The times., 1898-12-06
lie facilities for rowing and sailing under
municipal regulation and surveillance.
street Cleaning.

1
| ''The contract for sprinkling, sweeping
and cleaning of the streets and avenues of
the District will expire on June 30, 1899.
This contract was limited to two years,
the Commissioners believing that at the
| end Of that time they would be able to
demonstrate to Congress the advisabiiity
| of abolishing the contract system and
| have the entire work of cleaning by day
J labor under their direct control. The at
| tention of Congress has been heretofore
| invited to the eminently satisfactory re-
suits attained by the hand cleaning sys-
TEN here. and the adyisability of substi-
tuting it in lieu of the contract system
throughout the District.
After four months trial. beginning
July /. the superintendent of street clean
ing reports that he has cleaned daily S0S,-
| 5l2 square yards. or total of 29.5lS. 6S9
! square yards OF street paving. at total
| cost of $5.t9se9 which is at the rate OF a
trifie less than 1-5 cents per thousand
square yards. The contractors price for
! the same kind of work Is 81 cents per
thousand square yards. The superintend-
ent also states that during this year,
under the provision above quoted. the
| District will sweep by the hand cleaning
method. at cost of Sl5.o00 an area equal
4
to the District of s26.2i2.Sl 1t should be
also stated in this connection that the
contractor pays his laborers on the hand
cleaning work 81 per day, while the Dis
trict has paid them. for the same work
Sl.25 per day. No stronger argument in
| favor of the abolition of the present sys-
TEN OF contract work could be made.
Under the hand cleaning system the.
| streets have been kept much cleaner and
hi,
the day; there are no clouds of dust swept
and thrown in the faces of pedestrians,
and no noisy. boisterous gangs Of men or
rafting carts and sweeping machines in
the middle of the night. At the same
| time. more of our worthy laboring men
! are given employment and at better wages
under the hand cleaning than under the
machine cleaning method Petitions and
| requests of representative citizens for the
extension of the hand cleaning system
have been SO numerous, and the results of
| the operation of that system here have
been so highly satisfactory, that the
Commissioners are convinced that the
entire area of the improved streets and
avenues should be cleaned by hand labor
under direct municipal control without
the intervention of contractor.
District Militia.
The Commissioners reiterate the rec
ommendatioD in their last annual report
that the entire supervision and control of
| the militia be vested in the Secretary OF
War
The Commissioners are pleased with
the influence which this organization has
had upon the military history of ,he Dis
| trict. The recent call to arms in the con-
iiict between this country and Spain found
Ii well prepared to provide many trained
volunteers of all ranks for the regiment
which the District furnished TO maintain
the national honor. and for other fields
of public duty. The soldierly bearing of
the Districts representatives in the army
during every phase of their service. in the
camp, on the march, In the midst OF pes
thence, and in the presence of the enemy,
Is matter OF national repute and of JUS
| tiiiable local pride.
Civil Service.
The Commissioners renew their recon-
mendation that the District Government
be placed within the purview of the civil
service laws. The reasons for such ac-
ton, given in previous reports. stin ap-
ply with increased force
Police Department.
Earnest efforts have been made to i'm
prove the condition of this department
so as to get the greatest advantage out
of the small number of men allowed the
District for the prevention of crime. The
old and feeble have been retired and their
places filed with active young men. All
the mounted men have been detailed to
the county, enabling the department to
give better attention TO u large territory
hitherto unprotected.
1.-The bicycle squad has been increased
from FIVE to twenty. The Introduction of
the bicycle has proved a very decided
benefit. They are now assigned to pre-
cincts, and their duties prescribed by the
lieutenants. The department has no apol-
ogies to make for the record of the past
year. 1t has done exceedingly we'll. AL
though unusual conditions have existed
in connection with the recent war. which
brought many criminals and cranks to
the city, the record is good. especially in
keeping down and apprehending criminals
of the higher grade
$50 much has been said regarding the
inadequacy of the force III point of num-
bers. and the fact has been so thoroughly
demonstrated, that it seems unnecessary
to say more, Strong efforts will be made
during the coming session of Congress
to secure its enlargement to a point
the work to be done and the property
and territory to be guarded.
Attention is more particularly invited
to the condition of the station houses
Taken as whole, the stations are very
far behind the modern stations of other
cities and not at all what Washington
should have.
LAS inadequate as these accommoda-
tions are we can get along pretty well
without much change at present. The cells
are absolutely insecure and discreditable
Made of brick with old fashioned doors
and the crudest sanitary arrangements
they are unsafe and unsightiy and should
be substituted at the earliest possible
date with the modern steel cell.
1.-THE contingent fund should be en-
larged to an amount sufficient to meet
necessary expenses without a deficiency
and suitable amount provided for the
prevention and detection of crime In
order to secure criminals rewards must
be offered and the travelling expenses of
detectives met, as well as other ex-
penses incidental to such work. The de-
partment has been hampered in securing
the arrest of criminals because of the
inadequacy of the appropriation.
1.-The most important change would be
by far the erection of central police
station. The station now occupied as the
headquarters of this precinct, located in
Twelfth Street between C and D Streets
northwest has been rendered almost nm
fit for use by the erection of the civ
postoffice, which towers SO far above It
as to completely darken the building. In
addition to this the cellar is always damp
owing to the fact that the sewerage is
above the floor. the water sometimes
rising so high as to put out the fire in
the furnace 1t would be better il a
building could be erected which would be
complete and modern. 1t should he