Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-08
NEED OF A MUNICIPAL CODE
Address by Representative Gardner
on District Appropriations.
NEED OF BUILDING EXPERT
Statement in Reference to Condition
of Local School Structures-Com-
mitment of Insane.


| appropriations for the District of Column
bia appeared before the Board of Trade
at its April meeting in the red parlor of
the New Willard prepared to defend the
action OF his committee in reducing the
| appropriations for the District for the
| forthcoming year and to answer all ques-
| tions put to him with reference thereto.
| what we would like to do as individ-
uals" Mr.. Gardner said, I'VE hesitate to
do as officials. Power is a thing to be
used sparingly when dealing with money
not your own
This was the keynote of an address that
contained many surprises and was Wig
orousy applauded. A rising vote of
thanks was rendered Mr.. Gardner.
Report of Special Committee.
| The meeting was called to order by
President Rudolph. with William NJ. Shus-
ter as acting secretary. In the absence
of the chairman. Mr.. Shuster read the re-
port of the special legal (codifcation)
committee and moved its adoption. The
| committee renews its recommendation
| that a municipal code be prepared, at
public expense and by direct appropria-
| ton from Congress. subject to the con-
troll of the District Commissioners. and
1
| sioners. to Congress for legislative action.
! The report states that the general ncor-
| poratiOn law for the District is still under
| consideration. Bills introduced in Con-
gress fail to receive consideration because
| in the short session other District leSiSla-
| ton deemed of paramount Importance
has consumed the Districts allotted time.
! so many different and sometimes radl-
| cal views are developed in respect of in
corporation laws" it is added, that prog
| in ~ LOG ri 81 on
| that important subject is necessarily
slow" The report was adopted.
As to Lincoln Celebration.
W. V. Cox, chairman of the special
committee on Abraham Lincoln centen-
NAL. read the report of that committee,
| which was adopted
| THE celebration of the centennial of
| the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, Febru-
airy IL. 1909. should commend itself to
| every American and should be made a
noteworthy event in the history Of our
country the report sets forth. "Exer-
| cises should be held throughout the
length and breadth of the land, and be of
| such character as would tend to encOur-
age every citizen and every child to love
| and venerate the name of the man who
was the greatest figure of his day. and at
| the same time foster the growth of the
| sterling qualities which made Abraham
Lincoln.
Your committee appreciates the fact
| that 1t is not practicable for the Washing
| ton Board of Trade to undertake the
propaganda necessary for the proper car
| rying out of a scheme on very broad
| tines. but it can encourage the holding of
| suitable exercises.
I'm view of the fact that the Inaugural
| ton of the President of the United States
will take place in Washington less than
a month after February r. it is deemed
| inexpedient to endeavor to have two i'm
portant celebrations here on dates SO
| near together.
Should Have National Recognition.
| National recognition, however. should be
| given the event, and to that end your
| committee recommends that it be sug-
| gested to the President of the Unite
States that he incorporate in message
| to Congress suggestions as to the recOg
milton of the date by the laying of the
| corner stone If the Lincoln memorial.
LAS to local features. your committee
| recommends that the board of education
| be requested to have suitable exercises
| held in the public schools of the District
of Columbia. and that the citizens be
| asked to display the American flag that
| day. 1t is also suggested that patriotic
| and other societies be requested to unite
| in making February T., 1909. worthy of
| the man who made his way out of pow
| erty into the hearts of his countrymen-
| Abrah ham Lin coin. in whom there was
| malice to none and charity for all; Abra
ham Lincoln. the first exponent of re-
| united country.
School Building Expert Needed.
William H. Singleton of the committee
| on public schools offered resolutions
which. after some debate, were adopted
| with only one dissenting voice, ANNOUNCE
| ing that lit is the sense of the Washing
| ton Board of Trade that there is urgent
| need for and that there should be liberal
! appropriations Tor the public schools of
should be special expert official whose
| duty should be the inspection and repair
| of public school buildings"
During the debate upon the resolutions,
| participated in by Messrs. Lancaster AL
| len d. Albert DIR. Pardon. Judge Ivory
| G.. Kimbal and Capt. Oyster of the
| board of education. attention was directed
| TO the condition of many of the school
buildings. two of which. the Mccormick
| and the Potomac. had actually been con-
| demned and were even now being used
on the first floors for halliday sessions.
| 1t was stated that damp walls have been
! discovered in 30 instances and that only
| one school out Of forty mine had been APP
| proved by the fire commissioner. There
| are numerous cases of loose joints in
| buildings. loose plastering and the like.
| After the adoption of the resolutions
Mr. Singleton asked and received the
authority of the board for the committee
/ to call the resolutions to the attention of
! Congress.
History of the District.
| Charles f. Kern read the report of the
special committee on the history of the
/ District of Columbia.
i The great work of having prepared and
published an accurate and complete his
tory of the District of Columbia. which
has been ntrusted to your committee, is
in progress he said up to the date
of the report of last year the active eff
forts Of the committee We're directed to-
ward enlarging the list of subscribers to
the proposed history. AS then stated.
some $50 subscriptions had been secured.
and while this number falls below the es-
innate of what would be required In order
to properly finance the undertaking. yet
nothing in the way of canvassing for
names has been done.
! I'm the meantime Mr.. w. Il. Bryan,
who has consented to prepare the nara
tive. has been engaged in collecting ma
terials. which he has done thus far en-
tirely at his own expense 1t is the pur-
pose of Mr.. Bryan to continue along these
/ lines. and as soon as beginning can be
made in the actual writing of the history
ii is his intention to enter upon that part
| of the undertaking.
4 1T is the purpose of your committee at
| some later day to ask that the board
make an appropriation to defray actual
expenses of typewriting necessary in the
preparation of the history. but it would