The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-12-06

District Commissioners have also in. cluded in their estimates sum to be used for the acquisition of much need ed park land adjoining the zoological park, known as the Klingle Ford tract. The expense of these three parks, included in the estimates of the think 1t would lead to economy if the improvement and care of all these parks and other public grounds above described should be transferred to the office of public buildings and grounds which has an equipment we'll and eco nomically adapted to carrying out the public purpose in respect to improve ments of this kind.
 To prevent encroachments upon the erection of any permanent structure ol any lands in the District of Columbi: belonging to the United States be pr hibited except by specific authority congress.
 The District of Columbia in Virginia.
 I have already in previous communi cations to congress referred to the i'm portance of acquiring for the District of Columbia at least q part of the ter ritory on the other side of the Potomac in Virginia, which was originally granted for the District by the state of Virginia and then was retroceded by act of congress in 1916.
 1t is very evident from conferences that I have had with the senators and representatives from Virginia that there is no hope of a regranting by the state of the land thus given back and ! am frank to say that in so far as the tract includes the town of Alex andria and land remote from the Pc. tomac river there would be no partic- national control.
 But the land which lies along the Potomac river above the railroad bridge and across the Potomac, in. cluding Arlington cemetery, Fort My CT, the government experiment farm, the village of ROsslyn and the Pali- sades of the Potomac, reaching to where the old District line intersects the river, is very sparsely settled and could be admirably utilized for in creasing the system of the parks of Washington.
 It has been suggested to me by the same Virginia senators and represent atives that if the government were to acquire for a government park the land above described, which Is not of very great value. the present law of Virginia would itself work the crea ton of federal Jurisdiction over 1t, and if that were not complete enough the leg. stature of Virginia would in all proba. oility so enlarge the jurisdiction as to ,ontrol of the government of the Dis trict of Columbia and actually make i a part of Washington. l earnestly rec ommend that steps be taken to carry out this plan.
 Public Utilities
 There are sufficient number of cor porations enjoying the use of public utilities in the District of Columbia tl justify and require the enactment o1 law providing for their supervision and regulation in the public interest consistent with the vested rights SC cured to them by their charters. A part of these corporations-to wit, the street railways-have been put under the control of the interstate commerce commission, but that commission rec ommends that the power be taken from 1t and intimates broadly that It's other and more important duties make it i'm. possible for it to give the requisite su. pervision. It seems to me wise to place this general power of supervision and regulation in the District commis- sioners. It Is said that their present duties are now absorbing and would prevent the proper discharge by them of these new functions, but their pres ent jurisdiction brings them so closely and frequently in contact with these corpora tions and makes them to know in such detail how the corporations are discharging their duties under the law and how they are serving the public interest that the commissioners are peculiarly fitted to do this work, and l hope that congress will impose 1t upon them by iptrusting them with powers in respect to such corpora tions similar to those of the public utilities commis- sion of New York city or similar boards in Massachusetts.
 School System.
 do not think the present control of the school system of Washington com mends itself as the most efficient and economical and thorough instrument for the carrying on of public instruc- ton.
 The cost of education in the District of Columbia is excessive as compared with the cost in other cities of similar size, and it is not apparent that the re- suits are in general more. satisfactory The average cost per pupil per day in Washington Is about 3S cents, while the average cost In thirteen other American cities fairly comparable with Washington in population and stand ard of education is about 25.5 cents For each dollar spent in salaries of SC hoolteachers and officers in the Dis trict about A days of instruction per pupil are given, while in the thirteen cities above referred to each dollar ex- pended fer salaries affords on the av- craze 6.S days of instruction. For the current fiscal year the estimates of the board of education amounted to about three-QuarterS of the entire reyenua To-