The Washington herald., 1909-08-20

The harbor front Of the National Capt.
tai. under its present conditions Is a
disgrace TO the city. says the wharf COM
mittee in It's annual report fled yester-
day with the Commissioners. and an ap-
propriation for its Improvement is recon-
mended.
The plans for the improvement OF the
water front include the establishment OF
a recreation pier at the foot OF Ninth
street which. II constructed. the report
asserts, will afford facilities to the moth
ers and children Of Washington for en-
joying the river breezes during the hot
summer days. and will constitute a val
liable adjunct to the playground move
ment
Attention is directed to the report on
the Improvement Of the water front,
which was forwarded to Congress by tae
Commissioners May q. 1908. This report
outlined Improvements aggregating. in
round numbers. 100000 The greatest
portion Of this amount was for improve
ments on the frontage of the Washington
channel, and for the purchase OF the
land along the Potomac and Anacostia
rivers.
No Appropriation Made.
No appropriation was made by Con-
gress. although an estimate aggregating
$4,000 toward carrying out this plan or
Improvement was made by the Commis-
sioners in their estimates for the fiscal
year 1910. The Commissioners are OF the
/ opinion that an estimate should again
be submitted TO Congress for money 20
lnaugurate these improvements.
Ihe Improvement OF conditions along
| the Washington channel IS most ur-
gent. read the report While the va
rlous lessees have spent considerable
money IN buildings and repairs. In order
10 Improve their holdings and make
/ them more available for their various
/ businesses. these improvements have NOT
| been made in any systematic manner.
/ nor IN accordance with any definite
plan: they would. therefore, be Of no
value IN any extensive Improvement
along this frontage and would probably
/ have 10 be torn down.
/ We believe the harbor front OF the
city OF Washington should be a model
I Tor those OF other cities Instead. II
may be described, under its present con-
/ diuons. as a disgrace TO the city, De-
I velopment within the last year would
seem TO indicate that If proper wharf
/ age facilities were provided. much river
/ and commercial traffic would be ar
tracted 10 Washington which now goes
/ elsewhere. AS ii is. the demand for
/ wharf space cannot be met"
/ Present conditions at the fish wharf are
declared to be a menace to health and
/ the committee recommends that Congress
/ be asked 90 terminate the lease of W.
/ w. Riley, the present lessee, who has
I occupied the wharf since March. 1908.
/ without consideration. The lease provides
\ that the lessee should expend at least
/ S,Oa in Improvements. Riley. according
! 20 the report. declined 70 place the wharf
/ in sanitary condition, and the Commls-
sioners entered legal proceedings 70 COM
I Pel him 20 vacate the premises. The
lessee applied for a restraining order to
! preven: such action and the matter is
now pending in the courts
Your committee IS Of the opinion %
says the report that the existing in
sanitary conditions at the fish wharf are
a menace TO health demanding immediate
remedy, and. as the present lessee has
/ had ample opportunity 20 make the
/ necessary improvements and has failed to
/ uO 81 IcCOIlNlElQ lllaL congress Oe
asked to terminate this lease. thereby
saving time IN the making OF this much
needed improvement, which cannot now
be made without a somewhat protracted
legal procedure.
Sanitary Market Urged.
1T Is further recommended that the
Commissioners be authorized either 20
establish a fish market at this wharf 70
be conducted as are the other markets in
the city, or to enter into a lease with a
fish dealer, or an association Of fish
dealers. to operate a sanitary fish and
oyster market Your committee has rea-
son 20 believe that either Of these meth
DDS would improve the sanitary condition.
and at the same time produce an ade-
quate revenue from this source, which
they do not believe is being obtained
from the present lessee"
The committee recommends that the
James creek canal be kept open below
n street, and the canal wall extended
in order to provide additional wharfage
/ facilities.
The actual water frontage in the Dis
/ trict Of Columbia. with the exception of
canals. is about two miles. The amount
of revenues from the wharf properties
during the year was $17,560.