Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-07

School nurses be enjoyed. whose work
would tend somewhat to relieve the medi-
cal inspectors and to make their work
more efhctent. and that a supervising in
spector be employed for the better study
and control OF the service II is hoped
that this recommendation will he favor
ably acted upon.
Child Labor Law.
While an act to regulate the employ
ment of child labor in the District Of
Columbia. approved May 2S 1905 does
not specifically refer to the health de-
partment. yet it's operations have neces-
sarily imposed very considerable
amount of labor upon It, The act pro-
vides that children of certain pre-
scribed class shall not be employed I'M
less they have approved age and school
ing certificates. and it provides further
that no age and schooling certificate
shall be approved unless satisfactory evil
dence is furnished by a duly attested
transcript of birth or by certain other
specified evidence showing the place and
date of birth. And the law provides
further that the certificate referred to
shall show that the child has reached
the normal development of child of
his age. and is in sound health. and is
physically able TO perform the work
which he intends to do.
The health department has been called
upon, therefore. to make many searches
OF the record and to issue many certif-
Gates to show the date and place Of birth
of children born i'm the District Of Co
lumbia and applying for age and school
ing certificates. And since the superin-
tent of schools was not professionally
in a position to certify upon his own
knowledge as to the development. health
fulness and working capacity OF appli-
cants for age and schooling certificates,
the health department. through the medi-
cal inspectors Of schools and through
other physicians in its service. has I'M
dertaken to examine such applicants Ia
determine whether the desired certificates
can he properly issued While such work
has materially interfered at times with
the other work of the department. IL has
been looked uron as legitimate furc-
ton of the Office and the burden has
been assumed with the hope that sooner
or later. when proper provision is made
to provide for the Increased demands
upon the health department the matter
would be duly adjusted.
Communicable Diseases of Animals.
On June Is. 1908. the Commissioners.
because OF the large number of dogs re-
ported rabid. issued a proclamation re-
quiring the muZzling of all dogs running
at large during the six months follow
ing. The order was followed up on June
%, 1908. by the PRONUNCIATION of a poll e
regulation making it unlawful to permit
any unmuzzled dog to run at large while
the proclamation was in force Both
this proclamation and regulation are
still effective on the date covered by
this report.
The Commissioners during the last
session of the Fifty-ninth Congress re-
ported upon bills and resolutions relat-
ing to the District of Columbia referred
to them for report, according to the Gus
tom by the committees of the Senate
and House of Representatives. to the
number of siXty-two Senate bills and
119 House bills, and through the char
men of the Senate and House committees
on the District of Columbia the Commits
sioners presented seventy-seven bills and
resolutions for the consideration of Con-
gress. The President of the United
States. before acting upon the bills and
resolutions which passed both houses
relating to the District, referred them
to the Commissioners for comment. ac-
cording to custom.
Change of Inauguration Day.
The Commissioners renew their recon-
mendation that the day of the Inaugural
ton of the President and Vice President
of the United States should be changed
from the 4th of March. which is apt to
have inclement weather, TO the last
Thursday in April, which is apt to have
balmy weather The death OF many of
those who have attended inauguration
ceremonies. including eminent men in the
public service and representatives ~
foreign countries. has emphasized the
danger to thousands of persons from the
rigorous weather which has so frequently
come on Inauguration day. The governors
of most of the states and other represen-
tative men have approved the proposition.
which has also been generally COM
mended by the press of the country.
A civil service law for the District gov
eminent service is desired by the Com
missioners and the community. sys-
tenn of appointments and promotions on
merit is maintained by the Commission
ers. but ii ought not to depend upon
their voluntary action, and IL ought to
be provided with the full facilities for
examination. By the courtesy of the
United States civil service commission ex-
amnations are now held for admission
for certain technical places under the
District government and the perform
ance of this service has been sustained
as legal by the Supreme Court Of the
District of Columbia. but the Commits
sioners do not feel that they ought to
ask additional service of the United
States civil service commission. which has
already all the work its force can handle.
AS the uniform decisions of the Supreme
Court of the United States hold that the
District government is not part of the
national government. but municipal
the national civil service law
cannot be extended by executive order.
at Military Acad-
envy.
Congress having granted the request OF
the Commissioners that the District
should be given two representatives At
the Naval Academy. it is hoped that it
will now give the District two representa-
tives at the Military Academy, instead
Of one. The same arguments, based on
the size of the District population and
the desira bility of giving its young men
this additional opportunity. will warrant
similar action by Congress.
The Commissioners and the citizens OF
the District generally trust that Congress
will at the coming session provide for the
Improvement of the AnacoStia river basin.
This improvement, repeatedly recon-
mended by the Commissioners. in the in
terest of the health. beauty and COM
merce of the capital, has been deferred
chiefly because of questions Of land title
in the so-called flats of the Anacostia
river and elsewhere in the basin. and
the efforts of the Commissioners to Sc
cure a solution of these questions have
not yet been successful, although they
included an examination by the Depart
ment of Justice. Therefore. the Com
missioners renew their recommendation
for the appropriation necessary TO enable
them to employ special counsel to make
4 thorough search of the titles and give
an opinion which they believe would he
accepted by all concerned supported as
t would be by an abstract Of title which