Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-07


interstate commerce commission. The
Commissioners believe that this strictly
municipal functions ought to be PERFORM
ed by the municipal government ana
ought to include the two gas light COM
panies the electric lighting and power
company. and the telephone company. il
is believed that it IS not necessary to
add to existing organs of government or
to incur the expense of additional salaries
for this supervision of public utility cor
porations and, therefore. q public service
commission is not regarded as necessary
Bond of the Commissioners.
The Commissioners recommend the re-
peal of the law which requires that the
civil Commissioners shall give a bond
In the sum Of $50, 900 to the United States.
The only use for such bond disappeared
long ago, when the Commissioners ceased
to be disbursing officers. which they
were at the beginning of the present form
of government The requirement Of a
bond imposes an expense upon the Com
missioners without any resulting advan-
tage.
ssSafe and Sane Fourth"
The Commissioners successfully es-
tablished safe and sane celebration
Of the Fourth of July during the past
year by prohibiting the private sale or
use of fireworks and other explosives
and by providing. through cooperation
with a. Joint committee Of the Washing
ton Board of Trade and the Washington
Chamber of Commerce and the assistance
OF the citizens generally. an adequate
day and night celebration. when was
very much enjoyed by the pubic ;rt .aso :. :,
as it was by perfect weather. The fact
that at the end Of the day there were no
Fourth of July victims in the hospitals
which the year before had SHOWN IOf sucn
cases. that there We're no fires In the cat.
of Washington, due to Fourth OF july
celebretion and that there were fewer
arrests than on ordinary days, and the
general enjoyment Of the celebration, met
the objections that had been raised IN
advance and confirmed the Commission
ers In their purpose to reform the %.
seryance Of the day. The example set
promises to be followed in many cities
next year.
Change of Inauguration Day.
The unusually Indictment weather of the
4th of March last emphasized the neces-
sity for change of the date OF inaugu-
ration of the President and Vice fresi-
dent of the United States. The incon.
venience, discomfort, and danger due to
bad weather on former occasions were
exceeded, and a very large number OF
people were made Ill, while many died as
a result of the exposure 10 the blizzard.
The national committee advocating the
change of inauguration day from the 4th
of March TO the last Thursday i'm April
the anniversary of the first inauguration
Of President Washington-reneWed s ef-
forts at the extra session OF Congress,
and resolutions providing for that cnanRe
were introduced In both houses of Con-
eress. but no action was taken, because
Congress was considering only that Tor
which it had been summoned IN extra. SeS-
sion The national committee, or wmcn
Al governors of States and Territories
and Is residents of the District o. CO.
lumbia are members, with the president
of the Board of Commissioners as chair
man, will present the matter at the COM
ing session Of Congress, and the commis-
sioners earnestly commend the proposed
change.
Civil Service for the District Gov
eminent.
The commissioners renew their recon-
mendation for a. civil service law for the
District government, which can not be
brought under the national civil-servtce
law by executive order, under the uniform
decisions Of the Supreme Court that 1t is
not a part of the national government,
but a municipal corporation. The sys-
tenn Of appointments and promotions on
merit maintained by the commissioners
and supplemented by examination held
by courtesy of the United States Civil
Service Commission for admission to the
police and fire departments and for GER
tain technical places ought not to be left
without the sanction of law and without
proper facilities for examinations.
Representatives at Military and
Naval Academies.
The President of the United States
having approved the suggestion made by
the president of the Board of Commits
sioners that hereafter the District Of Co
lumbia places at the Military and Naval
academies should be filled on the recon-
menda tons of the commissioners after
competitive eXaminat ton Of applicants,
the commissioners have arranged with
the United States Civil Service Commis-
sion to hold examinations of candidates
duly qualified and who shall have passed
a physical examination before the board
of police and fire surgeons. 1t is hoped
that Congress will give the District two
representatives at the Military Academy.
as it already has granted the request of
the commissioners for two representatives
at the Naval Academy.
Locomotives and the Smoke Law.
The law to prevent the emission OF dense
black or gray smoke in the District Of
Columbia should be extended to cover
locomotive engines, as heretofore recon-
mended by the commissioners. The inn
provement made by the railroads operat-
ing within the District of Columbia by
the use Of special fuel and the careful in
struction and supervision of the engine
men, made since the commissioners first
asked Congress to extend the law, con-
tinues and Is commendable. Nevertheless,
1t does not take the place OF a provision
of law that would cover the future, when
the volunteer action taken might be
changed. While it is admitted that there
is less annoyance from the smoke here
than In any other city, the great improve
ment secured by requiring owners of
stationary plants to comply with the law
is still married by the outpouring of
smoke that comes from the locomotives.
example in restricting the
smoke nuisance has been followed in a
number of other cities, and Washington
ought to have the best smoke law and
the best enforcement OF the smoke law
In the United States.
The Noyes Memorial.
Crosby Stuart Noyes, for many years
one of tho most prominent factors in the
development OF the national capital. died
at Pasadena. Cal. February u, 1905 His
remains were accompanied from Ealti-
more to Washington by the commission
ers and representative citizens The flu
neral occurred on February 20. A me-