Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-01

partment. These addresses proved a very
popular feature of the board meetings.
and the custom will be continued this
year.
The Henry George. jr., report on as
sessments in the District was the sub
ject of an exhaustive report made to the
board by the municipal finance commit
tee. The committee report criticised the
George report. and upon its recommends
ton the Board of Trade went on record
as being opposed to the plan Of taxation
suggested by Representative Henry
George, jr.
Fire and Police Pensions.
An effort was made by the board to
bring about legislation to provide ade-
quate pensions for the members Of the
police and fire departments, and although
Congress has not yet taken final action
in this matter. it is expected that law
will be passed at the. present session.
One Of the most important campaigns
ever started by the Board of Trade Is
that now under way to bring about the
purchase of land for public parks in con-
formation with the Mcmillan Park COM
mission plan. Arthur c. Moses was elect
ed chairman of this committee, and he
has appointed a committee OF prominent
men numbering more than a hundred to
aid him in this work.
u
entertainment here Of the conventions OF
the International Congress on Hygiene
and Demography and Of the United
Daughters of the Confederacy.
The annual shad bake of the board was
given May % at River View. under the
direction of DR.. Frank =. Gibson. and
proved the largest and most successful
outing attempted by the organization
January II, the District Of Columbia
appropriation bill. calling for a total ap,
rropr;ofion 0P S10 ono WAS renOrtpd
to the House of Representatives from the
committee on appropriations. This amount
was 1852, $3.50 less than the estimates
submitted to Congress by the Commits
siOners.
Universal Transfer Fight.
The fight for universal transfers and
half fares for school children in the Dis
trict of Columbia was waged with vigor
during January, hearings on the two
plans being given by the Senate and
House District committees, respectively.
AS in the case of the effort to obtain
police and firemen's pension relief law.
the agitation for univerSal transfers and
half fares for school children was kept
up with more or less persistence during
the year, but failed of any definite action
by Congress.
January 26. 1912, the District budget.
as passed by the House, went to the
Senate On the last day of this month.
the District Commissioners asked Con-
gress for deficiency appropriation of
$69, 1928 for the needs of the District
Of the then fiscal year. $61. 800 OF the
amount being estimated as necessary Tor
the needs of the workhouse up until June
80. 1912.
Calvert street bridge, spanning ROCK
creek, was ordered closed to vehlcuiar
traffic in February, while repairs were
made to the structure.
With amendments carrying appropr1,,
atoms Of s1,77256 and raising the total
REPRESENTATIONS carried to $12.O7S. O14.5O.
the District appropriation bill was report
ed to the Senate March 2.
In this month the Commissioners report
on the street railway needs OF the DIS
trict was sent to Congress construction
of a subway in the vicinity OF 10Th street
and New York avenue and consolidation
of the electric railways of the Dlstrlct
under one system were among the I'M
portant recommendations made.
"Clean-Up'' Campaign.
The District Commissioners appointed
a committee of citizens, representing
large number of citizens associations and
other civic bodies. to conduct the clean
I'D" campaign waged under the auspices
of The Evening Star during the week, be-
ginning April 10.
At the conclusion of this campaign the
committee met and formed permanent
organization. The cleanup crusade was
followed by the Inauguration of an all
summer fly war; conducted under the
auspices Of The Star. and supervised py
DR.. Arthur c. Murray Of the health de-
partment of the District government,
Alarmed by the extent to which rabies
of Columbia, the Commissioners. June
ID, adopted an amendment to the police
regulations providing for the impounding
and destruction of all cats found running
at large. More than three thousand cats
were impounded and exterminated during
the last six months of the year.
The District appropriation bill. as
agreed upon by the Senate and House
conferees. carrying total appropriation
of $40, 10, 173, was passed in June
ARRANGEMENTS for the celebration having
been made by the safe and sane" COM
mittee, which is headed by District Com
missioner Cuno H. Rudolph.
In the Assessors Office.
The George report, which threw a col
lection of bombshells into the administra-
ton of the assessors Office, was made
August 8. In the following month pub
Maryland. Virginia Railway Company,
capitalized at $3O.OOO,OOO, to absorb Ger.
tain public utilities of the District of
Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.
The merger proposal met with opposi-
ton from the Commissioners at the out
set. several interviews denouncing the
plan being given out by Engineer Com
missioner Judson. Later. the company
changed its name to the Washington IT'LL
ties Company, increased its Capitalization
to $4,000 900 and acquired the Washing
ton-Virginia Railway Company, which
operates electric lines between Washing
ton and points in Virginia. The Commits
sioners' suit to prevent the carrying out
of the company's plans. as far as the &C.
curing Of local utilities is concerned. was
filed in the District of Columbia Supreme
Court in November.
Assistant Engineer Commissioner.
Capt Schley, who succeeded Maj
Markham as assistant engineer commits
sioner of the District, assumed the duties
Of the office October 8. This month the
Commissioners put the finishing touches
on the Districts estimates for the hscal
year to begin July 1, next.
The estimates, calling for total ap-