Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-14

Louisiana avenues, and thence on line
parallel with the aforesaid southerly side
of Pennsylvania avenue to the westerly
line of 7th street at point eighty-six feet
from the corner began at; thence northerly
along the west line of 7th street to the cor
ner began at. Together with the right to
said District Of Columbia to use In com
mon with said party of the first part, as
passageway and court yard, all the lana
between the lot above described and line
drawn westerly from 18th to 9th streets zen
feet ncrth of the north walls of the presen.
It'll and 9th street buildings of said party OF
the first part; together with all the I'M
provements, ways, easements, r1ghts, priv
ileges and appurtenances to the same pc
longing or in any wise appertalhllis, anu
all the remainders, reversions, rents, issues,
and profits thereof; and all the estate
right title interest, claim and demand
either at law or in equity, or otnerWlse
however of the said party of the frst part
of, in and to, or out of the sald piece VI
parcel of ground and premises.
The Franchise Rental Reduced.
ION the same day the company executed
a CONVEYANCE of its interest in said prop
erty to the District of Columbia, which was
duly recorded on the 22d of the same month
In consideration of this concession the DIS
trict authorities agreed to reduce the iran
chise rental due annually from said mar
ket company, from $4,000 to $1,000. 1t had
previously been reduced by the legislative
assembly from $4,000 to $4,000.
1.-The District authorities received $4,000
to be applied in erecting new building
The said money appears TO nave peen pau
to the treasurer of the board OF PUBIC
works on the 9th day of August, 1913, IN
two installments one of $4,000 and the
other of $4,000. Five thousand dollars OF
this money was kept intact except such OF
it as used to make a slight excavation
for a cellar for the new building on the site
referred to.
How the Fund Melted.
1.-THE remainder of the $4,000 appears to
have been used by the board of public
works in the prosecution of municipal street
improvements and the specific object of its
appropriation protected, as the treasurer
of the board of public works naively testi-
fled before the congressional committee or
investigation, by the deposit in the bank,
under the orders of said board, OF $oO,ooO
in sewer certificates. After the board or
public works was abolished these sewer GER
titicates were invalidated by the act of
Congress of June 90 1874, which abolished
the territorial form of government, and
were subsequently Cancelled, leaving the
District with nothing but site with
small excavation in it to show for the
$4,000 it had received to commence the
erection of a city hall.
philadelphia has already expended more
than $14 100000 on a. city hall; Boston, over
$1,000 900; San Francisco about S5,OOOOOO;
Balt nn s$oooooo Oh Chicago Gag ne R1
falo nearly $S00,GOO. These amounts repre-
sent only the part contributed by the cities
in which the buildings are located. The
Commissioners nave recommended that
municipal building for the District of Co
lumba be erected at a cost of S12oO,oOO.
Repeated Efforts.
1.-The repeated efforts Of the Commission
ers by recommendation in their annual re-
ports, by correspondence, and by personal
effort, to provide accommodations for the
municipal offices adequate to the demands
for room for the proper transaction of the
Districts business, and to comport in APP
pearance with the dignity and Importance
of the local government of the capital city
of a great nation, are within the recent
knowledge of this board and the public. 1t
is discreditable to the nation that the mum
icipal government at its capital is obliged
to resort to he use of a rented building for
office purpos IS. One result OF the efforts of
the Commits ,Oners and of the pubic-spirit-
ed member of this community so largely
represented in this board has been the
preparation by the House committee on
public buildi lss and grounds of bill look
ing to the el ettiOn of a municipal building
on the site obtained by the board of public
works. Although not, at present, entirely
free from objections, this situation has
many advantages. 1t is at a point where
most of the urban street car lines converge
and is thus rendered accessible from all
portions of the city.
Site Specially Adapted.
THE portion of the city between the mall
and Pennsylvania avenue is specially adapt
ed for sites for public buildings. The To-
eating of the city post Office in that portion
of the city appears to be the keynote of a
policy to devote that section to that pur-
pose. This would admit of an arrange
ment of the department buildings in the
most suitable relationship to each other for
the convenient transaction of business, and
the artistic treatment of their surround
ings, and create on the south side of that
magnificent thoroughfare a vista of unpar-
alleled grandeur.
THE demand for a municipal building is
no longer a matter of sentiment. The sep
aration of the various departments of the
District government is accompanied by con-
tinued embarrassments to the Commission
ers and to all the heads of the depart
ments. With the surveyor located in one
building, the attorney in another and the
police, the street sweeping department. SUI
perntendent of charities, the health office
and the sealer of weights and measures all
separated from the main office of the Com
missioners, the public work is hindered and
greater expense and delay occasioned to
the people.
Records in Danger.
There is another consideration which
should compel speedy action on the part
of Congress. The records of the various
municipalities now stored IN the rented
building are invaluable for the protection of
the Districts interests, and also for the
interests of the United States. Their de-
structon by fire would lead to most disas-
trous results, and such destruction is now
possible at any time. There is not sufficient
room in the present building for the proper
conduct of the public business or for the
accommodation of the people who have to
visit the District headquarters, especially
when taxes are due. But beside all these
considerations there is a sentiment con-
nected with the matter When visitors come
to Washington from foreign lands and from
the states of the Union our people do not
bring them to visit the municipal quarters.
1t needs no argument to demonstrate that
the house which accommodates the munich
palty at the seat of the general govern
ment should in some respects be in keeping
with the grandeur of that government and
with it's dignity