Evening star., 1899-03-04
LOCAL LEGISLAT ION
What ae Session Just Closed Has Done
for The District
THE RESULT HAS been SATISFACTORY
Measures Increasing the Health and Beauty
Of the City.
SUMMARY OF THE LAWS ENACTED

| The Congress that has just closed must
| be regarded a very satisfactory one for
| the people of the District of Columbia. In
the Senate and House the District has found
| many friends who have worked for the
| best interests of the capital, and whose en-
ergy and intelligence have contributed
| much to promote its grandeur and beauty.
| The legislation that has been enacted
| for the District is scattered in various ap-
| preparation bills and in separate measures.
| AS n result of the action of the Congress
| that has now gone into history Washing
| ton will add to her stately public buildings
| and will obtain Improvements contributing
| to the beauty, utility and health of the Dis
| trict.
| 1t is often impossible to point out the
| friends of the District when they are seen
| to spring up at times from unexpected
| places, serving on various committees and
| showing their patriotic interest in Washing
! ton by their acts. The committees on the
| District of both Senate and House have
| transacted very large amount of business,
| as have the appropriations committees, and
| have acted judiciously and wisely with a
| view to securing the maximum of improve
| mcnt for the expenditures to be made.
Mr.. Mcmillan, chairman of the Senate Dis
| trict committee, takes just pride in the
| District which he has seen becoming more
| and more beautiful every year he has labor
| ed in its interest He has long been ably
assisted in his work by Mr. Charles Moore,
clerk of the committee, and who is familiar
| with every detail of local legislation.
Representative Babcock has proven so
popular in his assignment as chairman of
the House District committee that When
his election to the Senate was suggested
protests were made by citizens against hav-
ing him leave that committee. Mr.. Harry
w. Barney is clerk of the House committee,
| and has become extremely valuable in that
capacity.
Circumstances have served to prove the
efficient interest in District affairs of
Chairman David H. Mercer of Nebraska,
chairman of the House committee on pub
lie buildings and grounds. His activity and
resolution combined to ensure the enact
| ment of the bill providing site for the
Carnegie building for the Washington Pub
| lie Library, even VIXEN conditions were
| most adverse The clerk of this committee
| Mr. William H. Wheeler, aided materially
| in this enterprise. Mr.. Mercer's response
| to the call for new building for the De-
partment of Justice likewise redounded
to the benefit of the District.
The city OF Washington is to be congrat-
ulated upon the prospect of receiving sew
eral handsome public buildings in the near
future. One of these is the addition to the
and new Department of Justice building,
for which S1,000,0O0 has been appropriated.
The government printing office building
Will face on North Capitol and q streets,
adjoining the present printing Office building
on the south. The dilapidated old building
in which 1000 people have so long been
obliged to risk their lives will doubtless be
torn down very soon after this addition is
erected to make way for the balance of the
structure, which will be necessary to COM
plete the plant. To begin the construction
of this building $35O,0OO is made immedi-
ately available.
The employees of the government printing
office will also congratulate themselves still
more on having a provision in the sundry
civil hill allowing the Dnhlie nriptpF
in his discretion, all printers and bookbind-
ers there at the rate OF 30 cents per hour
for the time they are actually employed.
The plan to have the Department of JUS
tce provided with a new building on the site
cf the present structure, together with the
| land now owned by the government at the
corner of Pennsylvania avenue and Madison
place, is familiar to all the readers of The
| Star, as it was In that paper that the dan
gerous condition of the present structure
was first made known to the public. The
| building will cost 81 ,000,0 900.
| The lovers of books will find much on
which to congratulate themselves because
| of the action of Congress in providing a
site for the library building to be donated
Mount Vernon Square will make a hand
| some site for a handsome structure
While the library bill was meeting
| obstacles from various sources not
| only did Senators Mcmillan and Represen-
| tative Mercer and others in both houses
work persistently to secure Its final pas
sage. but Mr.. B. H. Warner was about the
Capitol doing valiant work at all times.
| The legislation in relation to the library
| is printed elsewhere at length.
Potomac River Improvement.
| The Potomac river will be very material
| ly improved for purposes Of navigation by
| the provision made for 1t in the river and
| harbor bill which appropriated s100 600 for
work at and below the city of Washington
| with a provision that the Secretary of War
enter into contract for work necessary
| for the completion Of the improvements
| below the city not to exceed in the aggre-
CRATE S15O,0OO.
The Public Schools.
The facilities in the public schools will be
| increased materially. For long time the
unsanitary plumbing in many of the older
school buildings has been a menace to the
! health of the children who have had to be
| in them during the day, and Gen. Harries
and other trustees has been persistent ad-
| vocates of improved conditions. For i'm
provements in plumbing $25, 900 is secured
| for the next fiscal year. For tools, &C., for
| the manual training school, $4,000 is al
| lowed and for completing manual training
| school for the first eight divisions 100000
! is made Immediately available, the total
| cost including a site not to exceed $50 600.
| There will be a new eight-room building in
| the seventh division to cost $47,500; one
| eight room building at E1llSdale, $30,OUO, a
| four room building at Takoma Park to cost
$4,000. and $4,000 is secured to purchase
| the lot adjoining the annex of the Peabody.
| The ninth, tenth and eleventh divisions are
I to have manual training school to cost
$50, 600, $4,000 being appropriated to begin
/ work.
| Extension of Streets.
| Although Congress has failed to pass any
| general legislation for the extension Of
| streets, a considerable number of extern
sions of thoroughfares were provided for.
Most Of this legislation Is embraced in the
acts to extend s street and Pennsylvania
| avenue northeast. The most important OF
these extensions is that relating to 10th
street. which Is extended according to the
highway plans, northward to the District
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