consequence, the District of Columbia
which. unlike any other community, is
dependent upon COngress-waS denied many
| things absolutely necessary 20 It's growth
and welfare. such state Of affairs is
not likely 10 exist much longer, mercantile
| ACTIVITY and vastly improved financial
| Conditions will he reflected in the conduct
! oil our common council-the National Leg
| iSlauuTe. IL, therefore, behoOYes us To
fFtr nrN t4Ttisg lion
| SO that we may be ready when the time
Comes for earnest, concerted effort
Our needs require this, to be urged be-
lore congress With more than ordinary
| rersistency. Conspicuous iii the catalog 10
| 9I things we ought to have, and must
! have, are.
municipal building: commodious. suits
| ably located, and architccturaliy creditable
| TO he Capital OF the nation.
The reclamation Of the AHacostia flats;
! with ali the benefits To health ana COM
merCe, certain To accrue therefTOm.
An Increased water supply To be secured
| by The completion Of the abandoned tun-
! mel aud the Howard University reservoir
Tor the construction Of which more Than
inllliQn dulla:S OF WaShingtOn,s money
| was arbitrarily disbuTsed.
Legislation thdJ viii make operative the
| statute which authorizes the establish
ment or q free circulating library.
Street extension legislation that viii re-
| suit IN extending our streets.
A sewer Syste IA OF capacity suff icient for
| tiIc entire District Of Columbia.
1t Will not Je enough To merely give us
municipal building; the building must
contribute 70 the estheuc education OF every
behOlder.
II will not be enough to merely give us a
sufficlency of water; the water must be
pure, must, II necessary, be filtered
II VIII not be enough to provide ample
sewerage facilities; the sewage must be
disposed OF IN suCh a Inunuer that It
Will not be menace 10 the public health.
1t VIII not be enough To say we may
have public library, provision must be
u Ngt nd for. arRE %
staff OF attendants. In the State or
Massachusetts there are only Flye towns r
anu they are very small ones-that are
without a public library.
There Is general awakening TO the
necessity for sincere and busineSs-hKe effort
aIunr tine lines or charities ana corrections
The term 'busness-like" may sound
strangely TO people who most regard theory Y
and who often nave reason for wonderin e
why phiianthropic and delightful theories
VIII not work satisfactorily. II Is the
affectlonate application of business prin-
CipleS that VIII make our beneffcences
valuable 10 all the parties concerned and,
therefore, 20 society at large. Many OF
tlie best citizens in our leading communi-
ties are Sreklng 10 organize into harmony
existing associations, properly believing
tilau q combination OF energy VIII aC-
complish things that cannot be possibly
be done by number Of Independent so
cieties. We, of the city OF Washington
snuuld be in close accord IN this extremely
important matter. De do realize how great
IS tHe army or dependent ones? There are
ihe babitual criminals; criminals susceptible
% Fetofmailon' hdbltuat paupefs, paupeTs
susceptible 10 reformation; the aged with
out property, the physically defective: the
insane the epileptic; the idiOtic. chronic in
valltls; the poor from incompetence; the
poor from accident, the poor from nnpTOvi-
deHce, the poor from injustice, the cura1ie
5 cS. .cOnvaleSceutS- crinina ichildrcn: vicious
chidrcn; deformed and defective children
susceptible of material Improvement:
orphans.
Does not this catalogue OF unfortunate
huplaUitV Tt4nE fF4tt mi of
rs all? Should we not Gntedly and sys-
telnatically attempt TO reduce the number
Of the growing most which in all our large
cities Is becoming more and more willing
10 live on the benefactions of others2 Tie
city of Paris Is about to spend ten millions
of dollars in charity reorganization and
additional hospital service. What are
we going To do?
The public health has al last come to
be a matter of real moment. In Wash
ington We have inaugurated reforms and
planned other reforms that VIII, sooner
or later, work maTvels in the physical
condition of the community and the de-
STABILITY and longevity Of the individual
During the year the most conspicuous en-
deavor has been that or the Sanitary
Improvement Company itself a Child Of
the Board of Trade) which has already
erected and placed in readiness for occu-
paucy eight buildings, subdiyided into
sixteen 1latS, in whicn people OF limited
means can be properly housed without
excessive cost to themselves. This is a
proper blending OF the business and phi
he done If we are TO rank with other
wideawak cities. Public baths are a
part of the municipal equipment in many
great centers OF population. Here we
have a bathing beach--which has surely
been productive of good-but that is not
sufficient. There should be baths of
ample capacity in two or three sections
OF the city, so that every resident deSirous
of using such aids to civilization could
do 20 without serious Inconvenience Per-
sonal cleanliness should be taught just as
20 rp1dipp writing and arifnTnPtip
it is an essential and must be a part of our
educational system
Fairgrounds and open air gymnasiums
are also desirable they do the best kind
of missionary work and have else Where
saved hundreds OF lives and characters
Here too, we are notably deficient We
have many parks but We are overcareful
ia their maintenance as decorative fea-
lures. Parks are, and ought to be, things
of beauty; they should also be means to
cultivate material good. This is recog
Boston, has recommended the borrowing
OF 5000, 600 with which to acquire and
equip public Fairgrounds. Such an in
yestment, Ike an investment in public
baths, would pay handsomely in better
citizens an d "a more exalted physical
standard.
II.ere must be strong and perSst ent agi-
tatlUn in behalf of an increased police
force. This is a most serious matter a $ to
which there cannot be any excess of zeal.
SelI preservation still continues to be
nature 5 first law, 50 We owe ii to oUr-
selves thatt his prOftin ent ne ed bea advocated
before Congress with all possible EN-
phaSis.
ne District National Guard should have
an armory. There is no weaker imitation
or economy than the governmental practice
Of renting buildings In all tie large and
progressive cities of this COUNTY, tie city
and State Join forces TO provide suitable
arHorieS for their troops, upen whom they
necess arily place great deal Of reliance.
The Nation al q Guard is not merely an army
4 is