The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-12-06
MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS.
Bureau of Eealth-Public Parks.
 Imperial Valley Project.

In my message of last year recon mended the creation of a bureau o1 health in which should be embraced all those government agencies outside of the war and navy departments which are now directed toward the preservation of public health or exer else functions germane to that subject
 I renew this recommenda tion. greatly regret that the agitation in ia vor of this bureau has aroused coun' ter agitation against its creation on the ground that the establishment of such bureau is to be in the interest of a particular school of medicine. Ii seems to me that this assumption Is wholly unwarranted and that those responsible for the government can be trusted to secure in the personnel of the bureau the appointment of repre- sentatives of all recognized schools o1 medicine and in the management o1 the bureau entire freedom from nar- row prejudice in this regard.
 The Imperial Valley Project.
 By an act passed by congress the president was authorized to expend a million dollars to construct the needed work to prevent injury to the lands of the Imperial valley from the overflow of the Colorado river. I appointed a competent engineer to examine the To- cality and to report a plan for con- struction. He has done so. In order to complete the work 1t Is necessary to secure the consent of Mexico. for part of the work must be constructed in Mexican territory.
 Negotiations looking to the securing of such authority are quite near sue cess The Southern Pacific Railroad company proposes to assist us In the work by lending equipment and by the transportation of material at cost price, and 1t Is hoped that the work may be completed before any danger shall arise from the spring floods in the river. The work Is being done un- der the supervision of the secretary of the interior and his consulting en- gineer, General Marshall, late chief of engineers, now retired.
 This leads me to invite the attention of congress to the claim made by the Southern Pacific Railroad company for an amount expended in a similar work of relief called for by flood and great emergency. This work, as am in- formed, was undertaken at the request of my predecessor and under promise to reimburse the railroad company. It seems to me the equity of this claim Is manifest. and the only question involv- ed Is the reasonable value of the work done. recommend the payment of the claim in a sum found to be just. District of Columbia.
 The government of the District of Columbia is a good government The police force. while perhaps 1t might be given or acquire more military discf. pline in bearing and appearance. Is new ertheless an efficient body of men, free from graft. and discharges its impor- tant duties in this capital of the nation effectively. The parks and streets of the city and the District are generally kept clean and in excellent condition. The commissioners of the District have It's affairs well in hand and. while not extravagant. are constantly looking to those municipaI improve ments that are expensive, but that must be made in a modern growing city like Washington. While all this is true, nevertheless the fact that Washington is governed by congress and that the citizens are not responsi- ble and have no direct control through popular election in District matters properly subjects the government to inquiry and criticism by its citizens, manifested through the public press and otherwise, such criticism should command the careful attention of con- gress. Washington is the capital of the nation, and it's maintenance as a al control every lover of his country has much at heart. and it should pre- sent in every way a model in respect of economy of expenditure, of sanita- ton. of tenement reform. of thorough public instruction. of t'>A proper regu- lation of public utilities, of sensible and extended charities, of the proper
  reform. of healthful playgrounds and opportunity for popular recreation and of beautiful system of parks. am glad to think that progress is being made in all these directions. but I ven- ture to point out certain specific i'm provements toward these ends which congress in it's wisdom might adopt. Speaking generally. think there ought to be more concentration of au- thority in respect to the accomplish ment of some of these purposes with more economy of expenditure.
 Public Parks.
 Attention is invited to the peculiar situation existing in regard to the parks of Washington. The park sys- tenn proper. comprising some 343 diff ferent areas. is under the office of public buildings and grounds. which. however. has nothing to do with the control of Rock Creek park, the zoo- logical park. the grounds of the de- partment of agriculture. the botanic garden. the grounds of the capitol and other public grounds which are regu- larly open to the public and ought to be part of the park system. Exclusive of the grounds of the Soldiers home and of Washington barracks. the pub lic grounds used as parks in the Dis trict of Columbia comprise over 3.100 acres. under ten different controlling O 1c frfc nf I'm,