Evening star., 1901-12-03

Rate of General Tax.
The rate of general tax for the year was
fixed at s1.5O each 500 of all taxable
personal property, and of all real property,
except that used solely for agriculture. pur-
poses. the rate of which was 81 per 500 of
assessed valuation.
Population.
The population of the District of Column
bia in 1900 was 27s,71s, according to the
United States census which was taken that
year The annual increase of the District
was nearly 5000 per annum for several
years previous to that census and the Com
mlssioners believe that no less rate of in
| crease mas continued to the present time.
Death of President Mckinley.
The Commissioners desire to record the
dc personal grief experienced by the peo-
pie of the District of Columbia in the t gic
death of the late President William Nc
| kinley at Buffalo the 14th day of Sep
tember last.
For nearly quarter of a century Mr.
| Mckinley had spent most of his time in
washington, which was his official home.
he mad done his greatest work and made
MS greatest fame here. His character and
his abilities We're appreciated here as no
where else except In his home town of Cam
ton. lie had many personal friends in
Washington and he was loved and admired
by many who had never met him. He had
always taken a personal interest of the
most friendly character in the affairs of
the District of Columbia, and had rendered
| it every service in his power.
| On the occasion of his second Inaugural
ton. March last, the citizens of the Dis
| trict of Columbia carried on with unusual
heartness the arrangements which in ac
cordance with CUSTOM they had made
| through an inaugural committee of the ira
dltlonal celebration of the event. In little
more than six months they We're mourufully
participating in the ceremonies of his
funeral, for which they had helped to ar
range through their official representative,
the president OF the Board Of Commission
ers of the District of Columbia, acting with
the Secretary of State, the Secretary of
War and the Secretary of the Navy.
The people of the District of Columbia
share the general feeling throughout he
country that there should be an appropriate
monumental memorial of President McKin-
ley in the national capital, and the Commits
sioners hope to see this accomplished.
General Development of the District.
| The Commissioners note with apprecia-
| tion the great increase in Congress and in
| the country of the desire to meet all the
| needs of the District of Columbia ade-
! quateIy, and TO make the national capital
| the most beautiful In the world. The cele-
| bratioE of the centennial of the District Of
Columbia in December last was the ocea-
sion for an unexampled and universal ex-
lowed by action In Congress which advanced
| the general Improvement of the District of
Columbia in an unprecedented fashion The
recommendations of the Commissioners that
Congress should provide adequately for this
purpose, regardless Of a temporary ap-
| parent deficiency in the District revenues
due TO the appropriation of a large portion
| or them for the purchase entirely at Dis
| trict expense of land for street extensions
| outside of the city of Washington. and with
| due regard for the fact that the large proi-
ects were for the benefit of the future as
| We'll as the present were accepted by Con-
gress which appropriated a much larger
amount for the District than in any former
year and provided for advances from the
FEDERAL treasury to meet the anticipated de-
hciency In District revenues. In this wav
| provision was made toward the completion
OF the sewage disposal system the colstruc-
ton OF a water filtration plant and the es-
/ tabllshment of an adequate water supply
besides the increased appropriations re-
CURED for increased District needs
Inc Commissioners In their estimates for
the next fiscal year, and in the recon-.
mendations which they may hereafter make
70 congress-, anticipate a continuance OF
thls policy OF broad-minded and far-seeina
coEslderation by Congress Of what ought to
pc done Ior the national capital, and there.
fore ask and will ask largely.
An important expression Of the new feel.
lnE In Congress respecting the District OF
Columbia was the creation, at the extra.
ordinary session Of the Senate in March
| last. under the authority OF Senate reso.
] luton, Dy the committee ON the District al
Columbia. OF commission Of eminenj
| arch1tects and landscape engineers to pre.
pare general plan for the Improvement
OF the park system Of the District Of Co.