Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-05
questions were decided by the courts. The
authority of the Commissioners to narrow
certain streets was, for instance, sustained

while another decision held that the act
OF Congress under which the board of med
lcal supervisors was authorized to revoke
ilcehses CT physicians and surgeons was
100 vague and indefinite and. therefore.
unconstitutional In the litigation insti-
tuted to prevent the payment of any money
by the district in connection with the union
railroad Gepot project the court dismissed
the complaint, but an appeal. to the SUI
pre-ne Court of the United States has been
noted OF the final judgments rendered )
were against the District and were for
the District. During the year there were
% law eases instituted against the District
for damages, mandlamus cases, equity
cases, certiorar cases. 342 kInacy cases
10 justice of the peace cases, while IA cor
demnat1on cases We're instituted by the
District. There were % cases argued and
submitted to the court of appeals of the
District and 3 cases argued and submitted
10 the supreme Court of the United States
Inc routine work of the Office included
9oo written opinions submitted at the re-
quest of the Commissioners; DIT written
communications to Interested parties rela-
tive 10 pending municipal matters and
suits; numerous municipal contracts, leases,
and bonds have been prepared and exam
ined, besides a large number of oral opin-
IONS Whlch have been rendered at the. re-
quest of District officials concerning cur
rent business of their Offices There was
remarkable increase in the number of tax
deeds prepared and examined, about 600
having been submitted to this office. This
increase is largely due to the fact that the
holder of the taX-Sale certificate must now
take his deed after the two-year redemp
ton period expires for his own protection,
and because of the fact that if cancellation
is made at any time interest is only paid
for the two years at per cent, regardless
of the age of the certificate.
Besides the IA condemnation cases insti-
tuted, numerous proceedings have been
taken in those ALREADY instituted, and there
are still 10 ordered by the Commissioners
but not yet instituted Under the provi-
sions contained in the appropriation act APP
priced March 3, 1903, authorizing the Com
missioners to employ special counsel in con-
nection with the settlement of claims for
damages incident to changes of grade in
Station, the Commissioners, May %,
1905, appointed a. Leftwich Sinclair to the
position.
Special effort has been made to collect
money from the estates of lunatics, where
such lunatics have been treated at the
Government Hospital for the Insane at the
expense of the municipality, and many
such cases have also been transferred to
the independent or pay roll of the asylum
and their expense paid out of their estates
through the efforts of this Office. In two
cases it was necessary to file proceedings
in court in order to have the District re-
imbursed 1t is also suggested that legis-
lation should be enacted allowing the ply
sicans who testify in these lunacy cases
fee of So for their expert testimony and
examination of the alleged lunatic, instead
of the present fee of $1.25.
The death of Mr.. Andrew Brown Duvall,
who had held the Office of corporation coun-
sci since June /, 1889, was severe loss TO
the District. MIR. Duvall was faithful
the Commissioners appointed Mr.. Edward
II. Thomas, assistant corporation counsel,
to be Mr.. Duyairs successor.
Child Labor.
The District of Columbia is one OF only
iJriSf intfn in, hn init cd fafa
which have no child labor laws. While
the Commissioners are not aware that any
large number of the children TO be pro-
tected by such legislation are now en-
ployed in the District of Columbia and the
serious evils existing in Jurisdictions
from the employment of such children are
not known to exist here, they believe that
as a preventive measure such law should
be on the statute books, and will recon-
mend again the measure which they SUBJ
mitted TO Congress at the last session.
A Juvenile Court.
The Commissioners will renew their eff
forts to secure legislation providing for
separate juvenile court and an adequate
probation system for first offenders SINH
lar to those which have been so useful in
other jurisdictions. While awaiting such
legislation, makeshift arrangement utiI-
lZlng the house of detention, securing sep
III dtC u GiS lUI Juveniles at the police
court, and providing as much probation
work as can be done by one probation off,
Ger under the Board of Chidren's Guar
dams, has been in operation with good re-
suits
Public Education.
The public schools of the District of CO.
lumbia have maintained their high repu-
tation- Their housing and equipment are
better than ever. This, the most impor-
TOW i,1fa OF
requires the largest amount of the annual
appropriation. The Commissioners would
have been glad to approve all the estimates
of the board of education for the increase
and Improvement of buildings and other
facilities, but felt obliged to recommend
at this time only those indicated nv the
board of education as the most pressingly
necessary. The Commissioners will present
the desired increase in the inadeo,1ate SAL
aries of teachers and other employees in the
FORM ,,l, Oh permanent schedule in a separate
Dill and not in their estimates for the an
preparation BILL They will recommend
again the proposed substitute for the in
effective compulsory education law
The centenary of the public schoors will
be celebrated under the auspices of the
board of education by public Meeting ON
December is. 1893, and q public eyhihition
of the work of pupils. The President will
public schools as part of the cefebratinn
The president of the board of eduoa t,on
Henry " Boynton died on June 8. 1905 and
was buried at Arlington Cemetery on June
7, 1905. The Commissioners adonted no
mortal resolutions. ordered the flags of the
District to be displayed at ha!f-staff for
thirty days, and attended the funeral AZ III.
New York Avenue Presbyterian Cbr,rob
The vacancy was filed by the appointment
of Charles W. Needham, IL D.. president
of George Washington University.
The school enrolment for the year was
51,230, an increase of 1,441 over the nrecads
ing year. OF this number "a 600 or 81 K.
per cent, We're white, and 1850 or 20 AZ nor
cent, were colored. OF this number 81 eo1
or 7.3o per cent, We're boys of which 20 "a
per cent We're white and IA SO per cent COZ
ored. and $500. or 500 per cent wara
girls, OF which So 40 per cent were WHIT
and 1910 per cent colored 'e
The whole number of teachers nrovidad
in the appropriation act was 1 frs nae
white and 4T5 colored This number IN
cludes sc kinderkarten teachers. 10 wbite
and 80 colored. "e
The pupils were distributed as follou,s
Nu,.,,, 80 ,,,,,,. Male. Female Total.
Schools IEg
Number of pupils in high ~
s schools - .a,;,. !. -, ss2 1sse 2,ses
training s, schools school, :; ,.s e12 434 Io4a
and primary schools. 81 Coz % 4e5, Ak oe7
Number of punils In kinder - 7'o'oos