Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-01
FOR DISTRICT NEEDS
Continued from Seventh Page.)

! iOu UIOIIuOt UIIOO
| CONTINUED from Seventh Page.)
| conforms to the well-defined purpose OF
Congress to make use of sites along the
| south side of Pennsylvania avenue for pub
! lie buildings
Filtration Plant.
| For the filtration plant Congress appro-
| priated 100000, which is one-half OF what
will be necessary to complete it and is all
that can be used to prosecute the work
during the coming year. A continuing con-
| tract for the completion of the work was
| authorized and by October 1904, it is esti-
mated filtered water will be served to the
| people of this city. In this connection pro-
| vision has been made for the construction
| of an attractive driveway around the old
| Howard University reservoir, from when
| a magnificent view of the city and its
| stately buildings can be obtained.
! Anacostia River Improvement.
| The long discussion concerning the recla-
| nation of the Anacostia flats has at last
| resulted in the commencement of work in
| voiving an ultimate expenditure of about
| $1,000 600. and tending to that end. The
| river and harbor bill appropriated $150,OOO
| to begin work of dredging a channel and
| providing for a complete Improvement of
| the Anacostia river below the navy yard
| bridge. The flats above the bridge must
| be fully reclaimed under some other ar
rangement. but it is well known that much
of the material to be dredged below the
| navy yard bridge will find a more econom-
1cal dumping place above the bridge than
can be secured elsewhere, and this dump
ing of the lateral there will do much for
the reclamation of the flats.
In order to prepare for the work of re-
claiming the AnacoStia flats above the
Navy Yard bridge 5000 was appropriated
for survey and outline map of land owned
by the United States comprised within the
flats of the Anacostia river from it's mouth
to the boundary line of the District This
work is to be done under the direction of
the Secretary of War, the Attorney General
being directed to report upon the nature of
the title to lands embraced within these
flats.
White House Restoration.
The Improvements to the White House,
involving an expenditure of over half
million dollars, form a more important
feature in the advance of this city than is
at first realized. The small office building
that is being provided for the President
has it's chief function in allowing him to
use the White House itself solely for do
meStlc purposes. Whether that office build
ing is permanent or temporary will be in
fuenced more by the disposition of Con-
gress in the future than by declarations
one way or the other at the present time.
The improvements to the White House will
be reflected throughout the residence sec
tons of the city, eXerting an influence for
good taste in household decoration to the
extent of its real merit. Mr. McKim the
architect, under whom this Improvement
has been made, has feared that his work
might be disappointing to many people. 1t
certainly will be unless they have high
appreciation for simple elegance and have
no sympathy with excessive decoration. The
interior of the house will be of simplicity
that will be in thorough keeping with the
exterior lines of the building. The first
session of the Fifty-seventh Congress will
have the credit for rehabilitating the White
House in the most thorough manner that
is possible. That Improvement is In thor
ough keeping with the pace set in building
the Library of Congress.
Provision for Public Library.
Additional provision was made for the
Public Library. 1t now has a librarian
seven assistant librarians, three cata-
loguers, stenographer and typewriter,
four attendants. one messenger and a force
to care for the building. The entire appro-
preparation for the library made in the Dis
trict appropriation bill is S21,S00.
The urgent deficiency bill carried an APP
preparation of $4,000 for the purchase of
books, and the work of cataloguing volumes
that have been purchased is now going on.
Joint Resolutions Passed.
AS soon as Congress assembled it became
necessary to pass a joint resolution in re-
lation to the drawing of grand and petit
juries in the District of Columbia in view
of an uncertainty that existed in the code
passed by the previous Congress- There
were also joint resolutions in relation to
the unwilling of the statue of Rochambeau.
Other joint resolutions provided for the en-
plOyment of extra clerical force il the Of
flee of the assessor of the District to assist
in additional work incident to carrying out
the provisions of the act permitting the
payment of arrears of taxes, &c; author
iZing the Commissioners to issue tempo
rary permits for the laying of electric light
wires TO Convention Hall on the occasion
of the' Masonic fair; pOstponing the pay
ment of taxes on real estate in the Dis
trict from November 1902, to May. 1903:
granting permission for the erection of
monument or statue in Washington city in
honor OF the late Benjamin F. Stephenson
founder of the Grand Army of the Repub
lie; to permit steam railroads to occupy ad-
ditional parts of streets to accommodate
the travelling public attending the encamp-
ment of the Grand Army, October, 1902
Aqueduct Bridge Pier No. 4.
In the Senate yesterday afternoon Mr.
Gallinger introduced a resolution, which
he asked to have considered without refer
ence to a committee. This resolution au-
thorized the Secretary of War to spend
an amount not exceeding 1900 from the
balance of appropriations made for the
! reconstruction of pier No. 4 of the Aque-
duct bridge, District of Columbia for the
purpose of the examination Of and imme-
date temporary repairs to, the remaining
piers of that bridge in cases of need aris-
ing from food or ice.
On Senate Committee Calendar.
On the last day of the first session of
Congress slightly more than fifty bills re-
main on the calendar of the Senate COM
| mittee on the District of Columbiai. Only
four of these bills have been passed by the
House of Representatives, the others having
originated in the Senate and are under
consideration. Some of them have been re-
ferred TO the District Commissioners and
others are either in the hands of subcom-
mittees or are being held by the commit
tee for further information bearing on the
provisions of the bills. Many Of them. of
| course, will be either allowed to remain on
the committee calendar until the end of the
present Congress or will be reported ad-
Versely during the next session The con-
SHERATON of many others will be so far adj
vanced when Congress reassembles next
December that they can be promptly report-
| ed to the Senate.
lie bot