The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-04
DEMAND FOR IMPROVEMENT.
A Loan Suggested as the Means of
Meeting Expenses.


"There is pressing demand for certain
municipal improvements which have from
time to time received consideration from
the committees OF Congress, and which,
in the opinion of the Commissioners, can
not longer be ignored. 1t would be an in.
suit to the public spirit of our national
legislators to intimate that these Ieces-
sary improvements would for moment
be postponed if the revenues OF the DIS
trict were now sufficient to meet the Dis
trict's one-half of the expenditures re-
quired for their completion.
This demand includes municipal
building. the completion Of the sewage
disposal system, the construction OF a
water filtration plant, and the installation
of a complete system for the maintenance
of an abundant water supply to all parts
of the District.
THE Commissioners do not believe that
these important and urgent matters snouio
be postponed until the revenues OF the
District become sufficient in amount to
nrovide for the payment OF the one-half
chargeable to the municipality. In view OF
their paramount Importance to the very
we'll being of the people OF the District,
and SO far as the most OF them are con-
cerned. to the health of the public ofncials
residing here the public works mentioned
should be begun at once and carried TO
their earliest possible completion
ITO accomplish this purpose one OF Two
plans should be authorized by the Con-
gress-frst, an advance by the united
States of the amount necessary to meet
the Districts one half OF the necessary ex-
penditures, to be repaid in annual install
mepts; or. second the issuance OF bonds
tn an amount necessary to meet the Dis
tf1ct's one-half OF the necessary expendl-
lures to bear interest at the rate oil per
cent per annum, with the payment or the
principal and interest guaranteed by the
United States.
1.-The benefits to be derived from these
proposed public works would enure to the
benefit of the people Of the United states
and the District of Columbia during the
next century. The Commissioners believe
that 1t would be wise policy to make
these improvements for the Washington OF
the future. and to pledge future revenues
for the payment of the same.
The Commissioners say, with reference
to the proposed improvement OF the Ana
costa River by the Federal authorities,
that they regard this proposed improve
ment rs one of the highest Importance to
tho best interests of the National Capital.
In support of this view they say that a
report upon the location and number OF
cases Of malarial diseases in the District
submitted by the Health Department shows
that, in the northeast section OF the city,
with a population of II per cent Oh the
said total, there were found Fl per cent OF
the total number OF malarial cases, in the
southeast section, with 10 per cent OF the
total population. II per cent OF the total
number of malarlal cases were found. and
! east OF the Anacostia River. with 4 per
cent of the total population, the number OF
malarinl cases amounted to IA per cent OF
the total.
Speaking OF the act Of Congress creating
| tho Board of Charities, the Commission
ers state that the people OF the District
| we're gratifled by the appointment OF 5. W
| Woodward. John Joy Edison. Simon VOL
| George w. Cook, and Charles P. NeiIl as
members of this Board of Charities. They
promptly took up the work assigned to
them by the act Of Congress and Will be
prepared to submit the preliminary repor.
respecting 1t at the coming session o!
| Congress. transmitting. in the mean time
an estimate for substantially the same
appropriation as was made last year for
the institutions under the supervision oil
the board. It Is believed that this board
will be able to carry out the purpose OF
| the act and thus bring about a better sys-
| tenn of public charities.