Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-20

earliest possible date. 1t should be OF brick
and about 100 feet by 40 1t can be built
for 5000 We have absolutely no place of
shelter for records. models. valuable tools.
such road roller road scrapers, lawn
mowers, hose, stakes, shovels and hoes; nor
for water work and plumbers supplies, wa
ter pipe and fittings, tools, lathe, drills,
&C., nor for gardeners supplies, flower pots.
flower baskets, wire frames, Irvine, stakes;
nor for carpenters tools, and lathe, etc.
Also, there being no store rooms at the
Executive Mansion, such storehouse as
Is asked for would almost be paid for by
the money now expended to pay for stor-
age OF carpets, awnings, furniture, cloak
and hat boxes, band stand, chairs, music
stands, etc.
The second great need is for more park
Natchmen. There are now twenty-three
on the force, eighteen day and five night
watchmen, and the area to be guarded is
4Q1 acres.
More Watchmen Required.
With the increase of the city population
and the growing numbers of excursionists
and other travellers it is impossible to do
work required. Some idea of the travel to
Washington is given by the fact that on an
average 1900 people visit the top of the
Washington monument every month.
These are 90 per cent strangers. More
over, our poverty compeis us TO use the
park watchmen partially as laborers to
clean up trash, SO that 1t is not possible to
get full watchman's duty.
Again, a large amount of the damage
done in improved parks could be prevented
by having additional watchmen. The one
day Waterman now allowed for the White
Lot or Presidents Park is quite unable
to cope with scorching bicyclers. fast driv-
ers and trespassers on the grass and shrub
berry and patrol sixty-three acres of
ground. At night this large area with
thickets of shrubs is absolutely defense
less, as there is no night Waterman. After
dark no decent woman or couple of them
re- o. ha
on several occasions proved dangerous for
men. Robberies and other crimes occur
here every now and then, and this within
a thousand yards of the Executive Man
sion.
1t is a reprcach that this part of the
national capital should be the haunt of the
criminal classes of the city, especially IN
spring and summer, when the parks should
be safest.
In summer, owing to the crowds which
frequent the bathing beach on the Monu-
ment grounds, day Waterman is urgently
needed in that park. There is practically
now no Waterman for this large area OF
seyenty-eight acres in the day time, be-
cause the watchmen at the monument are
kept busy there all the time looking AFTER
visitors.
Still more is a night Waterman needed
here where there is none now. A good
deal of travel passes through this PARK. ana
its thickets are as dangerous and unpro-
tected as the Presidents Park. Moreover,
this park contains the propagating gar
dens and nursery, where there is a great
deal of valuable property, much of 1t IN
famable
Henry and Seaton Parks cover thirty-four
acres and are more freQuented than other
parks by lawless element. In the daytime
two watchmen are necessary ana are now
provided by law but only one night Watch-
man is now allowed. There is great need
of another night Waterman here-lt is 700
large and dangerous patrol for one man
at night For similar reasons, Gar1leld
Park covering twenty-four acres, serl-
ously needs a second Waterman.
An Inspector Wanted.
cannot express too strongly the urgent
need of an inspector of park watchmen.
There is no one now to patrol the city, see
that the park watchmen keep up their
duty, decide questions of duty for them'
hear and settle minor complaints, appear
in court as witness for trials without ieav-
ing the parks ungGarded (as now has TO be
done) report daily to the officer in charge
on discipline of the force and the perform
ance of guard duty, etc. The need OF such
a sergeant of park police is imperative, and
provision therefor is respectfully urged.
To sum up the matter of park watch
men, respectfully urge upon the attention
of Congress the imperative necessity for
the following additional park watchmen
for the preservation of public property and
public good order and decency, all of which
are included in my estimates:
One sergeant of park watchmen, $500; one
additional day and one additional night
Waterman for Presidents park at $123
each; one day and one, night Waterman at
Monument Park at $40 each; an additional
night Waterman at Henry and Seaton
Parks at $40 each, and one additional night
Waterman at Garfield Park at 500, max
ing total of $3.50.