Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-05

tendent of the water department. mas ieo-
commended to the Commissioners an increase
In the rate for furnishing metered water
from to cents per thousand Saiions, anu
corresponding increase IN the scheou.o
rates for the portion of the supply when IS
not metered It Is estimated that with the
increased rates recommended the coIectlons
for water rents would amount to Sio3,Oo
which would make per capita rate -or
lrmbia of Sal This increased rate Is
somewhat lower than other cities of similar
size In the United States.
Transfer of the Washington Aqueduct
and Filtration Plant to the
Commissioners.
The Commissioners strongly recommend
the transfer from the War Department to
the Board of Commissioners of the turis-
diction and control over the Washington
Aqueduct and the filtration plant. The fl
tratIon plant Is about completed, and the
transfer Of 1t at the end OF the present
6scal year Is recommended and will be at
tended with no difficulty For this reason,
the present time Is especially opportune. 1t
would be much better administration for
the entire water supply Of the District OF
Columbia to be under one control rather
than be divided as 1t is at present, causing
work necessarily to be duplicated and addi-
tional employees to be necessary part OF the
water mains throughout the District being
under the control OF the War Department
and part under the control of the Commits
sioneTA the water flowing from one to the
other IN supplying the government build
ings and private establishments. Manifest
ly better results would be obtained If all the
water supply were under one control and
with one responsibility. The Chief of Engi-
neers, United States Army, under whose
control the Washington Aqueduct and the
fiteration plant now are has recommended
such a transfer.
Rock Creek Park.
The appropriation for the care and i'm
provement of the park during the fiscal
year 1908 was 1000. This was expended
in sprinkling roads and in the general care
of the park. including the extension of pipe
lines; in the hire of labor in watering; grad
ing and macadamzing Blagden avenue; the
building of wings to the dam at Pierce
Mill; the construction of ford across Rock
Greek at the mouth of Broad Branch; the
grading of Beach driveway north of the
Military road; the resurfacing of portions
of this driveway; in the construction of
bridge at the north end of the park, and
in constructing walks and protecting the
banks of the creek. For the next fiscal year
5000 will be asked for the care and inn
provement Of the park. This sum is needed
for the proper maintenance of the park
only, and does not include estimates for
any new construction.
As stated in toe report of the Commas
sioners for the fiscal year 1904, the great
est need of the park at the present is not
so much the opening macadamiZing
many roads as the providing OF ways
of approach and the acquisition OF small
parcels of land necessary for rounding out
and protecting what is already park land.
There is an urgent need to improve the en-
trance to the park by opening up SIX
teenth street north of Piney Branch, ana
especially the purchase of the valley of this
branch from Sixteenth street to the park.
A bill for the acquisition of this land was
drafted by the Commissioners and intro
duced in Congress- last year, but failed to
pass. The acquisition of the banks OF the
creek below the Geological Park is also of
great Importance to the park development.
Sixteenth Street Boulevard.
The Commissioners again invite atten-
tion Lrfhe desirability of legislation with
Gle object of preserving 18th street as a
permanent residence street and the limiting
to a still greater degree the height of build
ings along the street. The development of
10th street as a great boulevard Is deserv-
ing of the most careful consideration at
the present time. and parks along Its length
are extremely desirable. This is especially
the case with a park on the hill north Of
Florida avenue and small pieces between
18th street and Rock Creek Park. All of
this property can be obtained now at much
lower prices than even few years later
Parks.
The attention OF Congress is invited to
the desirability of extending throughout
the District the system of small parks such
as now exist within the city limits. When
the city of Washington established
parks and reservations were laid out In
the city, but, beyond Florida avenue, the
old city boundary, practically no such
parks exist. With the exception of Rock
Creek Park. bought about ten years ago,
nothing has been done to extend beyond
Florida avenue the system applied so sue
cessfully in laying out the city The beauty
of the city of Washington, as we'll as the
health OF its inhabitants, depends very
largely upon these parks, and 1t would seem
extremely desirable that system of parks
should extend throughout the District as it
IL built up. Immediately outside of Flori-
da avenue, in such localities as Columbia
Heights Washington Heights, Kalorama
Heights Mount Pleasant. etc. the necessity
for the establishment of such parks is very
apparent, these sections are rapidly
building up, so that the amount of vacant
ground is becoming smaller each year. I'M
mediate action in this matter would seem
desirable.
Steps toward the establishment of gem
eral park system throughout the District
similar to what is being done by almost
every large city in the United States should
be undertaken as soon as practicable, espe-
cially as to the purchase Of the necessary
land Every citizen of the United States
must be interested in the beauty of Wash
ington and in keeping up the high stand
ard set by those who originally laid out the
city.
Transfer of Control of Parks to the
Commissioners.
The Commissioners recommend that the
system of parks In the city of Washington,
exclusive OF the grounds around the White
House and the government buildings, be
transferred from the Chief of Engineers to
the Commissioners. to board of control
such as that which has charge of Rock
Greek Park and which consists of the Chief