Evening star., 1915-03-09
KUTz WOULD REPLACE
OLD ASYLUM HOSPITAL
Urges Midcity Citizens Association
to Support Project for New
Institution.

Engineer Commissioner Advocates
i Abolition of Fences and Proper
| Planting Of Trees.
Placing responsibility upon hospitals
which are partially supported by fed-
Ieral contribution for successful opposi-
tfon to any extensive municipal hos
pital project. Maj. Kutz. Engineer Com
missioner. speaking before the Mid
lefty Citizens Association last night.
pleaded for support for the project of
4 hospital of 800 beds. sufficient to ac-
commodate the inmates of the present
Washington Asylum Hospital. The
patients of this class. Maj. Kutz testi-
fed. are not desirable to the semi
public hospitals, as they are largely
human derelicts, irrec1aimable to
health or society. Needing proper care
and surroundings, these deserve bett
treatment than can be provided In the
| seventy-year-old frame structures of
the sanitary. illy-equipped and crowded
asylum hospital.
The Engineer Commissioner, guest Of
the evening, spoke of several things he
terment of Washington. After finishing
his address. he asked permission and
was urged to sit through the re-
| mainder of the meeting. He remained
to determine how the machinery of a
| capital citizens organization works
| In the interest of the community. In
| cidentally, intervening in discussion
| of street lights for 7th street. he
warned the organization that the ap-
propriations had been capsuled by
Congress so as to make doubtful any
| extensive betterment of the sort re-
quired. Some moderate street light
| extension. however. he said. may be
possible from the general appropria-
| tion.
Urges Removal of Fences.
In addition to other things Maj. Kutz
advocated in his address he urged that
fences between neighbors should be
removed. He considers that children
and dogs can be made so orderly that
there need be no fences around park
ings, before dwellings, nor even be-
tween back yards. He also would have
to keep 1T from the public reservations.
The trees of the city formed the text
| Tor part OF Maj. kutz's address. He
called attention to the fact that many
have not thrived. The work Of re-
placing decaying and dying trees, he
pointed out, is complicated by the fact,
attested by tree-planting experts that
they originally were planted too close
| together, to which fact their lack of
health Is due in part. He told of the
varied aspects of opposition to any
| proper project to replace trees on a
plan contemplating readjustment of
| this initial error, and asked for intelli-
/ gent consideration by property owners,
| not as individuals, but collectively, SO
| as to determine the tree-planting pros
pect for whole areas. and not merely
| In front of one residence.
Opposition to the use Of school,
| houses as meeting places for any orr
ganizattons or for any use other than
educational was voiced by John Shu-
grue. when the president, A. ]. Driscoll,
called attention to the fact that Con-
sress had authorized such use, and sug-
gested that the organization take steps
to obtain permission of the board of
education to assemble monthly in the
Thomson School building. Mr.. Shugrue
urged that If public organizations prop
erly obtain such privileges there Is
even then danger of fire from tobacco
smoking and Of destruction of property
| from ruthlessness or mishap; and
worse, the privilege will be demanded
by unworthy. organizations with diff
Guilty of denial He feared the. use Of
| the school buildings by bodies Of men
atte nding the inaugural or other big
public ceremonies.
Report on Market Project.
Reporting on the project to build I'D
the usefulness of X Street Market by
obtaining official permission for the
establishment of farmers line" of
wagons exhibiting produce for sale
outside the market, John B. Gier,
chairman of the committee having the
matter in charge, made an extensive
| resume of the work done. He said ].
| II. Sherman, the superintendent of
Weignts, measures and markets. OBJ
jected to conditions at the market and
proposed an extensive cleanup before
anything be done to increase its activ-
lties. Supt. Sherman proposed to in
dlcate definitely what would be ex-
pected of the market before the au
thorities would consider any nIan fo
favor its facilities.
W. J. Dante. trustee of the Stilson
had indicated his approval of the
project for a farmers line" and sue
gested change OF name to 'Convention
Market" In the absence of the prom
ised draft OF terms from Supt. sher-
man, and on his request, the committee
Will again take up the subject with
Commissioner Brownlow
| The committee on street having
President Driscon and the board Of
Commissioners received rising vote of
thanks from the meeting for their sue
cessful efforts and aid in obtaining leg
islation for the paving of 7th street.
On the motion or Mr.. Shugrue, the as
sociation went on record as fayorinp
the proposed spur of the Capital Trac.
tton Company street railway line from
18th and U streets to 18th and 1, east
on l street to 18th, south on 18th to
II street, thence east on H to 7th
street. AS a supplemental proposition.
the association approved the motion OF
Mr.. Gier that a committee be appoint
ed to wait upon the board of Commits
sioners to indorse and urge the prof.
ect.
j, Mr.. Shugrue pointed out that the
, railway management plans to spend
$4,000 on the project; one-third for
material and two-thrds for labor He
| considered that a project that proposed
: | to put this much money in the pockets
Of the merchants of the city should
have their support.
Would Transfer Power.
President Driscoll spoke in favor of re-
lstoring to the board of commissioners the
power Of appointing the members of the
board of education and of taking this au-
thority from the Supreme Court Of the
District of Columbia. and also favoring
the proposed legislation to permit free
schooling to children whose parents are
employed in Washington.
Mr.. Shugrue expressed himself as well
content with appointment of the board of
education by the Supreme Court.
| Resolutions were adopted favorinH a