Evening star., 1923-12-03
More Parks, Branch Libra
ries, Cleaner River Front,
Better Lights Asked.
new FIRE APPARATUS
HELD IMMEDIATE NEED
More Room at District Building.
Greater Police Facilities
Proposed.

Felopment of the National Capital
and for the improvement of various
departments of the District govern
ment were put before Congress today
in the annual report of the Commits
sfoners
In most cases the laws and ply
sical betterments suggested repre-
sent the views of the heads OF de-
partments and were incorporated in
the report without comment by the
Commissioners
Here are some of the outstanding
proposals gathered from the several
sections of the report:
Immediate appropriation of funds
ington channel river front.
Would Buy Park Land.
Acquisition of park sites. particu-
larly the Piney Branch parkway. the
Klingle Road valley and the Pat
terson tract.
Continuation of the work of laying
permanent paving on the main high
ways leading TO the District line.
A suggestion that police magis-
trates be appointed to try cases in the
evening.
A recommendation that the Dis
trict code be revised to place more
restrictions on the sale of firearms
and other deadly weapons.
A law to enable the police to hold
FOR a reasonable time fugitives cap
tured on information that they are
wanted in other jurisdictions.
A law to provide for the licensing
Of guides who show visitors through
the city.
More street lamps in alleys and
other dark places to aid the police in
preventing crime.
Appropriations for the purchase OF
new motor apparatus for the fire de-
partment to replace a number OF old
tractor engines that are'i in such con-
dition that Fire Chief Watson has
been forced to limit them to twelve
miles an hour in responding to
alarms.
Urges Parole System.
The board of charities urges a
statute to provide for an indetermi-
nate sentence and parole system for
the penal institutions. The board has
prepared bill TO carry out this rec
ommendation.
Crowded conditions at the Dis
trict jail are called to the attention
of Congress by the board of charities
with a suggestion that the institution
be enlarged or arrangements made
for the speedier disposition of cases.
The board again recommends that
the Commissioners ge given authority
to admit pay patients TO the Tuber-
culosis Hospital and to the psyche
pathic wards of Gallinger Hospital.
The Commissioners again remind
Congress that the District building
is crowded. and that additional floor
space should be acquired. They do
not indicate whether they believe the
present building should be added TO,
a SeDarate structure erected.
Work of Public Library.
During the past fiscal year 1,o44,-
213 books were taken into the homes
of the city from the free Public LII
brary, according to the annual re-
port of the trustees transmitted to
Congress as part of the Commits
sioners' report.
The trustees tell Congress that
since the southeastern branch of the
library was opened a year ago it
has more than justified its existence.
They voice the hope that it will not
be long before there are a series of
branch buildings making library
service available for every Wash
ingtonian.
That section of the report dealing
with the operation of the Public
Library reads, in part. as follows:
THE contribution of the free Pub
lie Library during the past year to
the civic welfare of Washington is
recorded in the report Of the board
of library trustees with which is in
cluded the report of the librarian to
the trustees).
The report states that 21.223 vol
umes were added, making the book
collection number nearly 250,000 vol
umes. The books added have been
carefully selected, the purchases in
Guiding only those of most value to
the library's users. The registered
users Of the library number more than
60, 900. to whom 1,044,213 volumes
addition to the books circulated,
more than $4,000 mounted pictures
were lent to assist teachers in school
work, women's study clubs. or busi-
ness and newspaper men in some phase
of the days work. Material to an
swer more than $500 questions was
put at the disposal of inquirers at the
reference desks. The industrial di-
vision, where books, magazines and
pamphlets bearing on Industrial, tech
nical and business subjects are COL
lected, had increased use by students
and business men and government de-
partments. To serve the children of
Washington the library operates three
chiidren's rooms and lends collections
of books to any teacher of the graded
schools who may request them.
Through these means over half 2 mill
lion volumes were lent to children for
use.
The trustees report that the new
southeastern branch library, opened In
December has loaned more than $4,000
volumes to readers in the southeast
ern section. They believe it may look
forward to an annual circulation OF
10000 to 100000.
"a consistent development of the
branch library system is highly i'm
portant, especially by appropriations
for suitable sites, SO that the COM
munity may not lose by delay the ad-
ditional needed branch buildings
which the trustees have reason to
hope the Carnegie Corporation will
supply IL applications are promptly
made and the reasonable. conditions
of the gifts fulfilled.
Another unit in the branch system
Is promised in the setting aside in the
plans of the new Tenley School build
ing of a room for public library use.
In spite Of a temporary set
back through not securing any appro-
priations for equipping and operating
the branch libraries in the Eastern
High School and the Langley and
Macfarland Junior High Schools, the
prospect for establishing and operat-
ing the series of branch libraries in
the public schools seems good. The
plan is SO reasonable and economical
that there should be no delay in
carrying 1t out