Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-15
TALKING FOR
PUBLIC VEAL
Civic Center Discusses Peril
nent Questions.
VITAL TO THE DISTRICT
Attorney Ralston Criticises the Gas
Company's Plea.
MACFARLAND PRAISED CONGRESS
Number Of Papers Read on Child
Labor, the Water and Milk Sup
plies and Other Topics.
Attorney Ralston Criticises the Gas
Company's Plea.
MCFARLAND 1sEDCoNGREss

The meeting of the Civic Center at the
public library, Mount Vernon square last
night was marked by the presentation OF
| a number of papers pertinent to every resi-
| dent and taxpayer of the District. The ad-
dresses were In the main reports from the
| various departments of the organization.
| covering the status Of propositions of vital
| interest and bearing upon legislation affect
| ing the District.
Dr. George M Kober presided. and while
| that gentleman occupied the floor in the
| presentation Of his interesting paper Com
| missioner Mcfarland presided. These
meetings of the Civic Center are fraught
| with much interest, and ladies as well as
gentlemen are invited to attend.
Commissioner Mcfarland supplemented
| his remarks on pending legislation in Con-
| gress recommended by the District Com
missioners with some highly commenda-
| tory words Of Congress, and. in passing,
took occasion to say that there were very
many Of the gentlemen in that body who
| took keen interest in the affairs of the
District, and in securing the very best
legislation for it's interests. He thought
! that at times some of our citizens hardly
! judged Congress fairly, but he believed that
| those who had the closest association with
| members of that body were in the best po-
| sition to know the real situation, and he
| felt justified in saying that the Congress
generally aimed to do the right thing by
| the District and to secure to 1t the best
legislation at its command.
Turning to the topic of his address, Mr..
Mcfarland said:
This Congress breaks the record for So
cial legislation for the District. Many OF
the measures which the Commissioners
have long recommended have been passed.
| So much was done at the first session that
some thought there was little left to be
| done, but much has been done at this ses
ISin nd mo
4th of March.
Last session we were given legislation
and appropriations for dealing with insan-
| ;tary buildings, and widening alleys into
minor streets, for reaching non resident
| owners having nuisances on their property.
regulating employment agencies, providing
| a new juvenile court and probation system.
! a new poison and pharmacy law. an eftec-
| tive compulsory education law, and some
| governmental supervision OF savings banks,
| among other things.
This session we have been pressing
| chiefly permanent provision for the play
| ground project. the child-labor bill. the reg
| ulating OF so-called assessment life insur-
| anee. the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of-births bill,
| the registration of tuberculosis cases and
other measures dealing with contagious dis
4 eases. additional inspectors to enforce the
| health. sanitary and food laws, and bac--
THEOLOGICAL laboratory for our Overworked
and undermined health department.,
better regulation of the milk supply. an ex-
tension Of the savings bank law and reg
| uation of usurious brokers. and the legal in
vestigation of titles. which Is a condition
precedent to the Improvement OF the Ana
costa fats"
Gas Company's Plea Punctured
Mr.. Jackson H. Ralston in dealing with
| the subject of public service corporations,
paid his respects to the Washington Gas
light Company and the street railways.
Mr.. SRalston spoke In a general way, but
his remarks were both logical and force
full. and he held the close attention of his
auditors during his entire talk He showed
by an indisputable array of facts and fig
ures that the plea OF the gaslight COM
the price of gas bears with it hardly sufh-
cient conviction to impress the mind of
child.
In referring to the gas situation, Mr.
Ralston said. in part:
THE Washington Gaslight Company was
originally incorporated at $4,000. There
is rumor or tradition that at one time in
its career actual cash was put up for it's
extension and development by the stock
holders to the extent of $50O.0OO. Assuming
| this to be true. We have the indisputable
fact that 100000 represents all the actual
cash ever invested in the company.
AT the present time the capitalization
of the company is S2,600.0O0. Therefore, at
the lowest estimate 81 900 is the free
you will, to the Washington Gaslight Com
pany by the citizens of the District Of CO.
lumbia.
What the Citizens Contribute.
"The par value of single share of stock
in the company is $50. Its selling value is
$50 Therefore. the citizens Of Washington,
not content with their free gift Of over a
million dollars, have forced upon them
selves additional value. so that the stock
of the company is actually worth at mar
ket value s. 100000. In fact taking every
thing into consideration. the real value of
the Washington Gaslight Company's fran
chise apprOximates SSGOO.O00. In ten years
it has increased in value over $1,000 600
Every new household-and this can easily
be calcuiated-every new family of five
persons that comes to Washington to live
permanently represents an additional earn
ing power to the company of $50.
THE Washington Gaslight Company finds
that it cannot reduce the price of Gas-so
1t says-but in the face of the market fig
ures / have given you showing the steady
advance in value of that franchise, in the
face of that wealth piiing up to such a
tremendous and dangerous extent. let US
not be told, unless we be children-and even
then it would be hard to swallow-that the
Washington Gaslight Company is not able
to reap ample profit with gas at 70 cents
Status of Water and Milk Supplies.
Dr. George M. Kober presented a very
| elaborate report of the public health de-
partment on the present status of the water
and milk supplies of Washington, In which
he cleverly combined a succinct statement
of the conditions with some pertinent sug-
gestions to householders for precautions
After referring to the fact that the chair
man of the committee on public health was
perhaps the first to point out the danger
from typhoid fever infection by the use of
raw Potomac water. Dr. Kober said in part:
Suspicious that the typhoid bacillus may
may travel all the way from Cumberland
and infect susceptible persons In Washing
ton were confirmed as early as the winter
of 1SS9-90 by studying the effects of the
| typhoid fever epidemic at Cumberland upon
! the prevalence-of the disease in this city
| The records of the health Office show that
during the epidemic from December. 1889.
| to April. 1890. the deaths from typhoid fever
! amounted to a. as compared with A for
| the corresponding months of the previous
year. Cumberland had about 45 deaths and
| 4S5 cases. this city had "a deaths and about
| TAO cases. and yet the starting point of all
was the excreta of one patient. washed
J into a little run which empties into
/ the Potomac about 300 feet above the
/ pumping station at Cumberland. It is also
noteworthy fact that while the typhoid
mortality has always been excessive In the
| last thirty years, and rarely below Is per
l 10000 Ii reached its maximum IN, 1904 dy,r