Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-09
WOULD SUBSTITUTE
SINGLE EXECUTIVE
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him and with Commissioner West and MAJ.
Sylvester the Importance of such regula-
lions was recognized, and certain OF them
have already been put into operation.
1 urge also a consideration of the intro
duction OF taxameters, to be attached 10
all cabs hired on the streets and at railway
stations. l made a personal investigation
of the use of taxameters In Berlin ana
Paris, questioning police officials, CAP
drivers and citizens, and from all three
had unqualified approval of them. The
police stated that the adoption of taxa
| meters had driven many dishonest drivers
out of the cab service. The drivers de-
clared that former conflicts between them
and cab owners regarding the return of the
full amount of fares had been eliminated,
while citizens generally testified to the re-
| moval of irritating conflicts with cap
drivers, formerly Inevitable. / may add
that the London authorities have recently
voted to introduce the taxameter into that
city, and that private taxameter CAP
company has been organized In New YORK.
I recommend that this important improve.
ment in the cab service Of the national
capital be adopted. I am glad to state that
Commissioner West is already giving the
subject consideration.
Bureau of theaters and markets.-Thts
bureau should supervise all theaters, enter
tainment halls, common shows and public
markets, and see to the establishment ana
| enforcement of all regulations concerning
| them.
Bureau of identifcation.-The important
work done by Major Sylvester in establish
| ing a national bureau Of Identification Of
| criminals Is worthy of the highest COM
mendation. This bureau should be official
| ly recognized and permanently established
| at Washington 1 have had occasion to
| examine the workings of the national
police bureaus at Vienna, Berlin. Paris and
! London The service rendered by these
| bureaus as a national clearing house for
! the identification of criminals has been OF
great value to law and order In these coun-
! tries.
| I wish in this connection to urge the con-
| ,;l of fhn fnU nj
| Identification now employed in England,
Austria and some of the British colonies
and recently adopted in several cities IN
| this country. The testimony Of officials
| in these countries and cities is to the eff
/ feet that this system facilitates and sim
plifies the identification of criminals. Sc
cures more accuracy than the cumbrous
system of measurements and has enabled
| the police to identify a larger percentage
of suspected criminals than formerly
III. Buildings and Public Works.
This department should supervise all pub
lie buildings and enforce laws and ordi-
nances in relation to the construction and
| safety of private buildings and should
control all public works, such as sewerage,
lighting and water supply.
". Department Of Charities.
The present board Of charities has per-
formed service Of the highest value. The
gradual reduction through its efforts of the
| number of subsidized charities has been q
| difficult and often thankless task 1t would
seem to me, however that the time has
now come when the place of this board
| should be taken by a commissioner OF
| charities, who will give constant supervision
to the charitable institutions maintained by
| the District or for which District funds are
| appropriated. If you would judge 1t prefer.
able to continue the board of charities
would recommend that the president of the
board be a salaried commissioner giving
his entire time to the work. 1t is to bt
hoped that in the near future no hospfta
or charitable institution will receive sub
sides from the Congress unless such sub
sides are Endorsed by the board of charlie:
or by the commissioner of charities, If this
office be constituted.
v. Department of Corrections.
An Independent department Of corrections
is needed under the presidency OF com
petent. well-salaried executive. Such de-
partment should have charge of all penal
and corrective institutions in the District
and penal institutions Of the national gov.
| eminent now located in the District should
| be turned over to It.
The Childrens Court, recently established
with probation service Is meeting with gen
eral approval as a step in the right direc
ton in the more Intelligent handling O.
Juvenile offenders. Such department Of cor
rections should make careful examination
of all corrective institutions in the District
with view to secure and apply sucl
corrective methods as shall tend to edu
cate criminals out Of crime, and not, a!
has been the history Of penal institutions IL
the past, drive them more deeply into It.
VI. Department Of Street Engineering
This department should have charge o.
the construction, paving and repairing o.
all streets, highways and sidewalks, clean
ing of the same and the disposal Of ashe!
and garbage. 1 am aware that it is Gus
tomary to place the construction and repair
of highways under one department. and
their cleaning under another, but In my
| opinion 1t would locate responsibility more
clearly and increase the intelligence ant
efficiency of administration to place tn,
| construction and care of the streets Under
1 one department.
VII. Housing and Labor.
The present government OF the Distric
contains no adequate means for the collec
! ton Of information in relation to housing
and labor. The special supervision of thei
poorer quarters established in some cite!
and the bureaus of labor In most states are
also lacking. The Office of the commissions
of insurance might also be organized int
a bureau and appropriately attached to TIL.
| department.
To meet the above requirements I sugges
that the following bureaus be constituted
under this department:
Bureau of statistics-This bureau shoull
obtain and publish Information on sucl
matters as child labor, women's labor
pawnshops. industrial insurance and othe
forms OF industrial savings, hours and con
ditions of labor and other matters relatfv,
to the condition and welfare Of wage-earn
ers. 1t should also collect and publish re
ports on the housing and allied problems o
the District.
Bureau Of housing-This bureau shoult
enforce the laws regarding tenements. small
houses alley shacks and alleys The recen
experience of the New York city tenemen
house department shows that the super
vision of the houses by a special department
defines responsibility and brings better re
suits than when a general building depart
ment controls all classes of private build
ings
Bureau of labor-This bureau should hay
the oversight of pawnshops. loan com
panies, employment agencies and the en-
forcement of laws relating to factories
workshops and stores. Such a bureau 4
greatly needed for the sake of all who re
sort to the various agencies above named
and for all those. including women an,
children. who should have the protection O
adequate factory laws
l. Pawnshops and loan companies are a ne
cessity to people OF limited means. but tn
former always require careful inspection
| nd alo Lot x-lH