Evening star., 1898-01-19
CIR AIN
RECLAMATION OF THE FLATS.
Improvement Subject Ia he Discussed
ny the Bonrd of Trnd.

The new policy adopted by the Washing
ton board of trade Of holding frequent
meetings for the consideration of sp.,.iiis
SUBJECTS. Is bearing good fruit. In the first
piace IL IS attracting many new members
from the class of citizens who have hitherto
heSitated about becoming such. and in The
second IL Is awakening a new interest
among senators and representatives In af-
fairs relating to the District.
The consideration Of the highway extern
son act at the meeting OF December 20
instructed coreressmen in no small degree
Upon he sentiment Of the population upon
lhat important question, and the same cf-
feet was produced by the meeting of jan
uary q, when the subjects of taxation.
assessment and sewerage were taken up.
February the water supply and the public
school luesticLs will be considered To-
morrow night at $50 a meeting will bc
held, the Importance of which demands the
attendance OF every member Of the organ
ization. The subject to be considered is the
report of the committee on public health,
with which tine committee on river and
harbor improvements has combined for the
occ.>-0n.
The membership Of the two committees
is follows:
Public health-SurEeon General Geo. VI.
Sternberg. L. $. A, chairman; Thomas W.
~
Johnston, DIR. q. Lloyd Magruder. Wm. y
Thompson, Tracy l.. Jefords. Samuel :.
Shedd, DIR. ii. L. +. johnson. DR. w. y. q.
Hszen, DR.. l.. w. Ritchic. William J. Friz-
Zell, Andrew NJ Green, Dr. ]. B. Gregg
Custis DIR. J. f. Jones, John T. Freeman,
Charles 7. Yoder, George w. Casilear Dr.
George Henderson, John c. Heald and II.
w. Fuller.
River and .harbor improvements-Thom
", Smith. chairman: Henry l.. Biscne.
J. Harrison Johnson. Park Agnew. Randall
Hagner, John B. Dunckles. Tracy L. jet
forGs William T. Walker, Andrew Archer,
William A. Wimsatt. Michael |. Weller.
Henry a. Griswod Corcoran Thorn. Henry
X. Simpson and Jesse c. ErgooG.
The Commfttec's Report.
The report of the committee on public
health. which will be considered at the
meeting, renews the recommendations
made in the reports of 1S.A6 and 1897. and
proceeds to emphasize those in regard to
sewage disposal. water supply and recla-
nation of the Anacostia flats. and says
that the city of Washington being the
capital of the United States should be
placed and kept In the best sanitary con-
dltion. which cannot be accomplished while
the system of sewage disposal remains un-
finished. the system OF drinking water sup
ply is Inadequate and without any proper
and effective method of publication, and
the Anacostia flats continue a menace 10
the health of the people.
tGtes except the cost Of complete
system of sewerage disposal and satisfac-
tory method of publication of the drink
ing water have proven futile. The con-
tinuance in some cases of increasing prev
alence of diseases, mainly, if not entirely,
attributable to insanitary conditions ap-
peals with such force, says the commit
tee, to every good citizen that it will unite
the whole people in active cooperation
with the authorities and the board Of
trade in an earnest effort TO place and
keep the capital city in the best sanitary
condition. and to insure such expenditure
as may be necessary for that purpose. The
report recites the condition Of the Ana
costa, whose length in the District is
about six and "A half miles.
The area of the flats between high water
marks is over a thousand acres the tile
to which is all in the United States. one
of the largest scy ers in the District emp
ties great volume of sewerage upon these
flats. ana nearly one-half of the city sew
erage is dis charged there. The report
states that three direct advantages would
accrue from their reclamation, namely, the
deepening and widening of a navigable
stream. more wharfage and less insanitary
condition. The widening and deepening of
the channel to AEsccstia bridge, says the
report. would make valuable over one
mile of wharf front. which would belong TO
the United States, and could probably be
sCld for enough to more than pay the en-
tire cost of the proposed amendment.
Favorable Report to the senate.
In connection with the meeting and the
subject to be considered, the report made
by Senator Proctor January ii from the
committee the District of Columbia
recommending the adoption of the Joint
resolution making an appropriation for
the Improvement of the Anacostia river and
the reclamation Of its flats, will be found
extremely interesting.
The report commences by declaring that
the reclamation of the Anacostia flats is
Indispensable to the health of a very con-
siderable portion of the population of the
District of Columbia
The work., continues the report ais
made the more necessary because thou
sands of people who cannot help them
selves are forced to live where the emana-
uons from these flats cause widespread
disease and frequent deaths OF all i'm
provements needed for the health and COM
fort of the people of the District of Column