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

surrounding ground and approaches of the
library was estimated at $25, 600. Congress
at the last session appropriated $4,000 for
this purpose as an item in the improve
ment and care of the parks of the city, and
the remaining $4,000 is now asked.
The Commissioners Of the District, SO Tar
as available funds permit, are cooperating
In the Improvement of the approa ches to
the building. Upon the south side of Mount
Vernon Square the street car tracks APP
proach very close to the curb. The Com
at this point, that there will be access
to the library entrance for carriages north
of the tracks and will lay new sidewalk
along the south side of the square. Con-
gress should appropriate at the approach
Ing session to permit improvement of the
streets and sidewalks on the other three
sides of Mount Vernon Square.
The sum of $4,000 was appropriated by
the urgent deficiency bill at the last ses-
sion of Congress for the purchase of books
for the library. This money has been and
Is being expended as rapidly as is consistent
with the intelligent purchase of the best
available books, and these volumes have
been and are being catalogued. There is
no book appropriation for the current year,
and the estimate of $4,000 for this pur-
pose for the fiscal year 1904 should he ap-
proved by Congress.
The trustees also call attention to the
fact that the force of employees provided
for the library is absolutely inadequate to
acknowledgements, and their recommended
ton for larger staff Is approved.
Improvement of the Anacostia River.
For years it has been the effort and desire
Of citizens and the Commissioners to secure
the Improvement Of the Anacostia river and
the reclamation Of it's flats from the mouth
Of the river to the District line. The act
providing for the improvement of certain
rivers and harbors, approved June 10, 1902,
contains item for improving Ana costa
river CT RI oP Col uy;+L fo
the interests Of commerce and navigation,
in accordance with such portions Of the re-
port submitted in House document No. 81,
Fifty-fifth Congress, third session, as re-
lates to section 1 of said river, being the
portion below the navy yard bridge, $780,
OOO.' In addition. the District appropria-
ton act approved July 1, 1902, provides
for a survey and outline map of land
owned by the United States comprised with
In what is known as the flats of the Ana
costa river, from It's mouth to the boundary
lire Of the District of Columbia, $1,000, or
so much thereof as may be necessary, to be
expended under the direction of the Secre-
tary of War; and the Attorney General is
authorized and directed to examine and re-
port upon the nature of the title to lands
embraced within said flats
1t is highly gratifying to the Commission
ers and citizens that this essential improve
ment is at last under way. The work has a
Nltdi DedIiIS upon the HGalln the COM
munity, as statistics show beyond doubt
that to the present condition of the river
and flats is chargeable the prevalence of
fevers in the adjacent sections. The COM
pletion of the sewage disposal system and
the Improvement of the Anacostia river and
the reclamation of its flats will add mater
tally to the healthfulness and attractiveness
of this part of the city of Washington and,
indeed, vitality improve the sanitary condi-
lions of the entire District.
Pop11lofio, 10 d.
Motor Vehicles.
For several years past there has been ex-
pressed from time to time dissatisfaction
with certain features of the street railway
service Of the District. On February "a,
1902, the Commissioners submitted to the
Senate committee on the District of Column
bia the draft of a bill to regulate the oper-
alton Of street railways il the District of
Columbia, with RECOMMENDATION that favor
-a5fe action be taken thereon. Discussion
Of this bill developed the fact that there
was feeling in the community that the
bill should be widened in its scope and fur
ther authority given the Commissioners in
the premises than they had asked for in the
bill submitted. All the citizens associa-
tons of the District manifested great in
terest in the matter, and on March II a
Joint committee from the associations ap-
sented the draft Of a bill embracing re-
quirements that the associations thought
should be insisted upon AS a result of
this hearing the bill previously submitted
by the Commissioners was recalled, and q
new bill was prepared by the Commission
ers In conjunction with the representatives
Of the associations, which substitute bill
was forwarded to the Senate and House
committees on the District of Columbia
May Is, 1902 The principal objects Of the
bill are to confer upon the Commissioners
authority to regulate the size and weight Of
street cars, and also schedules, routes and
transfer arrangements, to require the cars
to be kept in proper condition, to be heated
during cold weather, to be equipped with
emergency brakes in certain cases, to re-
quire the companies to provide waiting
rooms at transfer points and to permit
suburban cars to run into the city of
Washington. The bill provides also for the
registration and regulation of all motor
vehicles operated upon the streets of the
District. On account of the lateness Of
the session no action upon the bill was OBJ
tanned before adjournment, but it is hoped
that favorable action will be given at the
coming session of Congress.
Reports on Pending Legislation.
According to custom the Commissioners
received and reported upon bills introduced
in Congress at the first session of the Fifty
seventh Congress relating to the District of
Columbia and referred to them for report
by committees of the Senate and House.
From the Senate 149 bills were referred
and from the House eighty-three bills were
referred to the Commissioners All bills re-
lating to the District of Columbia which
passed both houses were referred according
to custom to the Commissioners by the
President for their objections before the
President approved them.
Placing Overhead Wires in Conduits
The policy of the Commissioners In favor
of putting all overhead wires underground
as rapidly as possible has been advanced
by the action Of the last Congress which
authorized, in accordance with the Com
mssioners' recommendation, the building
of additional underground conduit by the
Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Com
pany. AS this conduit is built the District
will be able to avail itself Of considerable
portions of 1t placing the District wires I'M
foreground. It seems but a question of
few years when most of the wires now over
head will be underground.
Improving Housing Conditions.
The commissioners desire legislation un-
der which they can deal effectively with