Evening star., 1901-06-22

keeping with the dignity of a foreign
government. and at the same time the
legations, it is believed, will be better
provided with house quarters than is pos
sible under the system Of occupying rent
ed houses.
One of the structures that will be first
erected, If this project is carried out, will
cost, together with the ground, about
100000. 1t is proposed to open two
streets through the square, which can
terminate in the center with an orna
mental circle, thus forming a courtyard,
as it We're for all the residences which will
be grouped about it. 1t Is the aim to
have the buildings of a high grade, and
to make the surroundings of such char
acter as to add to the attractiveness of
the houses. that what may become
known as legation square will be one of
the notable places in the city.
Business and Residence Streets.
AS the building regulations make a dis
tinction between business streets and resi-
dences streets, and permit a greater height
in structures on the former than on the
latter, it becomes necessary in this city,
where the character of localities changes
so rapidly, to shift these groups. Two
such changes have been made quite recent
ly. That section of 18th street from
Pennsylvania avenue north to | street is
now officially classed q business street,
and it will be possible for the designer of
the great hotel building which it is pro-
posed to erect on the site of the Rich
mond Hotel, at the northeast corner of
18th and l streets, to add some thing to
the height of that structure, and in this
way make it commercially more valuable.
Another change of like character is in the
designation of that portion of H street
between 18th and 18th streets northwest.
1t is understood that a plan is now under
consideration for the erection in that block
of an apartment house which will be one
of the largest ever put up in this city.
Millions for District Uses.
In the course of the next few days, when
| the fiscal year in the calendar of the Dis
trict government begins, there will be avail
able to meet the annual expenses of the
municipal government Of the District over
eight millions of dollars, or, to be precise,
SS 467,S3 This amount is to be spent dur
ing the ensuing twelve months to keep the
governmental machinery going. AS in most
every other phase of the District, growth
is shown in these figures, for the total
amount is nearly a million in excess of
that which available for the same
purposes last year.
How this money is spent is tale that is
soon told, and it may be added that a
larger percentage reaches the objects con-
templated than is the case in any other
municipality in this country. The public
schools get the largest single slice of the
total amount, as the appropriation for
that interest is $1,316,671, which does not
include the sum of $39S, 900 made available
for the purchase of sites and the erection of
school buildings.
Streets and Sewers.
The next greatest charge upon the public
funds is the interest on the debt and the
provision for the sinking fund, which takes
out the sum of $1,213,947. An item-or
rather a series of items-of perhaps more
interest those which provide the money
that Is to be spent on repairs to streets and
| roads and new pavements, new bridges and
repairs-in fact, the entire group of what
is known as surface work. For such pur-
poses the sum of 1891 800 is to be expended
during the coming fiscal year. A goodly
amount Is to be used on the sewers of the
District, both in extensions and in new lines
and as the amount given is sS41, 600, this
important municipal charge ranks fourth
in the list.
Then comes the support of the police.
which next year will draw from the public
funds the sum of s737, ,565. There is to be
expended for the maintenance of the fire
department the sum of 1886 $40, while for
the water department and the increase of
the water supply there is provided S293 910
This latter sum does not, Of course, in