West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1904-08-04
washington letter.
improvements Being Made Around
Over the City.
Discussion OF the Republican and DEM
oeratic Campaign.
FIom our regular correspondent,

WAsHINGToN, DC. July 2o,Ioo4-
During the absence OF Congress |
measures for the Improvement of
the city are being energeIically
pushed, that good showing of pro
gress may be made when the law.
makers again assemble. Work is
going actively forward in the several
great public buildings that have
been described in these letters, in.
GLIDING the 81, 900, 900 Union de-
pot, and while the great plans of
the Park Commission cannot be i'm.
mediately realized, the water front
of the city is being improved, and
this is necessary feature of any
rehabilitation of the capital. The
water front both on the Potmac and
East branch is In disgraceful con
dition. 1t is doubtful if there is a
city OF its size in the United States
which presents so shabby riparian
line. The wharves are mainly built
on loose pilings; the buildings are
mostly ramshackle sheds; and the
slips are so badly filed with debris
as to be unavailable for use except
by smaller craft. A new bulkhead
wall is needed at once, and stone
piers are imperatively required.
The two new bridges across the
Potomac, one for railroad trains and
the other for the highway, are in an
advance stage and in two months
trains and traffic will be running
over themrfrom shore to shore.
They are FIVE hundred feet north of
the old railroad bridge, about twice
as high above the water, and half
mile long. The railroad bridge is
known as of the Pratt trust pattern,
and it has twelve granite piers, in
Guiding the draw span, which latter
is $50 feet long, and weighs 600
tons. 1t will be about twice the
size of the old draw. The draw
will seldom need to be opened.
Il I
The sky over the Republican
camp is lowering, owing to the mum.
erous and bitter strikes in progress
from Boston to Colorado. The
union leaders and walking delegates
very naturally salute the President
with Come TO our rescue You
went outside of your beat to settle
the coal strike; now take the en-
ployers sternly in hand in Boston,
Fall River, New Y ork, Washington.
Chicago and Colorado I" What
we will do to extricate his party
from the dilemma it is difficult TO
see. Even in Washington the old
question Of the trades unions
against the government has arisen.
a man passed the Civil service ex,
animation as brIcklayer, and ioin
ed the work1en putting up the walls
at the new Washington War Col
lege. The other men asked him for
his card, and finding he was not a
member OF the union, laid down
their tools. The army officer in
charge made little speech to the
malcontents telling them them that
either their rules must be modified
or the Constitution of the United
States must be amended. How the
problem will be solved is doubtful.
TT
The 800, 900 citizens of Washing
ton used last week 90, 900, 900 gal
Ions a day of water, or 200 gallons
day for each man, woman and
child in the District. This supply
per capita is one of the largest in
the United States, and of course in
dicates tremendous improvidence
and waste. Relief is now sought
by increasing the reservoir and
aqueducls but il cannot be long be-
fore it will be sought in water me-
tiers compelling the largest users, or
rather waters to pay for all water
that they receive beyond a reason
able supply. If the largest con
sumers were furnished with meters.
enough water would be saved TO
supply fountains in every park and
circle, like the fountains Of Rome.
TT
Bourke Cochran was here the
other day and he vigorously expires.
sed the opinion that the voters and
and taxpayers Of the United
States do care for frugalitv
and do object to extravagant
expenditure He called attention
70 the fact that not a syllable in the
Republican platform pledges the
party to economy and that the
Democratic platform demands mhe
s'nctest economy and frugality
compatible with vigorous civil.
military and naval administration "
During these years in which the
population Of the United States has
increased fifty per cent, the OK
penses Of the Federal government
have increased nearly two hundred
| per cent. The popnlalion has don