Evening star., 1915-03-07
DISTRICT BUILDING.

Findings of the Senate commlsHa.
which investigated the excise board
and the request of Maj. Richard syl-
.vester. superintendent of police, that
ne be placed on the retired list vere
events of the week which attracted
most attention in the District bufld
ing.
While the excise board is not a
branch of the municipal government.
1t has occupied office quarters in ths
district building and its members gen.
orally are associated with the District
government personnel. The report of
the senate committee to the effect that
II found no evidence OF corruption On
the part of any member of the board
was a popular verdict in the District
building.
Maj. Sylvester has been long in the
service of the District and his retire.
ment will be a source Of regret to his
co-iaborers. The major entered the
service in 1888 and has been the su-
perlntendent Of the department since
1898. For several months he has been
in bad health and he probably would
have asked to be retired sooner but for
the filing of charges against him hy
Representative Park Of Georgia.
With the withdrawal of the charres
by Representative Parks Thursday
Maj. Sylvester Immediately asked to be
relieved of the arduous duties Of direct.
ing the police departments affairs On
the recommendation of Commissioner
Brownlow that Maj. Sylvester be re-
warded for his long and meritorious
services, the Commissioners ordered
tnat he be given a pension Of 500 q
month. the maximum amount that can
be paid him under the law.
With other memorable events of thu
week, as regards District affairs, was
the commencement of work on the re-
formatory which is to occupy 1900
acre tract adjoining the workhous0
property at Occoquan. Va. William H
Whitaker. superintendent of tho work.
house, will direct the construction Of
the new institution, which will not be
completed in less than five years, as Il n
to be built by prison labor. A sawmll
has been installed and timber on the
reformatory tract will be converted into
building material The first big task
will be to construct an Industrial rail-.
wharves on OccoQuan creek, a distance
of about four miles. Temporary quar-
ters for inmates will be constructed
at the outset and later permanent
buildings will be provided.
c. W. Barber rodman in the surface
division, has resigned from the Dis.
trict service in order that he NAV be
obtain his degree of civil engineer at
George Washington University, which
he expects to accomplish this June. A.
Funkhouser of the surveyors office has
been transferred to the highway bu-
reau to take Mr.. Barber's place
The various engineering field parties
of the surface division have completed
all the preliminary engineering details
and are ready to start the spring
working season in all branches Of
street work. This will end the winter
Office work of about three-fourths OF
the employees of this department and
begin their work in the field. which
will last until about December.
Prelsey TAYLOR. engineer in charge,
and Engineers Irving Saum and C. W.
Dutton are assigned to control of con-
struction of the new Pennsylvania
Avenue bridge over Rock creek. con-
struction work on which was COM
menced several days ago
Jack Armstrong of the surveyors
office was confined to his home by ILL
ness several days last week.