Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-26
OUTLINE OF PROJECTS
Commissioners Soon to Con-
slider District Improvements.
PREPARATION OF ESTIMATES
Mr.. Mcfarland Discusses What It IS
Hoped to Accomplish.
APPROPRIATION OF LAST YEAR
Legislation for Improvement OF the
Anacostia River, Commercial and
Otherwise, to Be Expedited.
PREPARATION OF ESTIMATES
APPROPRIATION OF LAST YEAR

Otherwise, to Be Expedited.
1t was announced this morning at the Of
fee of the Commissioners that within few
days they will commence upon the prepara-
ton OF their annual estimates. With the ar
rival OF Commissioner West in the city at
the end of the week, 1t Is stated. the work
will be taken up and at the conclusion of
the work of compiling the estimates the
Commissioners will then begin their prepa-
rations for pressing at the coming session
of Congress the legislation they desire for
the District.
In speaking of 1t Commissioner Macfar-
land said this morning:
While 1t is true that more of the Com
missioners' estimates and bills were passed
at the last session than in any one fOrmet
session. so that many people thought there
was little of the Commissioners program of
the past six years to carry out, much re-
mains to he done. We hope to see much
accomplished at the coming session of
Congress. OF course, it is the short ses-
sion beginning this year on the ID of De-
cember and ending the 4th of March.
with two weeks out at the Christmas holt
days. But the committees are already or
ganized and will begin work early and were
made familiar at the last session with most
of the subjects We have to present. Be-
our bills. some of which have also passed
last session one or the other house.
Important Matters Considered.
AS usual. some of the most important
things will be presented in the estimates.
We do not have to ask for any more money
for the filtration plant. the city sewage dis
posal system or the Connecticut avenue
bridge. But the other great physical i'm
provements We have been working at for
six years-the railway terminals and the
District government building-will call for
more money. Then there is the sewerage
system for the suburbs. the separate high
pressure fire protection water mains. sur
vey for the aqueduct. tne smaller
bridge work. the extension of the water me-
ter system and similar matters which the
Commissioners have been pressing. besides
the new buildings Tor schools, fire. police
and other purposes. and the extension of the
different municipal services. The increased
pay of teachers. policemen and firemen OBJ
tanned on the recommendation of the Com
misSioncrS at the last session will increase
estimates this year. and the growth of
the city requires increases all along the line
II the municipal housekeeping is to keep up
with the increase in the size of the house.
There is difficulty from financial
point of view. The taxation. reasonable,
but not high. provides amply for the Dis
trict's share of the regular expenses. and
II proper provision is made for separating
the extraordinary from the ordinary expen-
ditues. the Commissioners have recon-
mended in a business-like plan similar to
that of all other municipalities. the District
can easily meet its proportion of the extra
ordinary appropriations in installments and
with interest This proper arrangement of
our financial relation with our partner the
national government. vitality affects our
business situation, and ought to have the
Increasing interest of all our business men.
Progress in Construction.
"ThePolice Court building and the Home
for Aged Men and Women have been COM
pleted. the Industrial Home School for Col
ored Children is well advanced toward COM
pletion. plans being made for the tu-
berculosis hospitals and a crematorium, but
we have as great need ever for general
municipal hospital for chronic cases to take
the place of the makeshift between jail and
of the makeshift between the Jail and the
workhouse. where sick convicts lie side by
side with the honest poor. We must also
provide for the better of defective
classes The board of charities is working
on the problem submitted to them by the
Commissioners as to a separate institution
for the District insane and also as to pro-
vision for chronic inebriates and for the
feeble minded, especially the colored feeble
minded, for whom there is no suitable
provision. We must also take up very soon
the execution of the recommendation made
by the Commissioners in their special re-
port on the care OF children three wears
ago, out of which grew the Juvenile Court
for a building for the Juvenile Court and
the house of detention in place of the rent
ed buildings they now occupy.
Interest in the Parks
Relative to the parks Commissioner Mac
farland said:
The Commissioners will continue to ad-
vocate all that they have recommended, in
Guiding the Rock Creek Park addition and
the Meridian Hill Park. and we look hope
fully to the report of the special comnaittee
of three senators and three representatives
appointed az the close of the last session to
consider the principal park projects A
comparatively small expenditure now for
these desirable park lands would save a
much larger expenditure In the future and
be of inestimabe value. We trust also that
substantial progress will be made in re-
deeming the south side of PENNSYLVANIA
avenue for park and government building
purposes.
Anacostia River Improvement
Regarding legislation for the improvement
of the Anacostia river basin and OF the har-
Dor front OF the Potomac river Commits
sioner mcfarland said that all legislation
In the interest both OF commerce and beau
ty would be pushed. in speaking OF the
subject Mr.. mcfarland said:
AT the last session submitted a
report on the Anacostia Improvement, rec
ohlrnendinS continuance of the dredging
by the national government. ample provi-
sion for additional wharves, and the con-
version OF the upper portion of the basin
and beauty. We added that the first step
must be the determination of the title of the
United States In the riparian lands and
that as the Department of Justice for
whose action Congress had been waiting
had not been able to settle the question
would be necessary to employ special
counsel to go to the bottom of IT, This
should be done at once, since the frs.
question We must answer at Congress Is
how much the United States owns and
what, II anything. would have to be paid
ClaimantS'
Appropriation Secured.
I'VE secured at the last session an appro-
priaton of s.. 500 with which to prepare a
special report on the Improvement of the
harbor and wharf properties. and will pre-
sent when Congress meets recommendations
for the enlargement of the harhor and the
Improvement of the waterfront SO as to
add decidedly to the accommodations for
shipping and the effectiveness of the ap-
pearance- One of the things most impressed
upon my mind In the European cities which
I visited was the great advantage they have
! over all American cities in the beauty and
| convenience of their water fronts. IT seems