Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-06
Grounds of Objection.

Those who oppose the erection OF the new
workhouse in the eastern section Of the
city on the grounds adjacent to the aims
house and the Jail base their opposition on
several grounds the principal ones being
the belief that the presence of such institu-
tons has and will seriously retard, If not
absolutely block, the development Of the
city eastward.
Then, too, it is contended by those who
object to the erection of the new work
house adjacent to the old one that no pris-
on should be located anywhere within the
city limits and especially not one of the
kind proposed. The presence of a prison,
it is believed by those who desire their re-
moyal beyond the city limits, is in no sense
a pleasant sight, and they should therefore
be located where they will be seldom seen.
At meeting of the board of trade COM
mittee on charities and correction the 18th
of last January Messrs. Samuel w. Curri-
den, Charles F. Nesbit, William F. Downey,
A. S. Caywood and Thomas w. Sidwell
were appointed a subcommittee to consider
a resolution which declared 1t to be the
sense of the full committee that the pres
ent needs of the city and District demand
better and additional Jail and penitentiary
facilities, and also better and additional
almshouse and workhouse facilities, and
which requested an investigation and re-
port by the subcommittee. At subsequent
meeting of the full committee the draft of
a proposed bill providing for the erection
within the District of a penitentiary, with
laws necessary for its control and manage
ment was referred to the subcommittee.
The Subcom mittee's Report.
The task imposed upon this subcommittee
seemed to it's members to grow with their
| study of the matters referred to them, and
| in report to the full committee the latter
part of last March 1t was stated that at the
| close of he first century of the nations cap
| tal it has a Jail. workhouse and almshouse
system far behind what a city of the size
and character of Washington ought to have.
"TheSe three Institutions, reported the
! subcommittee, under the control of two
| different branches of the government, are
located close to each other, directly east OF
| the Capitol and so placed that they nave
| long blocked the way to Improvement and
growth in that direction of our city. 1t Is
| only question of a few years when every
| interest. including % the growth of the city
eastward and the extension of its streets;
| (2) economic al administration. and CD the
health of officers and employees, and of the
hundreds If not thousands of the wards and
! inmates maintained and confined therein.
will be compelled to unite in the effort to
secure the removal of these institutions
| from the site now occupied by them the
estimates submitted for the current fiscal
year by the management of one OF these In
situations include a sum Of $50. 7S2. so for
the purchase of three additional squares,
bringing these unfortunates so much nearer
the Capitol building, and so much the more
blocking the eastward extension of streets,
which, without these institutions, would
long since have been prosperous thorough
fares, and the site of many private resi-
dences. 1t should never be forgotten that
century ago the more desirable section of
the new nations new home was not west.
but eastward of the Capitol, and extending
to the river on the east, then navigable as
far as Bladensburg, which section when
the Anacostia fats are reclaimed will again
be recognized as in every way fitted for
residential use and made proportionately
valuable"
Submits RecOmme Ida lions.
The subcommittee, therefore. unanimous
| ly recommended that at as early day as
possible the municipal authorities be re-
| quested by the board of trade to formulate
| jointly plan for-1. The ultimate removal
from their present sites of the Jail. the
| workhouse and the almshouse with their
respective necessary adjuncts of potter's
| field, isolated wards, etc. 2. A plan for the
separation of these three institutions. 3.
The location of each on a site specially
adapted for it's needs. to the end that each
of these necessary institutions can, at
minimum of cost and annoyance to the
kcommunity perform the maximum of serv-
Ice not only now required of each, re-
L.