Evening star., 1912-11-12
law and a municipal code to supplant the
present code of law for the District.
Charities and Corrections.

THE committee on charities and cor
rections makes two recommendations:
That the proposed abolition of the board
of charities and the substitution therefor
Of g director of charities under the Dis
trict Commissioners be disapproved. and
that electrocution be substituted for
hanging as a punishment for murder in
the first degree in the District.
Il beg to make a brief suggestion to
the capable committee on charities.
Last year it was urged that the location
OF the Industrial Home School be chang
ed because the site Is Inadequate for
present needs. the building being old
and dilapidated. This year the need Is
greater still, while the added expense
will keep pace with the delay. A crying
need is a modern municipal lodging
! house.
From the committee on private schools
the recommendation is again made for
federal authority to establish standards
| fer the private schools of the District.
| The Board Of Trade ought to realize that
the private schools of the District form
one Of the most important and attractive
| institutions which we have, and that any
measure that will tend to increase their
efficiency ought heartily to be furthered
by this organization
'The report Of the committee on pub
| lie schools this year Is short one and
pays tribute to the work of the new
superintendent.
IAN important recommendation is that
| the Board Of Trade advocate the use Of
the public school buildings and property
for other than strictly public school pur-
poses. Washington Is behind other pro-
gressiye cities in this respect It has
| been found advantageous elsewhere to
| make the public schools centers of social
and educational activities outside OF
school hours
Public Buildings Urged.
"The public buildings committee recon-
mends a new National Guard Armory
building, a new building for the municipal
and juvenile courts and a new building
for play ground use on the Site OF Willow
Tree alley, now being cleared.
II wish especially to quote another
recommendation Of this committee as fol-
lows:
bership Of the Washington Board of
Trade and with the most excellent pros
poets of this growth continuing, your
committee deems 1t wise at this time to
! suggest that some thought be given look
ing toward the erection Of building for
the permanent home or the washington
Board Of Trade
1.-The committee on public transporta-
tion recommends the adoption Of bill
comforting the powers OF q public utility
board upon the Commissioners Of the Dis
trict Of Columbia, dividing equally between
the District and the general government,
the expenses, not to be over 10000.
TT seems to me that more effective
work before Congress could be done by
the Board Of Trade. II a new committee
were created. 49,
s"This committees duty would be to
present in conjunction with other COM
mittees all matters which are to be pre-
scented to Congress. The object Is to
avoid, duplication Of effort and to prevent
such an occurrence as several different
committees of the board asking Con-
gressional hearing on the same date, or
within a. few days.
'"The work of the board would also be
done much more directly and with more
business-like precision.
Work Of the Library.
1.-THE committee on public library re-