Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-02
What Congress Has Done for the
District This Session.
IMPORTANT LEGISLATION ENACTED
House Measures Awaiting Sena-
torial Action.
WORK OF REPRESENTATIVES,

question
Every year Congress Is called upon to
consider the needs of the District of Co
lumbia and to specify in what way the
revenues should be expended with the
greatest justice to all sections of the COM
munity, with a view to making it an ideal
place for the workshops of the government,
to perfect sanitary conditions, to provide
every convenience for living that comes
within the domain of municipality and to
make the city as beautiful as the nation is
great.
So it is that the close of every session of
Congress marks an epoch in the progress of
Washington. Many great and pressing
needs of the city which must sooner or
later be supplied are annually presented
and urged by the board of trade, by citi-
zenS' associations, by various societies and
individuals, and, although Congress fire.
quently seems to respond reluctantly, yet
the response finally comes. During the
session now drawing to a close provision
has been made for many extremely i'm
portant improvements in the District, and
this has given the best evidence that con-
gressmen are becoming more and more
alive to the character of their responsible
ties as the legislators for the people here,
who. having no voice in their election, yet
must look to them for everything they
might get through a local legislature.
1t has been fortunate for the District
that senators and representatives now
serving on the committees having charge
of District matters take as great a personal
interest in them as II their home had al
ways been and always would be here. The
chairmen and other members of these COM
mittees are among the busiest men in Con-
gress, yet they have given literally of their
time in the consideration of the affairs of
the capital Senator Mcmillan, chairman
of the Senate committee on the District Of
Columbia, has always had the care of ex-
tensiye interests in Michigan, and the same
business Judgment which made his life
success has been brought to bear in his
dealings with the affairs of the District
Very many OF the most important improve
ments that have this year been secured for
the District have been the direct result of
his insistence that they should be made.
Mr.. Mcmillan in this work has had the as
sistance of Mr.. Charles Moore of Michigan.
who. as clerk of his committee, has kept
himself familiar with every detail of the
local needs
Amending the Highway Act.
Perhaps the most important local legisla-
ton enacted by Congress is the amendment
of the highway act of March 2, 1893. By
this amendment the making of any more
misht subdivisions Is prevented. and at the
same time property owners are in much
better position than they were under the
cid law. The law as amended leaves in the
first section of the highway map the mis-
fit subdivisions which skirt the city exactly
as they are, while the balance of the Dis
trict can be subdivided only in conformity
with the general plan for highway extern
sion as laid down on the maps which have
been adopted Congress will year by year
provide for opening and widening streets
through these mSfit subdivisions by spe-
cific appropriations for the purchase of the
necessary land and eventually the entire
District will doubtless be as beautifully laid
out for Improvement as was the city of
Washington by LEnfant. The board of
trade endeavored to secure the passage of
bill to complete the work of street extern
Sion through the fundamentally of one act
of Congress. but the more restricted meas
ure was finally deemed more practicable at
this session of Congress.
tqueduct TunseI and Reservoirs.
Another extremely important improve
ment provided for is the completion of the
Washington aqueduct tunnel and the How
ard University reservoir. which have been
useless since the scandals in relation to the
faulty construction of the aqueduct tunnel
caused a stoppage of the work on it. This
addition TO the water supply system of the
District OF Columbia is greatly needed in
some parts Of the city, and when the tun-
leI and reservoir ara completed the cause
Of much complaint will cease to exist. By
a provision placed in the District of Co
lumbia appropriat ton bill nearly 100000 is
made available for this purpose and the
work can be resumed under the chief of en-
gin=ers and completed in accordance with
the plans of the board of experts which
have been adopted.
A Step Toward Filtration.
Not only is this very important increase
Of the water supply OF the city provided
for, but the same bill takes an initial step
toward the construction of a system of
filtration of the entire water supply of the
District Of Columbia Thousands of filters
are now in use in houses here In order that
Clean and palatable water may be obtained,
put the great mass of the people are
Obliged to drink. to cook with and 10 battle
IN q nuid that large part OF the year holds
In solution An immense quantity of Poto-
mac river mud. IL not more dangerous
matter.
The first step to be taken toward corrsct-
Ing this evil is 10 determine upon the most
feasible method for altering all the water
that comes to the city. For this purpose
So,vo has b5en appropriated, and the chief
OF engineers is directed 10 submit a plan of
filtration to Congress, which will probably
be done next winter.
Free Public Library.
Congress has also placed the free public
library. which has SO long been needed, on
q firm foundation by appropriating $6.I20
for its maintenance during the coming
year. An appropriation for this purpose
has been sought for several years. but.
although its need has been apparent IT
has formerly been defeated and the city
mas presented the strange spectacle of a
rapidly growing center of learning and
the home OF great universities without
municipal circulating library.
Trimming school Building.
The educational system of the District
OF Columbia Will be greatly advanced by
the provision Congress has made for secur-
ing commodious manual training school
building for the first eight divisions of the
public schools For the purchase OF a site
for this purpose, and to begin construc-
ton, 5000 was appropriated the total
cost OF the site and building being hxed
at $4,000 and authority is given the Com
missioners to contract for the construction
OF the building. Manual training has been
demonstrated to be a most important fea-
ture of the public schools. and it is likely
That within a few years Washington will
have a manual training system in opera
tion that viii rival any such system In the
Country.
kindergarten instruction has also been
provided for BY an appropriation of 3D. oOe. I
Such instruction has long been advocated
Tor the public schools of Washington.
BY these appropriations the District of
Columbia makes desirable advance along
Lines of approved methods OF popular edu-
cation.
Extending the Sewerage System,
cornnlAfs sewsra svstap, To- A. M