Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-02


erence to the laws of hygiene is Imperative
ly needed.
tuberculosis and Smallpox.-Action has
oeen taken looking toward the more fire.
quent disinfection of premises on which
cases or consumption have occurred. Cir
culars have been prepared giving instruc-
tlon relative TO the spread of this disease
Tor the diffusion of knowledge concerning
II. PROVISION should, however. be made
Tor the hospital accommodation of the tu-
Dercular patients, at least of such as are in
advanced stages of the disease. The re-
movai or these patients from their homes
Wouid ADD materially to their comfort. and
would diminish greatly the danger of in
rection of those residing on the same prem
Uses. Such construction has been duly pro-
Vided for in the proposed municipal hos
pltal: ana 1t is earnestly recommended that
provision be made for the immediate conf
mencement of work on the tubercular
wards of that institution
Smallpox has been present In the District
as the result of importations from other
communities.
Inspection of Food.-Through increased
appropriations made last year the efficiency
or the inspection Of foods and drugs by the
heath department has been materially in
creased.
Smoke Law.-The law for the prevention
OF dense black or gray smoke has been
Vigorously enforced and material progress
MADE toward accomplishing the purpose for
Wnich 1t was enacted Four of the prose-
cutlons brought under this law were carried
10 the Court Of Appeals, where the valid
10y Oh the law and the proceedings taken
hereunder were duly sustained. Two of
these cases are now pending in the Su-
preme Court Of the United States
removal of Weeds.-Special work was
ootie curing the summer months toward the
enforcement of the law requiring the re-
moVai OF weeds. The appropriation, 81 600.
was however, not sufficient to permit the
general enforcement of this act. The
permissible height of weeds eighteen inches
instead or four inches has been recon-
mended by the Commissioners so as to di-
minlsh the cost of the general enforcement
more reasonable
Pound servlce.-Previous recommendations
TOR an appropriation for the p,r-
chase of site for and the con-
struction OF new pound, and for a general
stable for the health department, are re-
neWed., The pound service extends to every
part of the District of Columbia The laws
providing for the impounding of stray ami
mals can not be thoroughly enforced, there
fore, with but one wagon, as provided for
by present appropriations.
Department of Insurance,
The department of insurance of the Dis
tr1ct OF Columbia was created by act Of
Congress March 3, 1901, to become oper-
alive January l, 1902. Provision under that
act was made only for superintendent and
one clerk. The last session of Congress
created the office Of examiner for the de-
partment and appropriated $500 for extra
clerk hire. The working force of the de-
partment is still deficient in respect to a
regularly appointed stenographer, chief
clerk, statistician and a sufficient allowance
for extra clerk hire, which the superintend-
ent OF insurance strongly recommended in
MS preliminary report to the Commission
ers August 80 last covering the transactions
OF the department from January l to july
1902. -
Without these additional assistants 1t will
be impossible to prepare a detailed statisti-
Cal pound report corresponding to those
published by state insurance departments
the puDlcatlon of such annual reports being
regarded as one Of the most important. fea-
lures of insurance supervision
Considering the need of an Insurance de-
partment in the District of Columbia the
chaotic state Of affairs when 1t was started.
the lack of suitable assistants together
with the present defective laws the work Of
the department has advanced satisfactorily
and much good in the interest of the public
has already been accomplished. 1t will take
year yet at least to get the department in
systematic working order, the work at this
date being fully six months behind the
statutory requirements.
AT the earliest day possible the insur-
ance laws of the District Of Columbia
should be revised to correspond with local
heedS WHICH we strongly recommend.
1t Is estimated that the revenue arising
from the insurance department will amount
to over $4,000 the first year, and that 1t
VIII probably show an annual increase
thereafter
Street Cleaning Department.
In July, 1901, a contract was entered into
with the Sanitary Street Cleaning Com
pany of this city, whereby the District
rented 100 hand pickup" sweeping ma
chimes for one year, at $6.25 each per
month, the company to maintain and keep
them in good order during that period and
the machines to become the property of
the District on July 1, 1902. The daily
area cleaned by hand in 1901 was 1865 800
square yards, and in 1902, 192O417 square
yards, an increase OF 354, sos square yards
per day. The same number of laborers
were employed on this class Of work dur
ing both years, and the increased area
cleaned is therefore due solely to the adop-
ton of the hand sweeping machines. The
cost per LOCO square yards in 1901, under
the hand broom system, was 1876 cents and
In 1902 this was reduced to 1873 cents per
LOCO square yards. At the rate per 1000
square yards under the hand broom
method in 1901 the increased area cleaned
last year would have cost $1S912 addi-
tional The superintendent estimates that
during the current year the cost Of hand
cleaning will be reduced to less than Is
cents per l,UOU square yarQS, due to the
fact that the hand sweeping machines are
now the property of the District
The machine cleaning is done under con-
tract at 10 cents per 1000 square yards
During the past year 1000 square yards
of paved surface were cleaned daily, as
compared with 100000 square yards the
previous year.
The unimproved streets are cleaned by
contract at the contract price of S64 per
day. For this sum the contractor furnishes
SO laborers, II horses and carts with driv-
ers and all tools necessary to do the work.
The area cleaned during 1892 was 80 75i 697
square yards, against $3.50, sos square
yards the previous year; an increase of
4 1881 ,O04 square yards.
The alley cleaning is done under con-
tract at 32B cents per LOCO square yards
The past year showed a slight increase in
area cleaned over the previous year.
During 1902 IA miles Of unimproved streets
and avenues were sprinkled, daily, as
against 10 miles per day the previous year.
The cost of this work for the past year
was $315027, and In 1901 $2,4S576, the In
creased expenditure being due to the greater
number of days worked in 1902 During
both years there were but sprinklers in
use and 1t was necessary, in order to sprin-
kle the increased area, to go over the streets
less frequently during the day.
There were also a number Of sprinkling
wagons used in the engineer department In
connection with the repair of county roads
The contract rate for the collection and
disposal of garbage and dead animals IS