Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-11

| because their work Is more effectlVe.
1t Is Twenty-Five years today since the
| adoption Of the present form of govern
ment. Under it there has been marvellous
| progress. The population Of the District of
Columbia has doubled. The taxable value
| of real estate has trebled, and the value Of
| personal property Is at least four times
| greater. According to the report of the
| United States census bureau in 1906, on a
comparison of statistics of the increase of
wealth from 1900 to 1904, the wealth of the
| District in that period increased II per
cent, or from S92S 739, 773 to 81, 04O, 1888 173,
which was larger amount than the
wealth of any one of twenty-five states and
| territories. These states and territories as
given in the census bulletin are Maine,
New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island.
Delaware, West Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Florida, North Dakota,
South Dakota, Alabama, Mississippi, Lou
| isiana, Arkansas, Indian Territory. Okla
homa, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming. New
| Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada and Ore
| gon. The death rate has fallen, in the case
| of the white population from 1905 to 15.4,
| and of the coored population from &c. 80 to
| 2S.S4 and the total death rate from "a 80
| to 1913. The bonded debt has been reduced
| over one-half The number of pupils in the
| public schools has more than doubled; the
| number of teachers has almost Quadrupled.
| Every municipal service has been developed
| and improved in proportion. For example,
| In 1879 there were six fire engine and two
| truck companies of the fire department.
| There are now nineteen fire engines. eight
4 H. -,
| besides a water tower and a fireboat. In
| 1879 there were 239 policemen; in 1906, 694.
| In 1879 there were $3.50 street lamps; in
| 1906, L, S5S, and at least six times as great
| in Illuminating power. Thirty-two thou
| sand trees have been added on the streets.
| Rock Creek Park and the Geological Park,
the improvement of the Potomac fats and
| Potomac Park and number Of other park
Improvements have been made.
| Entirely new municipal services have
been provided, as the board of charities,
board of children's guardians, the Juvenile
| Court and probation system, the insurance
department, the electrical department. free
public library, public Fairgrounds. bathing
beach, boards of examiners for physicians,
| dentists, nurses and veterinarians, the ex-
else board, the examiners of steam en-
gineers and automobile operators.
Water Improved.
The water supply has been improved in
quantity and quality through fltra ton
plant and in its distribution system; a new
| system of sewers and sewage disposal in
| stalled; the whole railway terminal facli-
Aes have been modernized by the abolition
! Of grade-crossings, the erection of a union
station and of a new bridge across the Po-
tomac, the freeing of George Washington s
Mall from the servitude of the old railway
| station and tracks and the Potomac river
from the Long bridge dam; and in addi-
| ton we have the construction of the Con-
| necticut Avenue bridge, the Massa chuetts
| Avenue viaduct, the Potomac Highway
bridge, the extension Of Massachusetts, ave-