Evening star., 1907-11-12

Purchase of land between
/ Pennsylvania avenue and the
/ Mall
/ Brig Gen. John NJ. Wilson retiring pres
I ident of the Board of trade submitted
and read hts last annual report before
/ the annual meeting of that organizat ION
| at the New Willard last evening Gen
| Wilson dealt with all of the more i'm
portant municipal problems of the Dis
| trict of Columbia and referred in detail tC
| the work of the committees of the board
and the results accomplished by them
| during the year.
The principal features Of the report are
as follows:
! I'm submitting this, my final report as
/ president of the Washington Board of
Trade. l desire to express my deep ap-
probation of the honor conferred upon
me in empowering me for two years to
preside over a body of representative
citizens which has accomplished so much
| for me welfare. prosperity and advance
ment of the interests of the capital of
the nation.
Il am gratifed that another body of
our citizens has been organized for the
interests of our people and to bring the
citizens of the District of Columbia into
more friendly Intercourse and relation
ship. ana believing, As | thoroughly do,
| in the the very strongest competition in
good works. | welcome with all my heart
the new Chamber of Commerce, and trust
that, hand in hand, these two bodies of
our pubiiC-spirited citizens will stand to-
gether III the forefront OF the fight for the
advancement. Improvement. beautifica
idly growing city.
Growth in Population.
Our annual growth in population and
wealth is simply marveiou. The pop
ulation OF the District increased from
81 ,6sI IN the year 1850 to 27S,1lS in
the year 1900, while the last census taken
by our splendid police force shows that
April 10, 1907, the number of inhabitants
was 329 531. AS l stated in my last an
nual report. l am sure that by the year
1910 We will have nearly 4oo 900 people,
and that by the year 1890 our city Will
have population of about LOCO coo.
The recent report for the past fiscal
year of our building inspector. Mr.. Snow
den Ashford. shows continued increase
in our building operations, and that. eX-
elusive of the superb structures being
erected by the general government, $500
building permits covering an eXpendi
crease of 1.st4 permits and an expendi-
ture of nearly 81 900 900 in excess of the
fiscal year ended June 30. 1906
The growth Of our city In its manu-
featuring interests continues. as is shown
by comparison of the statistics given ii
the report of the director OF the United
States census, S. n. D. North.
Approval of Congress.
1T may be well to briefly note in gen
.,- l>o ,Iati TONS,
of the board during the past two years,
and more especially those which have
either wholly or in part received the ia
vorabe action of Congress:
Paving the approaches to Connecticut
avenue bridge: reconstruction of the X
street bridge over Rock creek; recon-
struction of the Anacostia bridge: COM
pulsory education law; creation of Ju-
venile Court: purchase Of playground
sites and their equipment and mtainte-
nance; municipal hospital for consump-
tives: triangle at east side of 1Hth street
and north of Columbia road and also
that at the east side Of 18th street at It's
intersection with Piney Branch road, both
for park purposes; adrisabihty OF pur-
chasing for park purposes the proposed
addition to Rock Creek Park. the Me
ridian Hill site, the Carpenter and Penn
sylvania Avenue Heights tract and
the Montrose tract on Georgetown
Heights: amendment of the fire
escape law: condemnation of in
sanitary buildings regulation by
the Commissioners of the open expo
sure for sale of food products. candy. etc,
also of the sale of poisonous drugs: re-
moval of sediment from palecarlta reser-
| voir: increased appropriations for the
Public Library; appropriation for pur-
chase of site for station house in Ana
| costia extension of Mckinley Manual
| Training School; appropriations for ap
| paratus and equipment of school play
Ii Il,
school gardens; continuing the improve
| ment of the Anacostia river; for obtain
| ing a channel in Potomac river with
| width of 400 feet below Washington; ap-
| preparation for urban and suburban sew
ers; appropriations for construction of
| new buildings at the Boys Reform School
| to replace the main building destroyed
| by fire: protection of court records from
| fire; eSta abliShulent of local railroad
| freight offices in Washington and elimi-
| nation Of former arrangements for re-
| billing southern freight in Alexandria.
Dissertation of the Flag.
II trust the Board of Trade will ex-
press itself at some early day in the
strongest possible terms in favor of the
passage by Congress of a law similar to
that adopted by the Legislature of the
state of Nebraska to prevent the desc
| Grafton OF The flag of the United States
within the limits of the District of Co
lumoia by placing upon our national en-
| sign for exhibition or display any word,
| figure mark picture or advertisement of
| any batur':. and making it misdemeanor
punishable by fine or imprisonment. or
| botA. for any one to sell expose for sale
| or have in Lose sson for sale any article
| of nierchaI disc upon which shall have
| been printed or placed for purposes of ad-
| vertistmcnt representation of the flag
of the United States.
! May | invite your attention to the ne
cessity of the passage by Congress OF
some well-detined law for the protection
of the Sabbath day in the District of Co
lumbiao
| In my last annual report ! invited at
tention to the great jamestown exposi-
tion. then about to be inaugurated A
| committee of twenty-one citizens of the
1 District was appointed by the president OF
the board of Commissioners of the Dis
| trict of Columbia to arrange for the cele-
bration of District of Columbia day June
II, 1907, the twenty ninth anniversary OF
the adoption of our present form of gov.
ernment. Col. Nj. NJ. Parker and Mr. Ed