Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-03

vancement Of the city The was very sorry
for It. He referred to parts OF his report
as favoring light manufacturing. but ne
did not favor the Introduction OF enter
prises that would bring smoky chimneys.
and If the board should wish to take up
such a project he would prefer TO be re-
lieved from the craftsmanship of the COM
mittee, as he did not believe In 1t.
Favored Manufacturing.
Mr. Thomas w. Smith favored manu-
featuring in parts of the city that would
not be injured by them. He thought that
this city is getting along pretty well as
1t is, the seventeenth manufacturing city
of the country now. Few people realize
how much business is done here now
Mr.. Henry +. Blount did not favor enter
prises that would fill the city with smoky
chimneys, but light manufacturing, he
thought, should be encouraged.
The report was then adopted. Mr.. Sid
don's motion instructing the committee on
commerce and manufacturing to bring In
a comprehensive plan for encouraging the
establishment of manufacturing establish
ments also adopted.
Mr.. Warner asked that Messrs. Siddons
and Harper and DR.. Pardon be added to his
committee. but no action was taken thereon.
Mr.. Ernest Wilkinson. chairman of the
committee on public buildings, made his re-
port.
The most important feature of the past
years history relating to public buildings
was the increase of the appropriation for
the new municipal building from $2,uOO,OOO
to 81, 500. 900.
This increase, according to the report, will
enable the Commissioners to provide a build
ing that will be In keeping with the hand
some surroundings of Its site, and that will
be credit to the capital.
Another important appropriation secured
at the last session of Congress was the sum
of $4,000, appropriated for the erection of
a police court.
1t was largely through the efforts of the
Board of Trade that the plan of quartering
the Police Court in the new municipal build
ing, which seemed to appeal so much TO the
economical side of Congress, was hnaily
and definitely rejected.
There are in process of construction,
the report stated, great congressional
offices for the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatVeS of the United States, the new De-
partment OF Agriculture and the new Ma
tional Museum buildings, all of which are
we'll under way.
"At the Engineers School at the end Of
this year there will have been completed
fifteen sets of officers quarters, three large
barrack buildings, two large storage houses,
three large mess halls, sheds stables ana
other buildings. for which have been appro-
priated S1.O10,OO0 The War College will
probably be completed by the end OF the
fiscal year at a total cost Of 100000, eX-
elusive of site.
improvements at Soldiers Home.
Extensive improvements are being made
at the Soldiers Home; contracts have al
ready been awarded for the basement or a
new mess hall and dormitory building,
which building will probably cost, by the
time it is completely equipped, at least
S90OO00 and the central power house, new
guard house and many improvements or
secondary Importance have already been
authorized or will shortly be authorized.
All of the buildings there, already under
way or likely to be begun shortly, viii PROB
ably cost In the aggregate about Sl,5tUoOo
"A new army general hospital Will doubt-
less be put up at an early date near the
Soldiers Home, and the site has already
been purchased at a cost of $4,000.
Extensive improvements have been
made and are being made at the Washing
ton navy yard, including electric power
plants, coaling plant and various other
buildings, at total cost OF about SooO,ooo
Your committee Is advised that IN the
extensive improvements being made at the
Washington barracks, including the erection
of the great War College and Engineer
School buildings, the work has been plan
ned with the expectation that the two
power houses just outside OF THIS reserVa-
ton will ultimately be abandoned by the
street railway companies and their sites
acquired by the government, and either
attached to the reservation or converted
into a park.
"A park occupying the triangle bounded
on two sides by the Potomac and Ana
costa rivers, with a driveway along the
waters edge and having the handsome
College and Engineer School buildings
clustered on one side of 1t, would add an
other striking feature to our already beau
tiful city.
Rapid progress is now being made upon
the great union railway station, which
will remove two eyesores from our city
and add a great object of beauty to It,
1.-The removal of the old Pennsylvania
railroad station will provide a superb site
for one of the great PUBLIC buildings of
the future, and your committee under
stands that a big armory upon this site
has been projected.
your committee cordially indoses the
erection of such an armory at any place
deemed suitable-and most especially on
the site suggested-as a worthy tribute to
the merits of our citizen soldiers and naval
reserves.
1.-The appropriation for public schools for
the past year has been in a measure dis
appointing. and In many of the schools
there is still no adequate protection against
loss of life by fire. We have witnessed
the precision of the fire drills of the pupils
in those schools and the excellent discipline
that prevails when on drill, but such condI-
lions do not always prevail in time of panic
and We earnestly recommend that the
necessity for adequate protection of the
children against fire should be diligently
and continuously urged upon Congress I'M
til the requisite appropriations are secured.
The committee favored the erection of a
new court house IN Judiciary square for
the Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court
of the District and their offices and that
the present building be torn down.
The portion of the report favoring
new court house was stricken out on mo-
'tiOn of Mr.. Warner and the remainder was
adopted
Mr.. Bloundt submitted a report on parks
and reservations
a motion by. Judge Charles S. Bundy
expressing regret that Congress had not
made greater advances in putting into
effect a general park system was adopted
Parks and Reservations
The committee reported that during the
year just passed the work OF opening I'D
the natural beauties of Rock Creek Park
to the people has progressed In a satisfac-
tory manner and that now, with the re-
cent completion of Blagden avenue along
the east side of the creek just below the
mouth of Broad branch, the opening and
completion of Ross driveway to Military
road and the finishing touches put on some
of the other roads and footpaths and
bride paths, the lower portion of the park
as far north as Military road IS readily ac-
cessible to pedestrians. horseback riders and
those who go in carriages and automo-
biles
A new bridge has been constructed at the