Evening star., 1920-01-01
OTHER DISTRICT Gov
ERNMENT ACTION.
City's water Supply.

nl'liucu tHe pIopOSal TO DullQ an aQ-
ditional conduit from the Patuxent
river.
The Commissioners also told Con-
gress in their annual report that in
order to enable the National Capital
| to catch up on developments which
were delayed by the war generous
appropriations should be made for
street and other improvements. Par
ticular attention was called to the
necessity OF putting a good surface
on tne main highways leading into
the District from Maryland.
Minimum Wage Established.
The District minimum wage hoard
created by Congress in September
1918. to regulate the pay of women
and minors in Washington, was or
ganized early in 1919 and fixed wages
or women and minors in two in
dustries.
In June the board fixed $3.50
week as the minimum wage for ex-
perienced women in the printing pub
fishing and allied trades The de-
cision provided that the period of ap-
premiership should consist of one
wage should be IS for the first three
months, 50 for the second three
months. s11 for the third three
months and s12 for the last three
In August the board fixed $3.50 a
week as the minimum wage for ex-
perienced women in the mercantile in
dustry. AS in the case Of the printing
trades, the board laid down lower
rates to be paid minors and also adult
women women during the period of appren-
tlceship. AT the request of the mer-
chants, the board in October made
slight notifications in the wages of
minors and apprentices.
AS the year came to a close the
board was considering a minimum
in hot al
houses and eating establishments
On July the District took over and
began municipal operation of the ash
CORRECTION service.
Refuse Disposal Problem.
In November the District took over
the refuse disposal plant and the COL
lection of trash, after the firm that
mad the contract notified the city that
II could not continue the work unless
the contract fee was increased. Both
these services are now under the su-
pervision of Morris Hacker, superin-
tendent of street cleaning.
The year was trying one for Mr.
Hacker The, Adjournment of Congress
on March without passage of certain
appropriation bills left the street
cleaning department without funds to
pay its men and 800 street cleaners
had to be laid off until June. During
that period the District was unable
to maintain tthe National Capital as
a city beautiful. With the beginning
OF the fiscal year, however, street
cleaning was resumed.
The Northeast Washington Citizens
| Association conducted vigorous
campaign during the year against the
erection of the refuse disposal plant
near Mount Olivet cemetery, but failed
| to persuade the Commissioners not 10
permit it's construction in that sec
ton.
Districts Part I'm War;
The District of Columbia had 2O,-
600 men in the military service during
the war against Germany, as shown in
the annual report of the Commis-
sioners. Ten thousand of this number
were called in the draft and the re-
mainder enlisted.
With the close of the fiscal year.
June 80. the District Council of De-
tense, created to further the war
movements of the government in
washington, went out of existence
William H. Baldwin served as chair
| man of the council.
The biggest accomplishment Of tho
council was the finding of accommoda-
tlons for thousands of young women
who came here in 1917 to do war work
Tor the government. During the
months before the Department of La
Dor took over the governments hous-
Ing. problem the District Council of
Defense placed in rooms nearly all the
men ana women called to Washington
| by Uncle Sam.
The council also gave impetus to the
nome garden movement to increase
food production during the war
Real Estate Assessments.
| The biennial assessment Of real es =
| tate for the years 1920 and 1921 was
completed during 1919. These assess
prices placed on property here as a re-
! suit of the war. The assessor an
nounced that the selling value Of prop
erty before the war. together with a
certain allowance for the probable
condition of the market after a num-
Der Of years. will have to be the clue
| for present value.
| The Commissioners In their annual
estimates asked Congress for SIS
242. .0e6.0S to meet the expenses Of the
This is exclusive of items amounting
to $1,029,910 which will be asked for
in other appropriation bills. Neither
| does the above estimate include 1897
1lo, chargeable to the revenues Of the
water department.
| Public Health and Other Interests.
Mindful Of the heavy toll which in.
! nuenZa took in the District in 1918,
! the health department laid careful
| plans to combat the disease during
the past year. but comparatively few.
cases of the malady were. reported
uuTlHS 1918.
| Health Officer Fowler devoted much
, time during the past year to i'm
| proving the city's milk supply by
| close supervision of dairy farms. He
also held conferences with the farm,
! ers in September in an effort to keep
! the winter price of milk as low as
! possible.
Wade H. Coombs, superintendent of
| licenses, went on record during the
year in favor of a change in the law
! to permit the issuance of license tags
for less than a year, Under his plan,
a man buying a car in September
| could obtain a license for the re-
naming four months Of the year,
instead of being required to pay the
| entire yearly fee.
| Employees of the District, who were
| in the military service during the
/ war organized a post of the American
Legion and named it for Private Vim
cent B. Costello. District worker,
; who was one of the first Washington
! boys to die in action in France.
| George M. Roberts, superintendent
| of weights and measures, during the
! year urged Congress to pass new
/ weights and measures law for the
! District. AS the year came to a close
prospects were bright for early passage
| of a revised law.
The librarian and trustees of the
Public Library laid stress during the
| year on the need for branch libra
| ries in at least six sections of the
| city, also for library roo'us In school
| buildings. The trustees took steps
during the year to secure a higher
wage scale for library employees.
nIcrpIrT EIDE ne III