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

i during the year TO disinfect 5,70o articles.
and the appropriation of s. go made for
said service proved insufficient. as 1t was
exhausted before the expiration OF the
! year. The present amount under which
1t is being operated is $4,000. 1t is earnest
iy recommended that the sum appropriated
for the coming fiscal year be restored to
the amount heretofore granted-S5.0 00.
There has been a marked increase over
previous years of the work in the laboratory
thousands of specimens were analy zed,
milk was the principal article, 1893 speci-
| mems having been analysed This work.
preceded by Inspections and followed, by
prosecutions for adulterated milk and milk
| below the legal standard, has produced a
marked Improvement in the quality of
! milk
There were inspected 81 .024 slaughtered an
! finals at slaughter houses. More efficient
| inspection could. however, be given IL legis-
lauon could be obtained regulating the OPP
erations of slaughter houses in the District
OF Columbia, and limiting slaughter to pre-
| scribed hours
Nine hundred and thirty farms supplying
milk for consumption in the District of
! Columbia were inspected on which were
16, 1866 cows. 1t is desired that the esti-
mated amount $500 for the important
work of inspecting these dairy farms in
the adjoining states be granted.
The department has experienced embar-
| rassment again under the weed law. Gem
| erai complaNt were made. but there could
| be no general enforcement of this act be-
cause of the absence Of an appropria ton.
There should be provided available funds
| for the removal of weeds from property
| belonging to norwresidents. and if Congress
should make such an appropriation the rec
/ ommendatlon Is renewed that said law be
amended so as to increase the permissible
| height of weeds from to IS inches or more.
! The measures introduced in the last Con-
gresS for the condemnation OF inSanitary
| buildings unfit for human habitation, and
/ for the abatement of nuisanees on property
! owned by non-residents, are of Vital impor-
| lance to the community. and 1t is earnestly
| hoped that favorable action will be taken
| thereon at the coming session of Congress.
| The operations under the smoke law dur
| ing the year have produced marked I'M
| provement. Many plants have Installed
! understanding devices, Others have sub
| stituted anthracite for bituminouS coal,
! while at nearly all of the plants greater
care is being exercised in stocking the fur
naces. Daily observations have been made
and the offenders have from time to time
beeen prosecuted. One inspector of the
health department., detailed from the sani-
tary inspection force, has continued to per-
form this duty, but the clerical work re-
quired, together with his frequent attend
ahce at court in prosecution of cases, pre-
vents his giving daily full working day
to actual observation Of stacks More eff
fective service could be rendered if two or
more special inspectors were engaged upon
this work. and it is recommended that Con-
greSS make such provision.
The District of Columbia lacks a law
providing for the registration of profess
sional nurses and the regulation of their
work, such as is found elsewhere, and the
Commissioners will recommend again the
bill which they recommended for that pur-
pose at the last session of Congress.
For the year ending October 81, 1903, 61S
barroom licenses and 1875 wholesale liquor
licenses We're granted.
For the license year beginning November
1. 1908, SIS barroom applications and 1874
wholesale liquor license applications were
filed
At the request OF the Commissioners the
board of pharmacy, after its reorganization
last year, prepared a draft Tor a new law to
regulate the practice of pharmacy and the
sale of poison, modelled upon the best ideas
of experts here and elsewhere, to take the
place of the Anticipated and inadequate
statutes. The bill prepared by them with
great care was approved by the Commits
sioners and introduced at the last session
of Congress, but was not reached 1t Is
now being revised by the board SO as to
utilize the latest information on the sub
iect, and will be again presented by the
Commissioners. In view of the increasing
need for it shown in official reports ana IN
unofficial but important statements, 1t is
hoped that it may receive prompt ana Ia
vorable consideration.
The coroner reports that the number of
deaths from all causes requiring his atten-
ton was g92 including 55 cases of suicide.
of which 20 were due to poison. The num-
Der of inauests was 40 and the number OF
autopsies 30 The number OF bodies re-
ceived at the morgue was 4ES The new
morgue building has proved generally sat
isfactory 1t requires an additional attend
ant in view of it's character and needs.
The coroner advocates a more stringent
law regulating the sale of poisons, because
of his experience with cases of suicide due
to the ease with which poisons can be OBJ
tanned from some dealers.
Under the operations of the regulations
governing automobilists 667 applicants were
examined, recommended and given permits
to operate motor vehicles 46S motor We
hicies were assigned Identification numbers:
1GS motor vehicles, to which Identification
numbers had been assigned, were trans
ferred to purchasers of them, and 6S motor
vehicles from different States were regis
tered. The total number of permits issued
to operators since the regulations went into
effect on August IS, 1903, is 1919. while
numbers have been assigned to 1,247 ma
chimes.
Several amendments were made during
the year to the regulations the most i'm
portant being provision requiring profess
sional chauffeurs to file certificates of good
character. Endorsed by three citizens, This
amendment has been beneficial and those
to whom permits have been issued have
been, in the majority of cases, careful to
observe the regulations. The provision
which allows tourist automobiles to i'm
mediately secure the necessary permit, pro-
yided they are registered under the laws of
their respective States has also been great
ly appreciated. 1t is the desire of the Com
mssioners to treat the automobile question
IN the most HDeral spirit consistent with
public order and safety. 1t is realized that
the motor vehicle is an established institu-
ton and that as its use develops either for
business or pleasure, many problems as to
Its relation to the public will arise In the
settlement of these problems the Commits
sioners Will give every consideration to the
Automobiles while at the same time pre-
serving the rights of the public.
Gas and Meter Inspection.
The Inspector of gas and meters reports
that S37 official photometric tests were
made of the gas supplied by the Washing
ton Gaslight Company, with mean of
22.95 candles, which is OBS of one candle
| above the legal requirement. The gas sup
Piled by the Georgetown Gaslight Com
pany was tested photometrically 304 times.
giving an average of 23.45 candles.
The gas supplied by both companies was
tested daily for impurities, with satisfactory
results.
The report shows that 562S gas meters
were tested during the year, an increase
of lI9 meters over last years record The
fees collected for testing these meters
amounted to 81, 534. 40 which sum was paid
| over to the collector of taxes
The inspector reports that each month
| one of the ASSISTANTS verified the statements
! OF all gas meters in District buildings and
| later certified to the accuracy of all gas
| bills rendered to the District government