Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-05

a most complete and effective service.
Much care and attention is given to the
maintenance of such lines as are still ovei
head; an additional appropriation is asked
with which to continue the good work of
burying the wires. also for further equip
ping the service by complete telephone con-
nections, which will increase the efficiency
In every department.
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
work of SeaIer the Past Year-Other
Interests.
THE good work inaugurated by the seal
er of weights and measures last year has
been maintained, the city has been thor
oughly canvassed and scales and meas
urcs tested many Of those proving defec
tive were destroyed and generally improved
conditions are noticeable. and the number
of complaints regarding dishonest dealers
have been remarkably few
THE receipts of the office show the
amount of work accomplished, and It is
gratifying to note that, although the ex-
penses have increased, there has been
larger increase proportionately in these
receipts, so that the office is more than
self-suStaining. y few facts reported to
the seaier may be of interest to the pub
lie The total number of scales tested and
sealed during the year was 13.4S4: the
number of measures tested and sealed.
sealed. 11S9. The sealer says the losses to
the public by the use of short measures
can hardly be estimated, but surely il has
amounted to thousands of dollars and TO
n class upon whom the loss falls very heaV-
lily. From December 1, 1897, to July 1. 1898,
seven months, 1921 measures, and III the
past twelve months 426 measures, were
confscated showing great Improvement
curing the past year over the pre- ,-iouS
year. Rigid examinations and regular in
specticn of scales and measures have had
the desired effect of diminishing the num-
!er of false weights and measures.
Public Vehicles.
Vigorous action has been taken by the
hack inspector supplemented with such
assistance as the Commissioners could
give him, to improve the conditions rela-
tive to public vehicles in the District. 1t
is satisfactory to state that, in adj
ditiOn to the fine cab system inaugurated
by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company,
there is a growing disposition on the part
of those engaged in the business OF keep
ing hacks for hire on the street to In
prove them in appearance: many disreputa-
BILE old vehicles have been abandoned. and
in their places are vehicles that are clean
and slightly. Attention is given also to
the matter of rates. to prevent imposition
charges. Arrangements have already been
made whereby cabs will be distinctly des-
ignated as to number, and folders giving
the exact rates will be plenufully supplied
to each vehicle, so that there may be no
OVcrCharging and no difficulty on the part
Of the passenger in learning the proper
rates. 1t is confidently believed that an
other year will II ara still greater improve
lnents in the cab service of the city.
The Excise Board.
"A reduction in the number of bar rooms
is noted in the report of the excise board,
the total number allowed being JIG, re-
auction of sixteen during the year, while
the total number of wholesale licenses is
sued was l25, a reduction Of nine.
During the year a bill became law
prohibiting the sale of beer on Sunday by
the manufacturers thereof, which has had
a markedly beneflcent effect, and for the
passage of which many citizens are thank
full. a bill is still pending before Com
gress which will take the place Of the
various laws relating to the sale of liquor
in the District, and 1t is believed will still
further improve general conditions with
out doing any Injustice to those who en-
gage In its sale.
Harbor Masters Office.
The harbor master has continued TO do
excellent police work with his boat still la
boring. however, under the old conditions
of having Inadequate machinery. Congress
failed to appropriate the amount asked
for to equip the boat with new boilers and
engines. When so much good for the water
front is accomplished at such small out
lay, it does seem as though the amount
asked for to make the boat complete should
be allowed. Especially IS this true at this
time. inasmuch the Supreme Court of
the United States has decided that all the
water front Is the property of the United
States. ard by a recent act of Congress the
entire wharfage, with a very slight excep-
ton, Is placed under the control Of the
Commissioners. with authority and discre-
ton to exercise entire supervision over it.
This will greatly increase the work of the
n a rhn n .f f16 Il Oh mot hn
stricted and hampered with inadequate APP
pliances.
Clearing the River of Ice.
A very important service rendered by
the harbor master, and one for which he
deserves high commentator, was that of
breaking the ice in the channel Of the Po-
tomac river. providing for its escape down
the river i'll time to allow the free passage
Of large blocks of ice from the upper river
that seriously threatened this city with
flood during the extremely cold weather in
February, 1889.
when this condition was presented a re-
quest m lde for 81 900 from Congress to
protect the city from flood and break up
the Ice In the river. The amount seemed
very small compared with the amount Of
work to he done but the harbor master Sc
cured a number of tugs and organizing
them as a fleet and engaging them for ten
days. with them managed to break the ice
effectively and keep the channel open; so
the crlSit was pause without any loss what
ever. There were times during those excit-
ing days when simply a little negligence
would have occasioned a gorge at the forks
of the channel, damming the water and
throwing it back through p street sewer
onto the streets and into the cellars be-
tween the Capitol and the treasury and
Pennsylvania avenue and streets south of
it which would have involved loss of a
million or more dollars. When the work
was completed II was found that the total
expense incurred in accomplishing such a
great enterprise was $3S0s.45 leaving unex-
pended balance of this small appropria-
ton of 81 ,u91.i5.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
conditions as shown by Report of the
District Official.
''ThR VarinnS branches OF tho hnn1.l, i.,