Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-07

| effort. inaugurated last year. to secure leg
assessment omitted from certificate of
| taxes shall be absolutely Cancelled. and not.
as the law now provides, barred only as TO
| e subsequent purchaser. The fact that
| o.199 certificates Of taxes were issued last
year without single error involving loss
| to the District being brought to the atten-
ton of the assessor would seem to indicate
| that such a law can safely be enacted.
Anacostia River Improvements.
The Commissioners are gratified to learn
that excellent progress Is being made in
| the Improvement of the Anacostia River.
| which they have repeatedly recommended
The project for the improvement of the
river below the navy-yard bridge is being
OOO made in the river and harbor act ap-
| proved June ID. 1902, the total estimated
| cost being SIPS, 525, providing for chan
nei ~ feet deep at mean low tide and 400
| ieet VIDE from tho mouth of the river to
| the navy-yard. including sufficient turning
| room in front of the yard. At the end of
| Octoper, according to the statement of the
| Ch1ef OF Engineers, u. s. Army, a channel
20 feet deep at mean low water and at
| Ieast 5oO feet wide had been made avail
| aple Tor a length OF about 2 100 feet up-
stream from the mouth of the river (one-
! Iourth the distance from the mouth to the
navy.yarO, and about 55 acres of fats had
| hao been filled in to above low tide, of
"nicn III acres were then above high tide
| !. Is Understood that reports will be made
| 70 the coming Congress under the provision
| VI the district of Columbia appropria ton
| ACT approved July I, 1902, for a survey and
S St.tnn map OF land owned by the United
states Wlthln what is known as the '.1ats
| OF the Anacostia River, from its mouth IN
| Inc Inc boundary line of the District of Colum-
Cla, ana Tor report by the Attorney
IanGs upon the nature of the title to
II is hoped by the Commissioners ora t,.
rooait t2at Congress will, upon the
receipt OF these reports, provide for the
| Improvement nm OF the Anacostia River above
sanitary conditions Of the District ~ GO
| !umpla and especially of it's eastern sec
tioIi' ana add also to the attractiveness of
the city of Washington.
Use Of Penalty Envelopes.
IN 1881 the Commissioners were orally au-
| thor1zed to use the penalty envelopes of the
United States Government by the then
| Fostmaster-General, and such envelones
were utilized by all the departments of the
| Distrlct government until August q 1909
Whcn the Commissioners were Informed nv
| the Postmaster-General that. in pursuanca
G ~ an opinion by the Assistant Attorney
Generai Tor the Post Office Department.
| gated August %, 1903 and adopted by the
department. as the law governing the mat
yer, the District government was not au-
o onoi i%ea by law to use the penalty envel-
opes, because the Commissioners ARE not
oHcers OF the General Government of the
united states. nor is the business of the
District Of Columbia the business of the
uiu.cu states within the meaning of the
statute authorizing the use of the penalty
envelopes The opinion of the Assistant
Attorney-General was brought forth nv q
reference to him on the part Of the POST
maSter-General of a COMMUNICATE fror,
| the commissioners dated T,,lx A
| follows: "' "S
The Commissioners of the District Of
Columbia have the honor to ask for a ruling
by the Post Office Department 40 tn wbat
is the official business which warranfs
the use OF the penalty envelope" by or
under the direction of the Commissioners
OF the District of Columbia The practice
OF TINS once has been to treat as official
business, In this connection, all the business
OF the government Of the District of Co
lumbia, including all action authorized by
omclal orders adopted by the Board Of
Commissioners.
The opinion was an elaborate ora eo,,,
to the fundamental question involved and
the position taken by the Assistant Attor-
| ney General was fortified by the citation Of
the decisions of the Supreme Court of the
United States that the District of Columbia
! Is municipal corporation. In concludin~
the opinion the Assistant Attorney General
says:
1t Is not intended herein to reflect in any
o O.
sioners of the District nor their nredeces
sors, in their use of the penalty enveIone
l am satisfied that the practice of the Corn
mlssioners as stated in the letter from their
president was known to and acquiesced in
by the Department. This fact while ms
trying the Commissioners is Of course not
determinative of the question of their legal
authority for such use
The Commissioners believe that the nr,,,
lege of using the penalty enyelope should
De given to the government Of the District
OF Columpla by Congress. acting within its
undoubted powers, and therefore recon-
mend the necessary legislation.
Parks and Fairgrounds.
The Commissioners believe that there
should be more park reservations. and also
that Fairgrounds should be provided in
connection with the public schools and else-
where, SO that there may be ample facili-
ties of this character. 1t would be wise
economy to purchase now the land neces-
sary and which will inevitably rise in
value. SO that 1t will cost much more in
the future. The Commissioners might well
be authorized by Congress to prepare a
general plan for increasing the public
grounds in the District Of Columbia in &C.
cordance with the recommendations which
they have repeatedly made to Congress.
Corporation Counsel.
The work Of the Office Of the corporation
counsel has been greatly Increased nv the
organization of new branches of the Dis
trict government. such as the insurance de-
partment and the board Of personal tax ap-
prajsers while questions requiring legal de.
cison are daily becoming more numerous.
Scores of suits, involving matters of great
concern, have been contested in the courts.
and the fac, that the District has been
sustained in nearly every case is the best
evidence of the efficiency and industry of
the corporation counsel and his assistants
His suggestions regarding new legislation
should receive Congressional approval. The
Commissioners should be authorized to
make suitable regulations for the inspec-
ton Of lumber and flour. and they should
be authorized to remit fines and grant
pardons for offenses against all municipal
laws and ordinances. This authority ia
now restricted to offenses against the or
dinances of the late corporation and acrs
of the late legislative assembly and the
police and building regulations AS a con-
sequence, frequent applications are re-
ouired to be made to the President to re-
NIT fines and grant pardons for violations
Of acts of Congress relating to purely mu-
nicipal matters.
The law relating to the opening and clos
fpo Of oil ctr