Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-03

President of the United States, before
acting upon the bills and resolutions re-
iattng to the District. referred them to
for comment. and they favoFably reported
upon all bills and resolutions SO referred.
Change Of Inauguration Day.
The day Of the Inauguration of the Pres
ident and Vice President Of the United
| States should be changed from the In
Clement month of March to the month of
April. In order that the health Of those
who participate may be protected from the
dangers OF the weather. In the past many
citizens and some 'eminent officers Of the
national, state and city governments and
representatives of foreign countries have
succumbed to the rigefs Of the weather
upon inauguration day. The proposition,
approved by large number of re present-
atiye men of the country, including the
governors Of q large majority of the
states, to change the Inauguration day
from the 4th of March to the last Thurs-
day in April is approved by the Commits
sioners heartily and commended to the
consideration Of Congress.
The Commissioners renew their recon-
mendation that civil service law for the
District government service should be CIV
en- by Congress. Under the uniform de-
cisions of the Supreme Court Of the United
States. the District government Is not a
part Of the national government. but a
municipal corporation. and therefore the
benefits Of the national civil service law
cannot be extended to 1t. The Commits
sioners maintain merit civil Sc rvice sys-
tenn. but 1t needs and should have the
support Of Law.
The District of Columbia should be given
| two representatives at the United States
gress aeceded to the request Of the Com
missioners that the District should be giv-
en- two representatives at the Naval
Academy. and the argument arising from
the population Of the District and the
desirabiiity OF giving its young men this
additional opportunity win, It is hopsd.
secure the additional representative at
the Military Academy.
The Commissioners recommend to Con-
gress that provision be made 30 that con-
tracts for construction work shall be
valid when signed by q majority Of the
board Of Commissioners. as IS now the
case with all other District contracts.
The requirement that construction con-
tracts shall be signed by all three Com
missfoners has proved lnconvehfeht and
| unnecessary, and should be repealed.
A number OF ordinances Of the former
corporations OF the city Of Washington
and OF Georgetown are Of doubtful eff
cheney because Of the omission Of the act
OF February II. 1871. which abolished those
municipalities. to transmit the executive
duties In connection Herewith to any Of
Acer Of ths succeeding municipal govern
ments In the District.
The Commissioners Will submit draft
Of bill to vest them With the necessary
power to give those ordinances effect as
occasion shall arise.
Anacostia Flats.
The improvement Of the Anacostta river
basin in the interest Of the health. beauty
and commerce Of the National capital Is
| earnestly desired by the Commissioners
and the community. The desire Of Con-
gress to have the question settled OF
titles to land embraced In the so-called
| fats Of the Anaeestia river before max
ing appropriations for thei- reclamation
led the Commissioners to make different
efforts through the action of Congress to
obtain an authoritative settlement Of the
question Of titles. For various reasons
the measures taken were without effect.
The Commissioners therefore renew their
recommendation that an appropriation Of
$4,000 be made to enable them to employ
| OF the titles and give an opinion which
| as an expert report supported by the
records they believe would be accepted
| by all concerned. and would permit them
| to advise Congress as to the actual state
of the titles. They would be very glad
to have Congress, in the meantime, make
an appropriation toward carrying out
plans which they have approved for the
Improvement Of the Anacostia river basin,
so that contracts might be made in adj
vance and there might be no delay in be-
ginning the work without the question of
titles so settled.
The law providing for supervision Of
savings banks in the District of Columbia
by the controller of the currency. drafted
fo- the Commissioners in the Office Of the
controller of the currency and enacted by
Congress upon their recommendation. has
worked well. but 1t needs enlargement
and strengthening. In the judgment of
| the. controller of the currency and of the
Commissioners. They also believe that
similar legislation should be enacted for
] the official supervision of building and
| loan assoc atoms Of the District OF Co
lumbia. Both subjects are worthy OF the
Commissioners recommend that appro-
pirate legislation be provided.
Public Schools.
The largest item In the estimates Of
the Commissioners is for the public
schools. This Is due to the fact that it
8 the most important interest Of the Dis
trict of Columbia: The Commissioners.
after careful consideration. recommended
almost all of the estimates of the boa I'd
fof education for the next fiscal year
| From the total amount, 81. 161 ,24O, they
deducted only $4,000.
The automatic increase in the pay of
the teachers and others in the public
schools made a large increase in the esti-
mates. The necessity for additional build
ings and grounds and the enlargement Of
! aid huildinss and grounds called for
$I926 600. The appropriations made for
| the erection Of buildings have not kept
pace with the. growth of the schools:
therefore there Is large arrears of build
ing to be brought up, besides what IL
necessary for the future. The amount of
| work and the amount of money involved
| is SO large that it is necessary now to
remove thu estimates for school build
ings and grounds from the class of cur
rent expenditures, to be paid out of cur
rent revenues as heretofore. to the class
of extraordinary expenditures. involving
such large amounts as cannot be prop
erly taken out of current revenues and
which also affect posterity as we'll as the
present In this conn ection the Commits
sieners ought to say that experience
proves that the approp -iations should be
made earlier than they have been In the
| past. so as to obviate the. otherwise in
cYitabls delay in securing suitable sites
and suitabls plans: within the appropri-
atoms. The necessary reduction of bids
for sites and construction and the altera-
ton of plans because Of the lack of money
| in the appropriat on have. caused delays
which ought not to have occurred and
which were disadyantageOus. to the pub
| tic school interest.
New school buildings have baen COM
Dlsted to the number of two in the
fiscal year ended June 30. 1907. and SUBJ
stantial progress has been made upon
L thrae others authorized at the laAt sos