Evening star., 1950-01-01
Capital Achieved Much
Woshingtons Progress Notable Since Turn Of CenuBu Many
Civic Problems Are Still Unsoved After Fifty Years
By Jesse c. Suter

By Jesse c. Suter
were the most comprehensive and
Illuminating held by the Congress
in the Districts history. One re-
suit was civic awakening and
unifying of the citizen forces
through the Joint Citizens Com
mittee on Fiscal Relations.
Open sessions, held almost daily
from October 20 to November Is
1915, heard the evidence and ar
gumept Of persons appearing VOL
unfairly or upon the invitation
and request of the committee
The complete report. including
oral and written evidence and
argument and committee findings
comprises two volumes aggregat-
ing 1852 pages.
The congressional committee, In
its findings, held that "the MAIN
tenance of all proper utilities, the
expenses due to natural growth
and development, and the con-
struction of necessary bridges and
aqueducts, the erection of build
ings and monuments, the pur-
chase Of parks, all things now
necessary to a modern city, should
have theirahighest and fullest ex-
preston here-this made possible
by participation of all the people
of all the States in the mainte-
nance of the Nations City,"
In 1920 and 1921 the ratio OF
payment was changed by appro-
priation bin rider to 40 per cent
by the United States and go per
cent by the District. This became
the substantive law in 1922 and
continued for many years despite
attempts to amend or repeal it.
Beginning with the Appropriation
Act for 1925, Congress began the
practice of appropriating a lump
sum payment.
Grade Crossings Outlawed
The 40-60 law YVES repealed in
1888 and lump sum substituted.
Now pending is a proposal to
revive definite and equitable fis-
cal relations between the control
ling National Government and the
District.
Elimination of dangerous rail-
road grade crossings and a Union
Station were civic projects sup
ported vigorously by The Star
over a long period. They were
outlawed in 1903 by act of Con-
gress and plan provided for
gradual elimination. The last
major grade crossing within the
District was eliminated by the
Taylor street overpass in 1910.
The Union Station was complet-
ed and first occupied October ~,
1907, followed by removal of the
old Baltimore & Ohio Station,
New Jersey avenue and c street
NV. The Baltimore 81 Potomac
Station, on the Mall at the south
west corner of Sixth and North
B streets (now Constitution ave-
nue.. was removed by direction of
President Theodore Roosevelt as
Government agencies sought 1t for
Office use.
The coming Of motor vehicles to
the streets and highways created
new problems of safety and traffic
control. Speed and use of bicycles
and horSe-drawn vehicles required
traffic regulation in 1900. Police
men on bicycles equipped with
speedometers took care Of vio-
lators. The change to motor-pro
PEELED vehicles necessitated police
men on motorcycles.
Public Library -
The development and expansion
OF the free Public Library system
Of the District Of Columbia has
been a very definite achievement
Of the first half of the second
century of Washington. In 1900,
the library consisted of a single
rented building in the 1400 block
Of New York avenue NV. The
facilities were poor and the collec-
ton of books small.
Through the beneficence of
Andrew Carnegie, money was pro-
vided for the erection of the fine
marble library building located
IN Mount Vernon Square, which
was opened on January Z, 1903.
The first branch library was
that in Takoma at the corner of
Cedar and Fifth streets NV. Mr..
Carnegie supplied funds for the
building and the citizens of the
section purchased the site.
The first unit of q new central
library. on Pennsylvania avenue
near John Marshall place. now
houses library activities. On its
completion. the administration
and service departments Of the
central library will be here. The
Carnegie building will then be-
come the Central Branch Library
There are now IA branches.
Many changes have occurred in
the public school system Of the
District in the half century. The
old Board of Trustees was sue
ceeded in June, 1900, by a Board
of Education OF seven members
appointed by the Commissioners
and paid $40 a meeting. In 1906,
was created the present board OF
nine members appointed by the
justices of the District Supreme
Court (now the United States Dis