Evening Star Newspaper, December 7, 1896, Page 15

eee oe”T ew = DISTRICT REPORT (Continued from Tenth Page.) sicners called attention in their last an- nual report, that “the low mortality rate among the white population, comparing favorably as it does with that of the most favored citles of the world, seems to em- phasize the othcr more alarming fact that notwithstanding the reduction in the death rate among the colored population since 1876 of 11.24 per 1,000, it is still 11.21 per 1,000, or about 67 per cent in excess of that for the white population, which ac- counts for the high general death rate for the District.” It serves also to show that if it is pos- sible to reduce the death rate of the col- ored to that of the white population, more than 1,000 lives can be saved annually in this District. But whether this be deemed possible or not, there can be no -Joubt that the present death rate among our colored people is unnecessarily and alarm- ingly high, and that its material reduction, as well as a further reduction in that of the white population, depends wholly upon provision by Congress for an adequate sys- tem of s*wers and water supply, together with the enactment and enforcement of proper sanitary laws. This has not only been established by the report of the health officer and elaborate reports to Coagress by the Medical Society of the District (se report No. 623 of the committee on the Dis- trict of Columbia, United States Senate, Fifty-third Congress, second sessi21), but it was also conclusively proven in the last annual report of the Commissioners Fy showing what had been accomplisned in reducing the death rate by the introduziion of sewers and a pure water supply in large Suropea . Where much less favorable natural conditions existed than are found in the city of Washington. ‘The 67 per cent nigher death rate among our colored than among our white popu- latior is largely, if not wholly, due to the lack of proper sanitary conditions in the localities where by reason of thelr poverty they are forced to reside. This is an vn- necessary and wicked sacrifice of several hundred Hives annually—a heavy penal to exact from a helpless race for the ab- ce of pure air, water and sewers, which it is within the power of Congress to sup- ply. But they are not the only sufferers; the seeds of death and contagion which find the: scattered broadcast by _ servants through the street cars and public constituting a continual ‘me health. The health office last report says: “It is ‘ell to clearly recognize the ex- istence of an indefinite number of privie: constantly polluting the atmosphere, and in many instances the soil and wtl water. How large this number is may be par inferred from the fact that out of 116 nuisances reported during the year, pos were for privies, full, leaky, filthy or Gilapidated. These are being abolished by the substitution of proper water clcsets, under the drainage act, approved May 19, 1885, as rapidly as the appropriation for supplying necessary sewers, and the iayitg of water pipes, will permit. : There is urgent need for sewers in the rapidly srowing suburbs, as well as in the city, but many of these cannot be sup- plied until trunk sewers are completed and a system of Intercepting sewers and sew- aye disposal and protection against floods be constructed in accordance with the plans recommended by the board of sanitary en- gincers in thelr report to Congress upon the sewerage of the District of Columbia, in July, iS (Ex. Doc. No. 445, Fifty-first Congress, first session). This important ork ought not to be longer delayed, and is earnestly urged that provision be origin in these plague spots are and it made for its commencement by the present Congress. Con rable embarrassment has re sulted in efforts to enforce some of our important laws for the protection of the public health by reason of certain defects in the laws which will be brought to the attention o: the proper committees of Congr SS, with the hope of having them corrected curing present Congress. ported by the attorney, major and superin- tendent of police and the health officer in their efforts to enforce important healt! oriinances and police regulations by the re- fusal of the Polic> Court, after conviction, to enforce the penalty impesed by law, the personal bonds of the offender being taken lieu thereo! The aitorney for the Dis- jet reports 2,047 cases in which personal bgnds were taken during the year ending Jtine 30, 1896. On this subject he says: ¥ will observe that in such cases as T filed 316 cases and 116 personal were taken. Selling adulterated 17 cases were filed and 5 personal ere taken. Selling unwholesome es were filed and 1 personal bond an. Violating building regulations was tal Til cases were tiled and 24 personal bonds were taken. For violating some provision of the health ordinances other than a nuisance. I filed 8 cases, and 6 personal re taken. Gargage regulations 231 filed and 106 personal bonds taken. For wasting Potomac water s were filed and 46 personal bonds One case for violating the plub- culations, District of Columbia vs. and one personal bond taken.” th officer reports that out of 223 mnlawful privies, in only 32 ere cases of conviction under same « personal bonds were taken. Concerning the effect of this practice upon his department and the publie health, he submits the fol- lowing “In the enforcement of the health ordi- this department is required after 2 very of a nuisance to notify the responsible party to abate it within a spe- citied time. It is cnly after failure to com- piy with the terms of the notice that the warrant is asked for and the case referred to the Police Court for settlement. The practice, therefore, of permitting the de- dants in such cases to go without pun- ment results in the continuance of the nuisance for an unnecessary and unreason- able length of time to the danger of the public health. It brings into contempt the notices of this department; persons notified and their neighbors soon becoming aware of the fact that the Police Court does not enforee compliance with the orders of the health department. It necessitates an un- sary number of inspections in such thus preventing the inspectors from ing a3 large a number of premises ‘ould otherwise be possible, and in- "3 the average cost of each case in- It results in an unnecessary num- ber of cases reaching the Police Court, in view of the contempt into which the no- es of this department are brought, so at the inspectors lose valuable time while waiting to be heard as witnesses in such cases. “I am aware that it is plead in justifica- tion of the practice of accepting ‘personal bonds’ that it is the case, notably with reference to persons charged with violating the health ordinances, that the defendants are poor, and that it would work a hard- ship to require them to pay fines or to be imprisoned. In such cases, if they are too poor to pay the cost of abating the nui- sance prior to the expiration of the time al- lowed by the health department, their ‘per- sonal bonds’ are probably worthless; nor ean I see why they are any better able to abate the nuisance, after having given their ‘personal bonds,” than they were able to do so within the time allowed by the health bs - “To sum up, the practice of taking ‘per- sonal bonds’ results in the continuance of nuisances for an unnecesary length of time, and increases the cost and diminishes the efficiency of the inspection service of this departmen Captain Burr, assistant to the Engineer Commissioner, reports upon the practice as follows: “The majority of cases carried into the Police Court by the water department are on account of wasting Potomac water, either through leaking fixtures, or through leaving fixtures open, or deliberately secur- ing fixtures so as to have a continuous flow of water. Cases on account of leaking fix- tures are taken into court only on failure to repair them, after due notice has been given. It has been found that the taking of ‘personal bonds’ is practically of no effect in securing compliance with the regula- tions. The fact that the court imposes no punishment in many cases acts as informa- tion to the guilty party and others that the regulations of the department can be violated with impunity. It requires re- peated Inspections with a force already in- adequate for a proper inspection service, and much loss of time attending the Police Court as witnesses. ‘The waste of water in this city is large, particularly at certain periods of the yea: and the supply is much below the demand. If a remedy for deliberate and wanton wast@ cannot be had through the Police Court, the waste must either be permitted to continue, to the detriment of the water service, or must be punished by cutting off the supply of water entirely from the premises, a remedy that the department is very loth to adopt. The Commissioners are advised that there is no authority of law to justify the taking of personal bonds in these cases after conviction, and that the penalties of the bonds are absolutely uncollectable, and are never intended to be collected; that it is an absolute ending of the case, a convic- tion without a punishment, contrary to the law in such case made and provided. It is useless to try to amend existing laws now inoperative for want of penalties, if the penalties, when provided, are to be ig- nored, and the personal bonds of the of- fender substituted therefor. This practice, which no doubt springs from the most hu- mane considerations, is a serious menace to the public health, an obstruction to the enforcement of the laws, and should be dis- continued. All sanitary laws should be rigidly enforced if any reduction in the high death rate is to be expected. In view of the serious consequences which the taking of personal bonds involves, and the long establishment of the practice, the Commissioners are constrained to recom- mend, in the interest of the public welfare, that its discontinuance be directed by Con- gress. Hospital for Minor Contagious Dis- enses. A hospital for the treatment of minor contagious diseases is still the crying need of the hour, and an appropriation of $50,000 for che purchase of a site, and of $25,000 for the purchase of wards for the treat- ment of these diseases, is earnestly recom- mended. it is to be hoped that the un- reasonable opposition to the location of such a building in any convenient and suit- able place, which has hitherto deprived the public of the benefits of such an institution, will no longer be allowed to prevent an ap- propriation therefor. If groundless fear and prejudice are to determine that a ho: pital so necessary for the preservation of the pablic health, and which ought to be reasonably accessible, can only be allowed in some remote and inaccessible corner of the District, it will be better to have it there than not to have it anywhere. Collection and Disposal of Garbage. The work of collecting and disposing of garbage and dead animals during the year is so fully and so intelligently discussed in the health officer's report that the Com- missioners deem it unnecessary to do more than refer to that document, hereto ap- pended. Since the closing of the health officer's report, in addition to the Brown crematory mentioned by him, the difficulty in securing 2 site for the Smith furnace has been over- come, and a furnace of that character is now being erected in square No. 63. It is expected that this furnace will be in opera- tion by the first of the new year. Metropolitan Police. The carefully prepared report of the ma- Jor and superintendent of police appended to the report of the Commissioners gives a complete and detatled account of the work of his department. It is gratifying to note a considerable de- crease cf crime in the District, the whole number of arrests being 22,502, as against 23,104 for the preceding year. Of this num- ber 10,587 were white and 11,975 colored. Seven are charged with murder, being one less than in 1895, and four less than In 184. The losses of property and money report- ed during the year amounted to $58,754, and during the preceding year to $61 Out of 474 applicants for appointment to the police force but 125 passed the physical examination conducted by the police sur- &eons, and of 105 of these who were exam- ined by the civil service commission but 30 Were reported as eligible for appointment. It thus- appears that but one man out of every sixteen applying was successful in passing both examinations. That this sys- tem of selection has raised the standard of appointments, and given to the force men of more intelligence and better equipped for the duties they are called upon te per- form, admits of no doubt. Discipline in the force has noticeably im- Proved, as indicated by the appearance of the men, and by a reduction in the number of cases brought before the trial board, Particularly In those of a serious character. The increase in the force has not kept pace with the growth of the city, and the uceds of the rapidly growing suburbs, nor is it adequate to the proper protection of the extensive area which it is expected to patrol. The estimate of the major and su- perintendent of the additional number of men required fs a conservative one and is approved by the Commissioners. Building Department. A detailed statement of the transactions of the building department for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1896, is contained in the accompanying report of the inspector of buildings. - Attention is invited to his recommenda- tion that the organic act be so amended as to permit the Commissioners to erect all District buildings by day labor whenever, in their judgment, the public interests will be better subserved thereby. The erection of public buildings under the contract sys- tem in the District of Columbia has not resulted favorably to the public interests. Competition and inadequate appropriations during a time of great depression in the building trade have induced bids below the cost of construction by irresponsible bid- ders, and under the law the lowest bidder Whe complies with the conditions of the advertisement is entitled to the contract. These conditions have, as a rule, deterred the better class of builders from bidding, so that while the contract prices have been low. costly delays in the completion of buildings and serious loss to the District and those who furnished labor and material have frequently resulted from failing con- tractors. It is not creditable to the District, nor is it in accordance with a wise public policy, for it to own and occupy buildings in which is represented a single dollar of unpaid labor or material. No one ought to expect that an honest contractor will undertake the erection of a building for less than its actual cost with a reasonable profit added. For such a sum, and generally for less, it is always pcssible for the District to do its own work under the supervision of the building department, with the assurance of Letter construction ‘and more satisfactory results than is usual under the contract ayatem. ‘The Commissioners Tecommend the change in the law suggested by ec- tor of buildings. ee Meager appropriations for school build- ings and sites for the same have compelled the purchase of lots cf insufficient area which it will be difficult and costly to en- large. This was a mistake which ought Hoe ao be rove stea: and the Commissioners have increased their estimat vi for larger sites. pica pepe Excessive Claim: The act of February 13, 1895, providing for the payment to contractors operating under the late board of public works, of the difference between the contract rates and what was known as “board rates,” was not approved by the Commissioners in its present form. The result has been, as stated by the auditor in his report hereto appended, that claims aggregating, with interest, $1,300,- 000, have been filed in the Court of Claims, most of which is absolutely without merit or justification. A law so burdensome and unjust to the taxpayers of the District of Columbia, and to the general government, should, as’ sug- gested by the auditor, be speedily repealed. Auditor's Office. The report of the auditor is a clear and concise statement of the financial condi- tion of the District, accompanied by a val- uable discussion of the matters pertaining to his department, and important recom- mendations, which have the approval of the Commissioners. Collector’s Office. Attention is invited to the report of the collector of taxes transmitted herewith. His recommendations are based upon an intimate knowledge of the duties of his office, acquired by long experience, and are fully approved by the Commissioners, Excise Board. The excise board granted during the year 562 retail and 163 wholesale liquor licenses, a reduction of 43 barroom and 9 wholesale licenses. Sixty-seven applications for bar- room and 16 for wholesale licenses were re- jected. There has been a reduction of 75 barroom and 11 wholesale licenses in the last two years. Outside of hotels and clubs but one new place has been licensed in the last two years. The Commissioners believe that the board has exercised a wise discretion in the dis- charge of its difficult and responsible duties, which has fuliy established the wisdom of the law transferring them to the board of assistant assessors, whose knowledge of the environment of each barroom, acquired in assessing real property, is essential to’ their proper and intelligent performance. Street and Alley Cleaning. At the instance of the Commissioners, and with the object, of improving the meth- ods of street cleaning, the superintendent of that branch of tho public service re- . THE EVENING STAR,--MONDAY,, DECEMBER 4%, 1896-16 PAGES. cently made an investigation and report upon the system applied to the streets of New York. -He also made a series of experiments in Washington with a view to determine the comparative merits and cost of hand and machine cleaning, and whether it would be more advantageous to Go the work by day’s labor or by con- tract. Through the courtesy of Colonel George E. Waring, commissioner of the street cleaning department of New York city, the superintendent was enabled to thor- oughly study the hand cleaning system there. The conclusion he reached was that the average cost- per 1,000 square yards by their method was 495-6 cents, and that the daily average area cleaned per man was 6,317 square yards, though there are a few small sections of the city where the concentration of traffic and other special circumstances make the cost of sweeping considerably more in such locali- ties. His experiments in hand cleaning here resulted in the conclusion that the daily average cost per yard per man here was 271-5 cents, and that the daily average area cleaned per man was 6,400 square yards. His investigation developed the fact that it is cheaper to clean stone pave- ments than asphalt pavements by hand, for the reason that some materials which adhere tenaciously to asphalt are readily removed from stone. ‘Total cost of combined hand and ma- chine cleaning. $352.78 Machine cleaning the entire 1,400,000 | _ square yards. + 839.50, Difference between hand and ma- chine cleaning jointly and cleaning entirely by machine, in favor of _ the latter. = O42 The superintendent's estimate of the un- nual cost of the two methods—contract and hired labor—based on the present method used by the street cleaning contractor, 1s as follows: Running expenses under proposed ite tO eee ei Appropriation for presen carat (contract). od 135,500.00 $152, 100.00 Excess of cost of panning ex- penses under municipal man- agement. - $16,900.00 (About $11,000 of which is for additional force over 1897.) Cost of the operating plant....... 35,277.00 And increased cost of superin- i tendence eet 1,620.00 Total increase. Cenclusions reached ations are: sonrst, that it is advisable to clean by hand all streets upen which vehicle traffic is so excessive as to require at least a daily cleaning. The area of such streets is obout thirty per cent of the street area to be cleaned. Second, that it Is advisable to sweep by machines and their accessories all smooth- ly paved streets which are not thorough- fares for vehicle tratfic, and which are not required to ke swept oftener than once, twice or three times a week. Tiird, that it is advisable to do all the work directly under municipal contract, witkcut intervention of a contractor. While it may be urged that the contract system should be retained in cities where, without ‘t, employment might be given to persons as rewards for partisan services. no such reason for the contract system ap- plies in this District, where the purposes and intent of the law requires the em- ployment of men and agencies based only upon merit and’ the ability to render an equivalent for the money paid for such services. Other reasons are given by the superin- tendent of street and alley cleaning in his report of March 9, 18% (Senate report No. 906, Fifty-fourth Congress, first session), as fellows: “In case of bad weather, when the work may have to be stopped, it might be ve- sumed again at the first opportunity. whereas under the present system the con- tractor*s force may have returned to the stables and be beyond recall. Also, if a rcute should for any cause be unfinished. as much cr little of it as might be neccs- sary could be cleaned up afterward, as oc- easion might demand, which cannot be dene under the present system. “In extended periods of damp, heavy weather, when the streets get in such con- dition as to prevent sweeping by machine, hand work could easily be resorted to. much or little, as might be required. Also, in periods of dry, cold weather, when too ccld to sprinkle, with the roadway clean, but the gutters filthy, hand work could again be resorted to. To keep gutters and cressings open when snow and Ice are upon the roadways requires hand work exclu- sively. It may be sald that this would ccme urder the head of extra work, and the contractor could do it as well; but why pay the contractor market rate wages and 1) per cent additional, when the work could be done directly by employes of the Dis- trict at the market rate paid to laborers? There are times when this ‘extra work,’ so called, amounts to a considerable sum, in- creased, as it is, by the 10 per cent. “Again, the advantage of having direct control of the force is made manifest by our being able to divide it up and to send to the different points of the city where the labor may be most needed. Advantage can be taken of the weather, if only for an hour, if deemed necessary. In a short time the municipality would be able to thor- oughly drill its men, to weed out of its force the wor-hless and discreditable and to present a class of employes to the public eye that would not offend by any unneces- sary display of uncleanliness other than that inseparable from their work. Work would be carried on with less noise and less bad language; more care would be taken with the work. for each individual would know that he was held responsible for his proportion of it, and would, therefore, do his best.” Street and Alley Pavements. About 61,000 square yards of sheet and block asphalt pavements were laid in road- ways, and very rearly all the city. The prices of sheet asphalt, exclusive of grad- ing, were $1.94 and $2.19 per square yard on fcur-inch and six-inch base, respectively. The prices for asphalt block were $1.84 and $2.25 per square yard on gravel and con- crete, respectively. From each of these prices 5 cents should be deducted for com- parison with previous years’ prices, since wages of inspectors proportionate to that amount were during the year charged against the cor tract cost. About 20,600 yards of vitrified block or asphalt block were laid in alleys, not count- ing block set on concrete for wheel strips in repaired cobble alleys. The street mileage in Washington on July 1, 1896, of asphalt pavements was 114.2; of standard granite block or vitrified brick, 28.6; macadam, 11.8, and cobble or old stone, 14.2. In alleys the mileage of smooth pavements was 25.5; of granite block or cobble, 30.9, and of cobble, with smooth wheel strips, 0.4. On county roads and sub- urban streets the mileage of smooth pave- ment was 5.1; of granite bicck, 0.0, and of macadam, 4.0. The mileage of unimproved streets in Washington was 76.1. Some of these streets, although laid out over a hundred years ago, have not yet been graded. The additions to the remaining schedules of street improvements, accompany the esti- mates for 1898, consist of streets to be graded and regulated, except in a few cases of pronounced public necessity for paving; the selection of streets for improvement was governed by proximity to the geo- graphical center of Washington, which is on 6th street between D and § streets northwest. It is proposed to go outward from this center, and, as a rule, improve streets in the order of their least distances therefrom, giving preference to grading and regulating, and. as nearly as practicable, grade to an elevation for a paving base. About 47,500 square yards of cement side- walk, at $1.83 per square yard, were laid curing the year, against 20,000 yards in the preceding year, which latter was more than the amount for the previous five years. Street Trees and District Parks. The trees along the curbs numbered at the end of the year 75,499; 1,184 trees ob- jectionable for various reasons were re- moved; 1,560 new trees, mostly maples of good variety, were set out. Besides ordi- nary care of the trees, much work was done at the nursery, including extensive seeding of oaks, maples, lindens, elms, ori- ertal plants, and other tree varieties. Con- siderable attention was paid to the improve- ment of tree parkings, an addition to the service which was introduced during the preceding year. Unusually severe storms during the spring destroyed or damaged a very large number of trees and tree boxes, and the hurricane of September 29, 1896, caused the loss of about 2,000 trees and damages to 20,000 or more. ‘The expense of removal of loss of about 2,000 trees and damage to been a severe drain upon the appropriati: and will cause a considerable curtailing, not suspension, of spring planting and oth- er desirable work. Water Service. Sixteen and one-half miles of water mains were _ laid, exclusiva. of replaced mains along street railway conduits and of con- rections to fire hydrants and premises. More than two-thirds, 8s the mains were laid in Washington. “'): The high-service reapgvoir at Fort Reno was completed and put in service. ‘This reservoir, in the absene#iof reservoir facili- ties in the -middle sefvies, ‘hax been repea! ealy, used to easiness -Pressure in the latter when pi necessal dis- continued for short ties, "ey ‘The new building at the U street pump- ing station was completed. An clectric ight plant for ligh the station and property yard was installed. A contract was edipred into with the Barr Pumping Engine Company of Phila- delphia for an 8,00 gallon high-duty ergine, with two é The erection of this plant at the U street pumping station is nearly completed, at is expected to be in operation early fh 4he next calendar year. . Twenty-six public WeNg were abandoned and filled, leaving in Service on June 30, 1896, 145. wells, of which two are deep wells driven during the previpus year. Since the close of the fiscal yaar nine additional deep wells have been driven in.the south- ezst and southwest sections. In each of these deep wells a supply of good water has been obtained. Public wells that sup- ply a good quality of-cool water are un- dcubtedly a great benefit and comfort to People who cannot afford to pay water rents or to purchase I¢e. All classes of people will be benefited by the replacement of polluted shallow wells by deep-driven wells furnishing good wa- ter. The wells driven during the present year indicate that good’ water may be had Cver a large section of the city at a reason- able depth and cost. ‘The estimates for the year include an ite: driven wells. te ee Referring to the ordinary shallow wells. the report of the engineer In charge of the water department properly says: In any metropolitan district such wells are Mable to contamination from sewage and all of them will beseme unfit for po- table purposes. Continued efforts are be. ing made to have the water from public wells in the District frequently examined chemically and, upon the concurrent show- ing of two examinations by different chem. iste that the water in any well is so con. taminated as to be unfit for use, the well has been clcsed. These wells are frequent ly located in close proximity to sewers a in places that are othorwise insanitary. Since sewers cre rarely ab: y 3 sincolsen ly absolutely water wells near them are surely Mable to contamination with sewage ri no distant time. As a matter of fact a large percentage of all the wells « far examined have been found to he pol, luted, and it Is safe to say that every shal- Well is, or soon will be, z the public health.” aera Three hundred and forty-three water meters were placed during the year on premises supplied with Potomac water, and’ ) have been placed shice the close of tie year, making a total of 783 water meters in service on December 1. 1896. A. general compliance with the law relating to the use of water meters has been obtained. but only with considerable difficulty. All pri- vate premises using a large amouni of wa- ter are now supplied through meters, or soon will be so supplied. ‘ A decision of the Court of Appeals dur- ing the previous year rendered fnvalid all water main assessments that had been lev- ied by the Commissioners and not by the water registrar, an office that had hecn va. cant for several years. This resulted in severe reduction of the expected revenues of the water department, and has curtailed intended and much needed extensions of the service. The granting of authority in this case to make reassessments appears to be proper and just to those property own- ers who have paid their assessments, Leg- islation looking to such reassessment and to the relief of unsubdivided county prop- erty was before Congress’ at the last ses- sion. Authority was granted at that ses- sion to reassess special taxes set aside sub- sequently by reason of informalities. The most urgent preent’ need of the wa. ter service 1s a gregier supply of water in the city, and large. reservoir city as @ reserve in case of ceblent to the sup- ply system. The aqueduct now furnishes, for present needs, am‘ample supply to the existing reservoirs. ‘The’capacity of the mains, however, leading to the city from the reservoirs is much below existing de- mands; this results in am insufficient sup- ply and a loss of pressure to such an ex- tent that many ‘areas have had to be transferred to the high service, with con- tinued expense for pumping, and large areas which cannot be-so transferred are suffering from an insufficient supply of Rater. ‘The resetve supply would be dou- bled by the use of the, reservoir near the Soldiers’ Home, whigh. if. kept. filled. by mezns of a large channel; ‘would materially increase water pressure over afl the grav- ity area and diminish pregent and increas ing expense of ‘pumping. “A beard of ex- perts appointed by the Secretary of War has recommended the completion of the reservoir and the aqueduct tunnel as the best and most ecotiomical rheans to secure a sufficient supply of water for the city. Washington, with its broad and smuoth streets, ample parks and parkings, and great public buildings, requires an abu: dance of water, not alone for domestic and business purposes,. but for sprinkling, street flushing and such other municipal purposes as cleanse and beautify the city, render it comfortable and help protect its property from fire. Street Lighting and Inspection. Proposals were recelved, after advertise- ment, for lighting the public lamps with mineral oil or naphtha, only. No pro- posals were submitted for gas or electric Nghting. A contract was made for naph- tha lightirg at $20.25 per lamp per annum, lamps burning 3,600 hours per annum, with an allowance of one-half hour per ‘night for lighting and extinguishing. These lamps were used in alleys and outlying districts, and numbered 1,064 at the close of the year. Gas lighting was continued, but not un- der contract. The gas companies insisted upon payment of the maximum price, $20.0 per lamp per annum for the minimum perfod, 3,00) hours, as named in the ap- bropriation item, with an allowance or de- duction from such period of one hour per night for lighting and extingulshing. The Commissioners offered to make this one- half hour, but the offer was declined. The number of gas lamps at the close of the year was 5,875. A contract was mad¢@ with the Potomac Electric Power Company for lighting with 25-candle power incandescent lamps, and 70 were in use at the close of the year. The electric arc lighting service was also continued without contract. The aver- age price paid was a little less than 38 cents per lamp per night, the maximum price named in the eppropriation item being 40 cents. Ten lamps were added during the year, making a total of 343 on June 30, 1806. Proposals were asked in Juné for lighting the public lamps during the gurrent year. Bids were received for naphtha Hghting and from the Potomac Electric Power Ccmpany for are and incandescent electric lighting. No bids were received for gas lighting. The United States Electric Lighting Com- pany declined to submit: proposals for con- Uunuing the existing arc lighting service hitherto maintained by it, or for the pro- posed extensions thereof, and protested against the receiving by the Commission- ers of any bids for electric arc lighting. The company offered to:maintain the ex- isting service and mate #4 reasonable ex- tension thereof at thémagimum price fixed by the appropriation“ites{- A contract was rtidde,, for. continuing naphtha lighting at $20 per lamp per an- num for the same serviee as last year. Contract was also: nmdesfor: ineandescent electric lamps at'$20' per'famp per annum, and the number of “sucli'lamps has been increased. reel The gas companied’ ddfiined, to bid for the gas lghting. A ,compromise on an al- lowance of one-half; hour per night: for lighting and extinguishingtwas subsequent- ly reached and conttatts made for this Ughting for the curfént™year at $20 per lamp per annum for 3,760 ;hours’ service, as authorized by the appropriation item. The Potomac Electric ower Company’s bids for supplying and imaintaining ¢lec- tric arc lamps were"'$#00 per ‘lamp per annum west of Rock crtek and $100 per lamp per annum eal it gos Hock creek, the maximum price allowed ‘by the appropria- tion item being 30 cents.per night, or $109.50 per.annum. The Commissioners accepted the bid of the Potomac company for light- ing west of Rock creek and: for so much of the proposed additional lighting east of Rock creek as was on streets not provided with conduits for electric lighting pur- poses, and offered the. United States: Elec- tric Lighting Company a contract for the Femainder of the service”: Wheretipon the latter named company filed a bill in the Supreme Court of the District ‘asking that court to enjoin the Commissioners: from entering into a contract..with the Potomac company and from issuing any permits to that company to occupy.'the Streets In exe- cution of such contract.. The ‘ustal tempo= rary restrafriing order was granted, and after considerable delay the case was heard. As the result the court held, in a full and carefully prepared opinion, that the Com- missioners were justified in their course in asking for bids and awarding the contract to the Potomac company as the lowest e fountains, bidder. The court there restraining order and ref to grant a prel ry injunction. Whereupon the ‘United States company asked the Court of Appeals, in a formal petition, to allow an appeal from the order of the Supreme Court. This application is to be heard during the current month, and in the mean- time the Coramissioners will suspend exe- cution of the intended contract. As the result of these delayed proceedings one- half of the fiscal year will have expired before the appropriation granted for the extensions of the street Hghting service can be used. The difficulty and delay encountered in carrying on the arc lighting service ac- centuate the necessity of a comprehensive system of public subways for electric wires, such as will permit of competition for pub- lic and private service and of necessary extensions. The necessity for burying wires was made still more evident by the severe storm of September last that completely disabled the entire system of overhead wires for longer or shorter periods, includ- ing the District telegraph, telephone and fire alarm services. Four thousand six hundred and twenty- two gas meters were inspected and proved during the year. The average candle power of gas supplied by the Washington Gas Light Company was 19.53 candles and of that supplied by the Georgetown Gas Light Company was 18.34 candles. Excess of ammonia was present four times In George- town gas, sulphuretted hydrogen was pres- ent ten times in Georgetown gas and many times in Washington gas. This offensive impurity is now under supervision under the act of June 6, 1803, regulating the sale of gas. No serious difficulty appears to be experienced in supplying gas of the candle power and quality required by this act. The street gas lamps now give excellent flumination. mn dissolved the Sewer Department. The more important works of the year were the completion of the first part of the Eashy Point sewer, the Kenesaw ave- nue, the upper Rock Creek and Eckington sewers and the partial construction of the Brookland trunk sewer and the Rock Creek and B street interceptor. The Kenesaw avenue and Eckington sewers, built under the continuing contract system, were finish- ed by the time the last appropriations for them became available, the contractors having preferred to carry on the works in advance of appropriaticns due. The system of relief sewers, whose con- struction has been in progress for several years, was also completed. The completion of the upper Rock Creek sewer affords a continuous sewer from the intersection of Brightwood and Rock Creek Church roads, via Spring road, Pin Branch and the eastern bank of Rock creek to the P street bridge, where the sewer now discharges into Rock creek. Work upon the Rock creek and B street interceptor, with which the upper Rock Creek sewer will connect, is in progress, but unfortunately the amount already ap- propriated is not sufficient to secure its struction to the up-stream end, and ‘fore the connection cannot be made this year. The lower part of the inter- ceptor is in use, delivering its contents tem- porarily into the Potomac river at G street. The Easby Point sewer and the Rock Creck and B street interceptor-are parts of the adopted sewage disposal plan. The first med sewer diverts to the Potomac river temporarily a large amount of sewage and drainage from the 17th street sewage canal: this canal is practically an open cesspool, extending across the reclaimed Potomac flats, and whose upper end is only S00 yards from the Executive Mansion. The sewage canal still, and unavoidably, receives sew- age from the existing B street sewer, and is in such a foul condition that during warm weather putrifying masses of gelat- inous matter of large size rise to the sur face of the water, offending the eye and polluting the air. Only x” have been appropriated for work upon the sewage disposal pian, for which the estimate made in 18% was $,- ¥8,000. It is plain that the execution of s plun in steps, from year to year, by lneans of allotments from current revenues will be far from satistaci In the absepce of other resources the es- timates for appropriations from the rey- enues of 1898 propose the commencement Tiber Creek and New Jersey avenue eptor and the extension of the Bound- ary sewer to a point nearer the Potoma the interceptor is planned to divert sewage from the James Creek canal, and the part authority for whose construction is asked would extend from the Capitol grounds to the feot of New Jersey avenue. The James Creek canal is the third open cesspool in Washington, and ts only about 4”) yards from the chamber of the House of Iepre- sentatiyes. The Boundary sewer now emp- ties into a large ditch leading to the upper Anacostia river; the contents of the sewer are carried over the wide marshes at hig tide, deposited and left exposed at iow tid or if they reach the channel, are washed back and forth by the tide, producing a condition believed to be detrimental to health, and certainly obnoxious to the pul- lic comfort. The extensions of the large sewers, as is being slowly done from year to year, will ameliorate the bad conditions of the smail streams and open cesspools at_ and on the border of Washington, but only by trans- ferring and concentrating the nuisance at the immediate harbor front. The advan- tage of delivery into a larger body of water and one with more current will be partly counterbalanced by the increased amounts of sewage and foul drainage received from the trunk sewers of the county. A com- plete and satisfactory remedy is not .po: sible in advance of the completion of the Sewage disposal plan. ' Plan of Highway Extensions, The map of the first section, prepared by virtue of the highway act of and com- prising thirty-eight large le detail sheets, was approved in writing by the highway commission, and delivered to the Commissioners August 30, 1895. The map was on the following day recorded in the office of the surveyor. On September 30, 1895, petition in the case of each existing subdivision shown thereon was made to the Supreme Court of the Disti.-t for pro- ceedings to condemn permanent rights of way for the public over lands not already owned by the public or dedicated for high- way use, as described upon the map and provided for in the highway act. These proceedings were commenced in case of three subdivisions, and jury awards made in case of the Denison and Leighton and Ingieside subdivisions. At this stage, the court upon motion and hearing set aside the jury verdicts and dismissed the petition, having held that the highway act Was unconstitutional and void on account of the invalidity of section 11, which pro- vides that the appraisement of value of land taken from an owner may be reduced by the benefits accruing to his remaining land. On appeal to the Court of Appeals a ma- jority of that court agreed that section 11 is unconstitutional and void. The chief justice dissented, and held the section in Question to be constitutional. All the judges of the Court of Appeals further held, first, that section 15 of the act, pro- viding for an assessment, is not capable of enforcement as it stands; and, second, that the rest cf the act is valid, notwithstand- ing the defects of sections 11 and 15. The cases then went back to the lower court for' further. proceedings, whereupon judgment was entered in. favor of the land owners (except in a few cases, where a new trial was granted), for the amounts found due them for the land taken, with- out regard to any deduction or assessment for benefits Most of the land owners in- volved were satisfied with this result, and the Commissioners were also disposed to accept the situation and not delay proceéd- Ings by further appeals. But some of the land owners took another appeal, with the view of taking the case to the Supreme Court of the United States. Since the case was to be appealed, duty required the Com- missioners to appeal also, so as to bring before the Supreme Court all the questions involved. An early hearing is to be had in the Su- preme Court, and its decision is expected in January. Previous to the court proceedings the Commissioners had careful detailed state- ments made of the cost of executing the highway act, omitting all benefits and de- ductions, in case of the forty-seven subdi- visions of section 1, by two competent au- thorities, working independently and with- out knowledge of each other; the totals of these estimates agreed very closely, and with them as a standard it was judged that the cost of carrying out the act throughout the District would be from seven and a half to eight million dollars, to say nothing of reduction from benefits. It is further worthy of remark that the jury awards in the Supreme Court confirmed in a remark- able manner the said estimates as to the subdivisions passed upon by it. ‘The first section of the highway exten- sion plans includes that part of the county lying between the east line of North Capi- tol street extended and Rock creek. It comprises the greater number of subdivis- fons in the District and the more valuable lands and improvements. -Phe-maps- for record of the second’-séc- tion, between North Capitol street and the Eastern branch, are completed, and. can Many thousand dollars worth of valuable articles suitable for Christmas Christmas Gifts Free gifts for the young and old, are to be given to smokers of Blackwell’s Genuine Durham To- bacco. You will find one coupon inside each two ounce bag, and two coupons inside each four ounce bag of Blackwell’s Durham. Buy abag of this celebrated tobacco and read the coupon— which gives a list of val- uable presents and how promptly be made ready for delivery to th highway commission; these details are spread upon forty-five sheets, twenty-four by thirty inches, and drawn, generally, to a scale of one inch to one hundred feet. The plan provides a wide parkway, similar to the Piney Branch parkway of the first section, from the southeastern corner of the Soldiers’ Home to about the middle of a proposed park along the Eastern branch above Massachusetts avenue; these park- ways form links of a complete circuit of de driveways, connecting the grand parks of the District. The plans for the third section (west of Rock creek) are in an advanced state. The question of grades here has been a trouble- ome one; the plans contemplate in some arts rather heavy cuts and fills, it having been deemed proper to allow for them in view of the very desirable location of such parts and their probable increase in value. In the very hilly parts excessive grading will be obviated by the curved streets and long blocks of the plans The remainder of the county is comprised in the fourth section. A tentative plan of the whole section has been drawn on large ; about one-half the ter- ritory refully studied and a street system selected for it. The very ir- regular topography of a large part of this section compels a liberal departure from the rectilinear system. Anacostia and cou- tguous subdivisions make the city impracticable without an expense not justi- fied, it is belleved, for this locality. A prominefit feature of the second and fourth sections is a partly curved highway, connecting sites of the late defenses of Washington from Fort Slocum, north of oldiers’ Home, to Fort Greble, nearly Alexandria; this road, popularly ed Fort drive, generally follows the and contours and is laid along the tops of slopes, giving delightful and ever chang- ing views; the sites of the forts, where not now covered by improvements, as Iu a few cases, are taken as reservations. The Fort drive in the first and third sections follows rectilinear streets, Street Railways. The Metropolitan Railroad Company a3 required by the act of August 2, 1sv4, com- pleted the’ underground elec construc- tion on its east and west lines, and com- menced to operate its electric cars thereon the opp. regularly July 7, 180. The new system of propulsion having been in use on the company’s 9th street line for about a year nda half, including a rough winter, and on both of its lines for seve mths, without any gerious interrap-ion, and in worklag for some time with full satis- fon Yhroughout a large extent of instal- ation, cannot be considered ex but is certainly a fine mechanic As to that portoin of lines -ov: arter from Florida avenue and stward oa Florida avenue to and thence to its terminu rovd, only one track of the underground electric system from 9th to 7th streets has been constructed; this part is being oper- ated with one car. The Washington, Alexandria Mount Vernon electric railway pleted the construction of an un- derground system ike that of the Metropolitan company in August, 1806, over routes authorized by the act of August 23, 7th street » on Brightwood and com- 1804, except on B street east of 131-2 street and on the line of 14th st south of Maryland avenue to a ferry slip. The underground conduit terminates with a plow-pit in 14th street 1% fest north of the north rail of the Pennsylvania steam tracks, at which point the propulsion is hanged to the overhead trolley and the cars run over the Long bridge on the eteam tracks, The construction of the Metropoiitan ard the Mount Vernon roads, also the Co- lumbia railway, 1s first-class, especially as to track surface. Permits for construc- tion in the streets prevented as far as pos- travel in line of th acks has been re- duced to a minimum, and the certa’a:y and efficiency of action cf wheel-guard fenc have been greatly promoted. The Maryland and Washingtoa Rail Company graded a double ‘rack roadbed and partly laid tracks and ballasted them on the line of Rhode Island avenue from ith street east to the District line. Work is now suspended and the company is in the hends of a receiver. The Georgetown and Tenleytown Railway Company, under authority given by its charter, extended its tracks southward along 22d street and a private right of way to the Potomac river. The Capital Traction Company com- menced io run its cars westward on M street to a point opposite the Unton sta- tion site on June 1896. Owing to an enlargement of the building for purposes other than a union station and to much difficulty of construction, the structure is only now nearing completion The com- pany has made the rails of its tracks on Zth street continuous by cast welding. The Anacostia and Potomac River Rail- road Company did not and does not now operate its Congressional cemetery brarch and the piece of its road on M xtreet from 2d to 7th streets southwest. The Eckington and Soldiers’ Home Rail- way Company failed to remove its long- abandoned tracks and replace the pav: ment on T and 2d streets, Eckington, us notified to do so; the Belt line also failed, after notice, to remove certain abandoned tracks at 3d and B streets southwest. The Eckington company discontinued the use of the elcetro-magnetic system of pro- pulsion and the appliances therefor on North Capitol street north of New York avenue. Pursuant to the act of June 10, 186, the company commenced to run cars, drawn by horses, about the ith of July, over its branch from New Jersey avenue and G streets northwest via G and North Capitol streets to T street. Since October 7 the company has ceased full compliance with the approved schedule on this branch ard on the Brookland troitey branch. On September 15, 1896, cases in the name of the Commissioners were brought against the Eckington and Belt line companies to recover the sum of $300, being for six days’ penalties in each case for failure to com- mence to equip their respective lines with compressed air motors, as required by sec- tion one of the act of June 10, 1586. On the next day judgment creditors of said companies filed bills in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia, all: their insolvency and praying the appoint- ment of receivers, and on the 2ist of Sep- tember the court appointed a receiver of both companies, and on September 23 au- tharized him to incur indebtedness for feed, fuel and employes. On October 10, 1896, judgment was ren- dered in favor of the Commissioners in both cases to recover penalties a ferred to. On October 27, ceiver was authorized by the court to in- vite proposals for equipping both of suid roads with compressed air motors, and on November 10 the receiver made a report to the court submitting proposals for such equipment, but before action ‘on said re- pert stockholders of said companies were allowed to intervene and be heard on the question of issuing receiver's certificates to equip the roads with air motors. On No- vember 27, after a hearing, the court re- fused to authorize the receiver to equip the roads with air motors. : Becaus2 of the fact that these railway companies went into the hands of a re- ceiver shortly after the proceedings to re- cover penalties under the act of June 10, 1886," and’ in view of the hopeless insol- vency of both companies, as shown by the court proceedings in regard to receivers, ‘no further suits to recover such penalties have been brought. In the absence of better des offered by the railway companies for test and approval there has been no change from the styles of fenders adopted tn pur- suance of authority given in the District appropriation act of 1sM4. The adopted designs have now had sufficient trial + test their merit and efficicncy as life-sa devices, as testifying to wh noted that since July 1, 1805, the number of persons saved from’ noticeable injury by the pick-up fenders has been sixty-one, ard by the wheel-guard, six. Rock Creek and the Eastern Branch, Rock creck forms a barrier between two ns being parts of Washington, passed only by one Bool bridge of reasonable accommodation. The M street bridge will soon require re- newals and a paved floor; the P street bri ¢ should be widened and pr rably paved. Many citizens have justly repre- sented to the Commissioners the need of a bridge at Q street, and the opening of that street west of Rock creek. In the absence of that opening, and from the hope of an improvement of Rock creek at and near which would do away with bridg at least above Pennsylvania avenue. Commissioners have only comparatively inexpensive widening of the P street bridge and its approaches, in order to diminish the existing inconvenience and danger at that point. A complete improvement of Rock creek would be its diversion through a tunnel from Lyon's mill south on the line of Yatn street of Washington to near Dumbarion street, and thence the walling and arching of the bed of the creek to M street or be= low. If this were done, a street could ad- vantageously be laid on the arch and ex- tended to Sheridan Circle at Massachusetis avenue. Such a street would be parallel to one set of the avenues of Washington, and would be @ most convenient thoroughfare. Twenty-fifth street should be extended and laid over the tunnel and improved to make a suitable driveway connecting the futur Potomac Park with the Rock Creek Park An estimate for a closed conduit for carrying Rock . in compliance with a Senate resolution of 1892, showed so large a cost that interest in the project flagged. But the resolution spectfically named a cons duit from the north line of Massachusetts avenue to the Potomac river. ¢ ‘onduits for carrying the creek from the aveny ing to Lyon’s mill and below the © peake and Ohio canal are noi only unn sary but inadvisable; the part canal to M street is also unnece highway extension plans show t tion for a park of the east bank of the creck from Massachusetts avenue to Lyon's m:ll, where the public already own two strips of ground, one of which dedicated for park purpeses, and wher picturesqueness and beauty of the cre: and its banks are undisturbed by fillings and constructions. As a natural and ad- tantageous disposition, the creek below the canal, and even for a short distance above, should be kept open, dredged, and the dam at the mouth removed for commercial pur- poses. Omitting the two parts of the conduit of the project of 18v2, as indicated, more than one-half !ts length, and deducting the amount of damages to the canal company, shown in the estimate of cost of that con- duit, the gross cost of a needed and proper improverment of Rock eresk would come within reasonable limits, which cost would be considerably if not wholly offset by the value of city land reclaim The reclaimirg of the flats along the - ern bra at least as far as the Pennsyl- varia avenue bridge, is believed to be ur- gently needed for the public health, and Will be, if not now, needed for the purposes of commerce carried on by navigation. pars ago the War Department es- shed harbor lines along this part of the branch. It is thought a wall should be built at the bulkhead lines, behind which the material dredged for deepening the chai wel weuld naturally be deposited, to: gett with excavations and = suiiable refuse from the city; a water street laid out along, or parallel to, the bulkheads; the city streets extended to it, and the re- claimed iand transtormed into saleable lows. It Is understood that very nearly ali of the reclaimed land would belong to the United States, and believed that title to some existing water lots in private pos- session covld be cheaply obtained, steps for which, of course, should be taken be- fore commencing work of improvement af- fecting such lots. > cur CROSS THE TROCHA, Insurgents From Pinar del Rio Go mto Havana Province. The steamer Whitney brought to Key West, Fla., Havana news yesterday in re- lation to Maceo and Weyler. Passengers state that Weyler himself is now encamped ten miles from Artemisa, and his army Is scattered along the trociia and through the Pinar del Rio district. When Maceo re- treated from Weyler in his first cam: ign his plan was to surprise Weyler at the first opportunity, and now Maceo has his army on either side of Weyler, and th ing daily skirmishes. Weyler is aemmed in, and if he shall attempt to move he will be compelled to go to Arte- crossed the trocha into Havana province, and are attacking the outposts and villages. 2 Insurgents numbering 7,000 are in Havana province, Havana. sped twenty miles from and will go to Muceo’s assistance when needed. Spies in Havana are keeping the insur- gents posted as to the movements of the Spanish troops. A movement Is on foot to capture Wey if he shall attempt to go to Havana hy Firemen and volunteers in Hav being sent to Weyler's relief. Hi these troops were used in the defense the city. Since Tuesday's raid on Guanabacoa the city has been attacked alm ry night > ail. Ma are vofore of and Thursday alry rode for two hours through the city. The dum- age done amounts to thirty-six houses burned and a large quantity of supplies and ammunition seized; also a iarge num- ber of mules loaded and ready to leave the city were taken, ap ~ The Widow Made Sole Bene The will of the late Patrick Glynn, dated August 16, 165, which has been filed, ap- points the widow of the testator, K Glynn, executrix, and makes her sole benc- ficiar; jciary. Take No Substitute. Gail Borden Eagle Brand <=——_CONDENSED MILE stood FIRST jn the estima- Has always: tion of the American Pe . No other is ‘Best intant Food: