Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-13
The Water Front.

Whatever objection there may be in Con-
gress to the immediate execution in full OF
the great plans of the park commission.
there should be no hesitation whatever to
proceed with the improvement of the water
front of the city. which is included In that
project as a necessary feature of any re-
Mobilization of the capital. 1t has not
needed the report of the Commissioners
special wharf committee. published in last
evenings Star, to persuade the residents of
Washington that the water front is in a
disgraceful condition. For many years
those citizens who are alive to the need OF
lettering the aspect of the city have urged
that steps be taken at the earliest possible
moment fol- the reclamation of the wharyes
The litigation which after long delay re-
suited in a vesting Of the title to these
properties in the United States is now set
tied save for a few questions yet pending.
The Commissioners. proceeding under an
act of Congress, have taken over the water
front property save those parts which are
still in litigation and those which are re-
served specifically for the government
needs. They have put the wharves now upon
a business basis. 50 far as the relationship
of the wharf users to the government is
concerned. But their committee finds that
there is urgent need Of further legislation
to the end of rebuilding all the wharves
and establishing a high standard to govern
the future improvements. The leases entered
into between the Commissioners and the
wharf users are termnable by act of Con-
gress so that nothing stands in the way OF
a broad reform in this direction.
The immediate recommendation is for an
appropriation of s. 800 for survey and the
elaboration of plans. That Is a small item.
insignificant in comparison with the advan-
tase sure to flow from 1t. 1t will probably
be covered many times over by the income
from the wharves under the new system or
rental. 1t is to be assumed that the Com
missoners will incorporate the recon-
mendation in their report and press the
matter upon the attention of the appropria-
tons committees as one of the most urgent
items in the whole budget.
1t is doubtful whether there IS a city or
this size in the United States which pre-
SentS so shabby a water 'front.' Inc
wharves are mainly built on loose piling;
the buildings are ramshackle sheds. with
very few exceptions. and the slips them
selves are badly filled with debris and are
in many cases unavailable for use by the
larger draft vessels; the bulkhead wall Is
crumbllng and in places has disappeared.
new bulkhead wall is needed at once ana
stone piers are required by every consider
alton of security and neatness The Slips
must be dredged and kept free OF the NIL
ing refuse This is the important work
which should be undertaken regardless Oh
the artistic standards set by the park COM
mission. whose scheme for this phase of the
improvements was properly based upon the
high standards of European cities.
These improvements can be undertaken
now. whether they are followed by the
greater ones or not Whatever Is done I'M
der a project of practical betterments' on
the line of the committees recommended
lions. can be built upon in the future III
Congress should vote money to carry out
the whole or part of the commissions grand
plan. Washington's water front Is 100 con-
spicuously in evidence before multitudes Oh
people and is too vitality an important 1ea-
ture of the city's equipment to be longer
neglected, especially now that all obstacles
have been removed by the courts.