Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-01

1 rising in the Red Cross Society, twenty
| two members were suspended being mainly
| those who live in this city. They were
| invited to attend the annual meeting, which
| was held here in December. but this invi-
| tation was not accepted. Miss Clara Bar
ton was reelected president of the organ
| ization. Singers from this city won the
Handel bust in Baltimore and the Odd Fell
| lows team carried OF prizes in the same
| city. The Washington Light Infantry cele-
6rated Its sixty-seventh anniversary. the
| Washington Elks attained their majority
| and the Sigma Chi fraternity was formed.
The Road Drivers and Riders Association
| was formed and in cooperation with Col.
symons made rules for the use of the new
! river drive as speedway.
Parks.
| The question of more parks for Washing
| ton has for years been q topic Of deep in
terest among all publio-spirited citizens and
| the year just passed was no exception to
the rule. The citizens associations Of the
District of Columbia have discussed many
phases of the park question. each having
for its purpose the betterment of the ma
donal capital and its environments. In
| February movement was agitated for tho
| improvement of Haymarket Square. The
| Columbia Heights Citizens Association
also began to consider the question Of a
park for that growing part of the city. AS
soon as proptfous weather permitted work
| on the new national speedway was pushed,
| and this was opened to the public in the
| latter part of October.
| BY direction Of the Secretary of War
| drastic measures were taken in the latter
| part Of April for the eJectment Of the
| squatters on the government land at the
| western end of Virginia avenue on the Dor
ders Of Rock creek and on September 2
| Marshal Palmer proceeded against the al
| legged violators.
| The question Of public play grounds for
children of Washington has become an i'm
| nd nf 10
ciated Charities have received an impetus
| throughout the year. Many trees were
| planted on the streets Of Washington dur
| ing the year An interest seems to have
| been awakened in this direction.
An agitation was begun for concerts in a
public park every day next summer, and
Colonel Symons has arranged that the Ma
| rine Band, the Engineer Band at Washing
| ton barracks and the Cavalry Band at Fort
Myer may be utilized for the purpose.
| Hospitals.
DR.. A. B. Richardson, superintendent Of
| st. Elzabeth's Hospital died in the early
| part of July and DR.. w. ]. Steele was ap-
pointed acting superintendent. In the lat
ter part of August DR.. w. A. White Of
| Binghamton, N. Y, was appointed to take
| DIR. Richardson's place. In February an
| important step was taken In the interest
OF placing the Emergency Hospital directly
| under the supervision of the District Com
missioners. This has not yet been accom-
| plished, although the indications are that
| 1t may be at no distant date Throughout
the year there have been internal dissen-
| sions among the directorate of the Elmer
| gency Hospital. The controversy relative
| to the management of the. institution has
not been settled, and will be given IN air
| ing before the Commissioners January g.
| Early in the year dispute arose over the
| title of land adjoining Garfield Hospital
| This was settled by an opinion Of the con-
| troller of the currency that the title should
l4r AnI he iv,cf f1fff
| The corner stone of the new Episcopal Eye
| Ear and Throat Hospital was laid June 6
| by Bishop Satterlee, with appropriate cere-
monies The proposed naval hospital on the
| old observatory grounds, for which tenta-
| tive plans were prepared, met with some
| opposition by those who objected to the
| site, and work on the institution has been
| postponed. The management of the WASH
| ington Asylum was criticised by the in
vestigating committee in the latters report
submitted in August. Some important ad-
! ditions in the way Of buildings were made
| to ST. EliZabeth's during the year. In the
| annual report of the Freedman's Hospital
| physicians were criticised for sending pa
| tents in dying condition to the hospital.
| The contract for the new Homeopathic
| Hospital was awarded November 20.
Langley Flying Machine.
| Prof Samuel P. Langley, secretary Of
| the Smithsonian Institution. made two I'M
successful attempts to launch his air ship
| during the year. The first was made at
| Whitewater, Va, after weeks of careful
preparation. A defect in the launching
| apparatus prevented the successful con-
| clusfon of the test October T. The same
| trouble resulted in the almost total de-
| struction of the machine in the last test
December o. Previous to the test made
| in October Prof. Langley launched and
successfully flew a model of his machine
| The tests were made by Prof. Charles NJ
| Manly, expert in aeronauttcs, Of the Smith
sonian Institution.
Labor Circles.
Washington has been the center Of inter-
| est to the organized labor world the greater
| portion Of the past year. The administra-
| ton came into conflict with the labor
| unions, as an outcome of the controversy
| between Local Union No. Of the Interna-
| tional Brotherhood of Bookbinders and AS
sistant Foreman William Miller of the
| bindery of the government printing office.
| Miller was expelled from the labor union
upon what was regarded as sufficient
| ground and was subsequently dismissed
| from the government printing office He
brought his case to the attention of Presi-
| dent Roosevelt, who ordered Miller's REIN
I statement. At the same time, the President
made it known that no discrimination
| should be made by the administration be-
| tween union and non-union workmen and
| declared the printing office to be an open
| shop The Union bookbinders, at first,
| threatened to strike, but this threat was not
| carried out The matter was brought to the
attention of the American Federation Of
| Labor, before which organization the case
may be said to be still pending.
Locally usual quiet prevailed in labor
| circles during the past year, as compared
| with previous years Twenty-Five Of the
| employees of the Adams Express Company
| went out on strike March for the REIN
| statement of several discharged fellow
| unionists. The strike was lost. The rivalry
| between the building trades affiliated with
| the American Federation of Labor and
| those allied with the knights of Labor be-
| came acute early in March over the install
lation of fireproofing in several of the
structures then in the course of construc-
| ton. A general building trades strike was
narrowly averted. and the matter was car
ried to the courts. The matter was finally
| adjusted to the satisfaction of all con-
| cerned.
| The creation Of board of arbitration was
| the most important event of the year. The
| latter part of June the Employers Associa-
| ton and the Council of Building Trades of
| the Central Labor Union entered into agree
| ment to submit all disputes in the building
| trades to arbitration. which action precludes
| the possibility of serious labor struggle
| in this city.
| The controversy for supremacy between
l