Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-30


waiting completion. On the whole, the
change has been Of immense advantage to
the District.
Beside the municipal hospital. Mr.. Nc
MILAN took an active interest in securing
the Girls Reform School, the location Of
the Carnegie Free Public Library on the
site 1t now occupies, and the erection Of an
adequate building for the Business High
School. an institution to train the youth Of
the District for commercial life.
The Water Supply.
Another project which had the untiring
support Of Mr.. Mcmillan is the filtration of
the Potomac water, and here again his es-
tablished principle Of calling in experts for
advice on all important projects was re-
sorted to. On January 4, 1901, under Mr.
McMilans direction, hearing was held in
New YORK. which was attended by the off,
GERS In charge of the Washington aqueduct,
the health officer of the District Of Column
bia and all the leading filtration experts in
the United States. AS the outcome of this
hearing commission of three experts was
appointed to report upon the proper system
of filtration for the city Of Washington, and
when that commission recommended slow
sand filtration system, with auxiliary
works for preliminary sedimentation and
the use of a coagulant for a part Of the
time. the views of the commission were en-
acted into law, and the work is now in
progress.
Mr.. Mcmillan also urged the completion
OF the Lydecker tunnel for increasing the
water supply of Washington. and insisted
on large appropriations for the completion
OF the sewer system at the earliest practi-
cable moment. During his craftsmanship
and with his keen sympathy, an investiga-
ton was made by subcommittee Of the
District committee into the school system
OF the District of Columbia, which investi-
cation resulted in a reorganization of the
school board and changes in the curricu-
lum along the lines Of more practical in
dnd caho A.
suit OF another investigation, also conduct
ed with his cooperation by a subcommittee
OF which he was member, fourth year
was added to the high school course
In 1901, as the elimination of ten years
of investigation, adjustment Of conflicting
interests, and steady pressure upon the
steam railroads, laws were enacted to pro-
Vlue Tor aDoliShfng grade crossings along
of Washington, with a further provision
that hereafter no new grade crossing should
be established within the District of Co.
lGmba
National Capital Improvement.
THE celebration of the one hundredth an
niversary of the removal of the seat of
government to the District of Columbia
was carried out by joint committee Of
the two houses acting in cooperation with
the citizens committee of the District. Mr..
Mcmillan, as a member of the Senate COM
mlttee, brought in the report Of commit
Tee OF nVe recommending, among other
things, the enlargement of the Executive
Mansion in harmony with it's present STYLE
OIL architecture, and the construction of an
avenue to be known as Centennial ave-
nue.. running from the Capitol through the
maui to the Potomac river, substantially in
accordance with the original L'Enfant plan
for the city of Washington
subsequently plans for the improvement
OF the mall and for the enlargement of the
renOrtpd f0
put neither of these plans met with popular
favor, and at Mr.. McMillan's instance the
senate provided for a commission of ex-
perts to take up the whole question of the
development of the park system Of the Dis
trlct or Columbia, the work to be done
under the general direction of the Senate
committee on the District. A subcommittee.
consisting of Messrs Mcmillan Gallinger
and Martin, was appointed, and after con-
sultatlon with the American Institute of
Architects Mr.. Daniel H. Burnham of Chi
caSo, the director of works Of the Worlds
Columbian Exposition; Mr. Charles F. Me-
Kim Of the architectural firm of McKim
Mead & White Of New York; Mr. Augustus
ST Gaudens, the well-known sculptor and
Mr. Frederick Law Olmstead. jr., one of
the consulting landscape architects of the
metropolitan park commission of Boston
were selected as such experts. This com
mission made a careful study of the Dis
trlcts park system both as to the develop
ment of the outlying parks and their con-
nections, and also with reference to the
placing of public buildings hereafter to be
erected.
In order to carry out the scheme pro-
posed 1t was necessary to modify the grade
crossing laws so recently enacted and to
secure the removal of railway tracks from
the mall. This led to a reopening of the
legislation affecting grade crossings, with a
view to realize for the city of Washington
the dream Of half a century. namely. a
union railroad station located on private
property to be purchased by the railroads
themselves. At the end of another series
of negotiations in which the president of
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company hearth
ly co-operated. with a view of making the
capital city what is should be in point of
beauty, suitable legislation was passed in
both houses of Congress and is now in con-
ference.
The essential feature of the plan for the
future development of the District of CO.
lumba calls for no unusual expenditure.
but merely provides that as the wants of
the government increase in the way of
buildings, parks and parkways, such deyel-
opment shall proceed in an effective order
ly manner. instead Of at hap-hazard AL
though the work of the commission was re-
ported to Congress scarcely a year ago no
fewer than twelve items embraced in that
report have received favorable considera-
ton. and the continued adherence to the
general plan would seem to be assured.
Summary of His Work.
Thus hastily and imperfectly have out
lined few of the changes that were
brought about during the years that Sena-
tor Mcmillan was chairman of the Senate
committee on the District of Columbia. It
would be too much to claim for him. and he
would have been the last to claim for HIM
seif, the entire credit for these improve
ments. lie always sought the cooperation
ara support of the members of the COM
mttee, and to those members who were
charged particularly with one project or
another he gave the benefit of his advice
and his persistent energy. So long as re-
suits were accomplished he cared little
about taking credit to himself There was
so much to be done that no sooner was one
project fairly under way than he took nm
another SO that he was always living In
the future so far as Washington was CON
cerned. Although one of the busiest Of
men, 1t was so natural for him to systema-
tie his work that he was always accessible
in the committee room to citizens Of the
District who wished to consult him unon
any business connected with the committee.
Propositions coming from the Commission
ers, from citizens associations or from in
dividuals, II they seemed to him proper md
expedient. were taken up and pushed for
ward without reference to their origin mr.
authorship. He did not belong to that class
of reformers who are more anxious To tear
down than to build up. but as public senti-
ment dictated and as opportunity offered he
carried out those projects which were neces-
Ssa fOr