Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-17

| "Neighborhood House. in South Washing
| ton. as in the nature of branch. Ano
| in this connection your committee Woulu
| str ongly express the hope that the trustees
! OF the library may shortly find a proper
and satisfactory way for accepting the offer
| of the Howard University for establishment
| of a branch there free from all expense
| and open to all.
Like agencies, If sought or even accept
/ ed. after due examination when offered,
may give to the city shortly. with little or
! no expense, all the educational advantages
| hoped for through the larger and more
| golden flower and fruitage of the Carnegie
| gifts"
Hours for Service.
| Mr.. Charles S. Bundy thought great
| many additional persons would be accom-
| modated if the library was opened at $50
! instead of o'clock in the morning, and
he moved that the board consider the ex-
| pedency of considering such a change. The
| resolution. was adopted.
Committee on Conventions.
In the absence of the chairman of the
committee on conventions the report of
that committee was presented by Mr..
Thomas p. Morgan. The report, which
| was, in part, as follows was adopted:
Only one important factor to make this
the ideal convention city seems lacking-a
large, mouern hall to accommodate great
gatherings. That such be erected has been
almost an annual recommendation, but
your committee is constrained to repeat it
with the hope that some public-spirited
citizens may have this necessity thus
brought before them and be induced to
act upon the repeated suggestion. The
coming inaugural ball will be one event
that strongly emphasizes the need of such
structure; there are innumerable other
functions for the holding of which there
exist today no adequate accommodations.
During to meetings last winter of the
| national republican committee and the
democratic national committee, number
of their members expressed themselves
to how much trouble and worry would be
spared them were it agreed and settled that
the quadrennial conventions of these
bodies be held always in Washington. The
geographical situation of Washington was
not considered an objection to such an ar
rangement but We cannot hope for this
to be brought about without a suitable
building to house the conventions. There
will likely not come more proptious time
for the erection of such building than the
present suitable site could certainly be
procured more reasonably now than later;
skilled labor can be had a a fair compen-
satfon; and the material that would enter
largely into the observation-disclosures lower
in price than it has been for several years.
and, according to those qualified to speak,
as low as it will be for a long time to
come.
There are scores of DO it Now argu-
mentS that your committee could present
did the space allotted for this report per-
nit That the project would yield as good
returns as any real estate investment has
been conceded time and again. Will some
one take the initiative?
An Absolute Necessity.
In discussing the report Mr.. Morgan said
it was important to consider this subject at
this time of providing in this city a conven-
ton hall, as it was probable never again
would the use of a public building be grant
ed for the inaugural ball.
A motion was made by Mr.. Jehn T. Ma
eruder that committee of FIVE be appoint
ed to ascertain if a stock company could be
organized. For one he would subscribe $780,
Another suggestion was made that if $30,-
600 or $4,000 could be received by subscrip-
ton that Congress woua no doubt help the
matter along
In the opinion of M. Magruder the sum
proposed of $4,000 Sr $40, 900 would not be a
drop in the bucESt. He thought that an APP
peal SHOULD De made to the public spirit of
citizens to provide for the city this much
needed Improvement
Mr.. Frank Hume said he had suggested to
the late Senator Mcmillan that the site to
be vacated by the Pennsylvania railroad
depot be used as armory for the District
militia. The present building could be util-
lied and the enlarged structure could be
made suitable for use as a convention hall
1t was suggested that as this site was a
part of the mall, and as Congress had de-
cided to preserve that reservation, perhaps
the proposition might not be received with
favor on Capitol Hill.
The motion of Mr.. Magruder was adopted
The Smoke Law.
The next topic taken up related to the
smoke law, and the secretary read the
ton of the board of directors which sug-
gested to the Board of Trade that the pres
ent smoke law be so amended as to allow
smoke to issue from chimneys for period
of three minutes and prohibiting its ennis
sion for more than sixty minutes during
daylight.
Mr. Albert NJ Read, the chairman of the
committee that in March, 1902, investigated
the subject of smoke laws in other cities,
gave the results reached by the committee.
He said the law allowing the emission of
dense black smoke for three minutes in
daylight was IN force in Boston, but upon
inquiry there the report was received that
the law was useless and an effort was be-
ing made to change it. Reference was
made to the New York city law which, he
Said, was similar to the District law but
he believed it had since been modified
From a report received from that city it
was learned that the smoke consumers had
not proved successful.
He also read letters from various property
owners in the city. Among them was one
from the Capital Traction company, which
stated smoke consumers were used and Mr.
Read said 10 complaint had been made
III itSdiu " llldt pant. Also d letter from
the navy yard authorities and the Arlington
Hotel, which stated that anthracite coal
was used with good results. A letter from
a large storage establishment in New York
city stated that anthracite coal was used
They did not use soft coal, as it was found
that smoke consumers did not always con-
sumo
He gave also as result of his investiga-
tons that engineers in this city as a rule
opposed the of anthracite coal because
it required more attention in stocking What
he called buckwheat coal cost, he stated,
the same as soft coal, and was economical
and was smokeless, and could be burned
In the same CRATES as soft coal. He said
he also found that soft coal could be used
without creating smoke nuisance when
it was not necessary to force the fire and
the stocking was done with care. He stated
that he understood there were some dealers
who were willing to sell soft coal and
undertake to pay the fines.
In conclusion he said the facts secured
in the investigation of the committee point
ed to the conclusion that it was entirely
possible to live up to the smoke law in the
District
Capt. r. w. Tyler moved that the prop
osition to amend the smoke law be laid on
the table, and the resolution was lost by
rising vote
Gen. Geo. Fl. Harries then took the floor
and said that he wished he could appear in
his personal capacity and not as a repre-