Evening Star Newspaper, December 6, 1897, Page 21

rv THE EVENING STAR, MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1897. . 3 the bal- equal fifteen per cent of the bi ance in installments of twenty-five per cent thirty, forty a fifty days after the mation of the sale. The Hen on the as Pacific prior to that of the Gov- nent on the July, 1897, principal and inte! i to $7,281,048.11. The Gov should it become will have to pay the rst mortgage lien. that under the act of 1SS7 it has to do this and in absence of tion by Congress I shall direct the Secretary of the Treasury to make the necessary deposit as required by the Court's to qualify as a bidder and to bid sale a sum which wil at least equal » principal of the debt due to the Gov- ament; but suggest in order to remove Nl controversy that an amendment of the law be immediately passed explicitly giving such powers and appropriating in general terms whatever sum is sufficient therefor. In so important a matter as the Gov ment becoming the possible owner of rail- road property which it perforce must con- duct and operate, I feel constrained to lay before Congress these facts for its consid- eration and action before the consumma- tion of the sale. It is clear to my cai that the Government *Yould not permit the pYO¥"Ty To be sold at a price which will yield less than one-half of the principal ot its debt and less than one-fifth of its entire authori debt. principal and interest. But whethei the Government, rather than accept les than its claim, should become a bidder and thereby the owner of the property, I sub- mit to the Congress for action. The Library building provided for by the act of Congress approved April 15, 1886, has been completed and opened to the pub- lic. It should be a matter of congratula- tion that through the foresight and munifi- cence of Congress the nation possesses this noble treasure-house of knowledge, It Is _garnestly tg ke hoped that having done so much towards the cause of education, Con- gress will continue to develop the Library in every phase of research to the end that it may be not only one of the most mag- nificent but among the richest and most useful libraries in the world. CIVIL SERVICE LAW. The important branch of our Government known as the Civil Service, the practical improvement of which has long been a subject of earnest discussion, has of late received increased legislative and Exec © approval. During tMe past few months the service has been placed upon a still firmer basis of business methods and personal merit. While the right of our vet n soldiers to reinstatement in serving cases has been asserted, 3 for merely political reasons have been ca fully guarded against. the examinations for admittance to the service enlarged and a the same time rendered less technical ai practical: and a distinct advance has made by giving a hearing before dis al upon all cases where incompetency more is charged or demand made for the re- moval of officials in any of the Depart- ments. This order has been made to give to the accused his r to be heard but without in any way airing the power of removal, which s be © . cised in cases of inefficiency and incom- and which is one of the vital safe- of the civil reform system, and deadwood and e keenly alive to the of his tenure de- ut on his own t ing stagnation every empl that the security pends not on favor and carefully watched record of serv Much of course still remains to b hed before the system can b bly perfect for our ne are places now in the classified which ought to be exempted and others not ied may properly be included. I shall itate to exempt cases which I think en improperly included in th ice or include th Judgment will best promote the public serv- ice. The system has the approval of the people and it will be my endeavor to up- hold and extend it 3 I am forced by the length of this Mes- sage to omit many important references to affairs of the Government with which Con- gress will have to deal at the present se sion. They are fully discussed in the ¢ partmental reports, to all of which I in- vite your earnest attention. ‘The estimates of the expenses of the Gov- ernment by the several Departments will, I am sure, have your careful scrutiny. service While the Congress may not find it an easy task to reduce the expenses of the Govern- in- should not encourage their crease. These expenses will in my jud ment admit of a decrease in many branches of the Government without injury to the public service. It is a commanding duty to keep the appropriations within the re- ceipts ef the Government, and thus avoid @ deficit. ment, it WILLIAM McKINL itive Mansion, December 6, 1897. ee Reynolds Post Election. At the last regular meeting of John F. Reynolds Post, G. the follow- ing named officers were elected for the ensuing year: Commander, Thomas Gal- lew senior vice commander, John F. Winans; junior vice commander, Philip M. O'Bryon; quartermaster, M. M. Lewis: surgeon, H. M. Bennett, M. D.: chapiain, Rev. W. H. Gotwald, D. D.; officer of the day, Wm. N. Thomas: officer of the guard, Wm. H. Moor; deiexates to department en- campment—Fred. G. Calvert, M. M. Lewis, Philip M. O'Bryon, Caleb L. Sz H. M. Bennett, Frank L. McKenna. > Exe Mrs. Fuller's Funeral. Mrs. Emma E. Williams Fuller, wife of Benjamin F. Fuller of the Treasury De- partment, died last Tuesday evening, and was buried frem Douglas Memorial M. E. Church Friday afternoon. She was a daughter of Prof. John Williams of Utica, N. Y., and came to Washington in 1865. She was widely known and loved for her many Christian virtues. Her children are Joni F., Robert E., Emma L. and Lulu May Fuller Nevins. She joined the Metho- ureh in 1850, and was for twenty- ars a member of McKendree Church this city, removing to Douglas Church in tse, ne held office in the W. C. T. U., King’s Daughters and Woman's Relic! Those organizations were re} at the funeral. —————__ The Gold Fields of Alaska. David L. Gitt will lecture on the gold fields of Alaska at the Soldiers’ Home Theater Saturday evening, December 11, at 8 o'clock. The lecture is to be handsomely lustrated with a fine series of stercop- ticon views, the illustrations being the work of Mr. L. M. Turner. Mr. Gitt gave this lecture a short time ago in Baltimore and received mest favorable criticism is for an entertaining fund of tnforma- S well as entertain ate enough to r his work. Mr. Gitt speaker, and has a I: tion that will instruct those who are fortu him. Th he list of views will contain pic- tures incidental to a trip from San Fran- to the gold flelds and the return, in- in all some seventy-five scenes, all interesting and well displayed. —_—_—.__. Women’s Federation Meeting. At the last meeting of the executive board of the District of Columbia Federation of ‘Women's Clubs, comprising over 4,000 women, the plan of work for the ensuing year was adopted. Committees were appointed as follows: One to confer with the chief of police, regarding the ap- pointing of a matron at each police station to care for the women and children; one to necure the restoration of women cleaners in the Agricultural Department, most of these places having recently been given to men; one to apply to Congress for an ap- Propriution for free kindergartens in the Public sthools; one on press work, to keep the aims and objects of the federation be- fore the public. Other committees will be appointed as matters in their line of work may be brought before the federation. COMMISSIONERS’ REPORT a (Continued from First Page.) connected with it. and substituting in their places new men of younger age and full physical ferce. In addition, however, to change request is made for an in- e of fifty men. If this allowance is r which the Commissioners earnestly hope may be tke case, and every man on the force be an able-bodied man, and every man now detailed for gther duties be as- signed to street duty, the force would not then be as large as it should be to proper- ly patrol the seventy-two square miles of territory for which we are responsible. Deserving of Reward. At ought not to be charged against the force that because it has been so efficient with limited numbers it need not be in- creased. It should rather be rewarded for the extraordinary exertions it has made, orking more hours than is proper or just, with the increase asked for, so that not only the city will be benefited, but the men themselves given that proportion of work and rest which best fits them for a¢- tive ang ellideat sarvice. TA addition io the regular work of the police department in patrolling the streets, guarding the property of the citizens and rotecting them, apprehending criminals, ~ attention is invited to the interest: ing and valuable reports of important work done by officers of this department in connection with the sanitary office, where vagrants, lunatics and those in dis- tress are provided for; the hack insvec- tor, who looks after and keeps in order all public vehicles, restrains the drivers from imposing upon strangers and charg- ing exorbitant fares; the officer detailed to assist the Humene Society in the care of children who are taken from homes of vice and who would be left destitute when their perents are imprisoned if it were not for his good services, and the harbor- master an the yaluable work done along the rivef front in patrolling our harber, enforcing the law and protecting the prop- erty in that nefghborhood. Condition of Station Houses. The station houses, nine in number, are most of them in a condition which is any- thing but creditable, and far from being either sanitary or comfortable. This is ally true of the older houses. Most of them are too small, are not properly lighted or heated, have not sufficient sleep- ing accommodations for the men, and all of them are equipped with old-fashioned brick cells instead of modern steel cells. The small amount of money appropriated for repairs to these station houses is always found to be entirely inadequate to put them in proper condition. Money is asked for an additional story to each of two of the station houses and also a small amount to make repairs which are absolutely neces- mac A sufficient lot and e1 1 for. mount of money to purchas: m at Ani is of the District is y growing in numbers and importance erves a more complete patrol than now able to give it. At present the 1 there is smail, rented ure, with two cells, ant, Who has a detail re f a serg of only fourteen m Improvements Introduced Such improvements in the various det of the management of the offices as were ble have been introduced from time to With the force sufficiently large to allow it, many others might still be intro- h a complete and thorough ver practic nd surgical prac- . Which would enable the offi to give t aid to the injured, and similar ac- quirements, which add so much to the « ney of the police force in other cities but which this force has been necessarily se of the small numbers, » many hours of service the men of time which it ow them. It is hoped that with the proposed increa we may be able to take up some of the pract und still further increase its ef- ficien necessitating rive Just to The Criminal Record. It cannot but interest every citizen to read that chapter of the report of the major and superintendent of police which re crime and the manner in which it has been handled during the past year. It is thought that the record of the department is one of which it need not be ashamed. It is not the ord of any police department that every offender is caught and every crimi- nal punished. The proportion, however, of arrests to crimes committed is as good as could reasonably be expected. The following will show the work done by the police surgeons, four in number, for the year ending June 30, 1897: Visits made, 4.281: pati treated, 1, office con- upposed insane exam- applicants examined, ‘ aminations of applicants held, 26: number accepte per cent), 139; num- ber rejected (73.11 per cent), 378. Fire Department. Congress has of late years shown a dispo- sition to recognize the necessity for an in- crease of the fire department to protect the rapidly growing suburbs of tne city as well as of the city itself, and during tne st r provision was made for two ad- ditional engines and two carriages. ‘Tne engine houses at Brightwood and Ecking- ten were completed and made ready tor eceupancy on the first day of July, when the money for their equipment became vaila An apprcpriation was also made or the purchase of groun@ and the erec- tion of buildings at Anacostia and on sth street between D and E_ streets, in the heart of the city. The building at Anacos- tia will soon be completed, and the werk is about to be begun on the Sth street house. While the rumber of engines and trucks rovided is larger than ever before, it is 1 entirely inadequate to meet the de- . and in this report will be found es- for additional encines and trucks Most of the engine houses are in excel- lent condition, are kept scrupulously clean and are always attractive places to visit. The older on ffer greatly by comparison with the newer o and should be either replaced with new Structures or so thor- oughly remodeled as to give the comforts and conveniences which are essential to en who are so closely and constantly con- fined to the house as are the firemen. Increase in Pay. The chief of the fire ‘department asks, with much force, for an increase of pay for all those connected with his department, ased partly en amounts received for siim- ilar services in other cities, and partly on the cost of a moderate living as compared to the small amounts of money received. It should be borne in mind in cohnection with the selaries of the fire department that the men employed in this work are, ore than any other set of men employed, ble to serious imjury or sudden death, which will leave their families without any support other than the small amount otf pension which they will receive. It is oniy an act of simple justice to provide for these men while they are rendering such valuabie service, and it 1s hoped that the very proper request for this increase will not be denied. Proposed Hack System. During ths past year a request was made of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company to introduce into this city its very excellent cab system now in use in Philadelphia and w York. The company has expressed a willingness to do so provided it can have the exclusive right of standing its cabs in front of and near the station. The Com- missioners are not authorized to grant the use of the public streets for private pur- poses and have, therefore, not been able to arrange with the company for this ¢ sirable equipment, by which passengers coming to the city can find at the coor of the station carriages, neat and clean, with strong, respectable looking horses and re- liable, trustworthy drivers, who will, for a small amount, carry them to any part of the city more comfortably than can now be done by the carriages which are to be found there. It would ¢dd much to the comfort of hose traveling on this line of railroad {f Congress woul! grant them the privilege of having the exclusive use of the streets immediately around their sta- tion, other than that which is now used for ‘hotel "buses, for their own cabs and carriages. The Excise Noard. - The excise board granted during the year 347 retail and 147 wholesale liquor licenses, a reduction of 12 bar room and 16 wholesale Heenses; 32 applications for bar room and 8 for wholesale licenses wero rejected. There has been a reduction of 58 bar room and 25 whoiesale licenses in the last two years. Outside of hotels and clubs but one new place has been licensed in the last two years. It is gratifying to be able to report that the whole question of liquor selling in the District of Columbia, so far as it relates to bar rooms, is apparently in a satisfac- tory condition. But few of those who are licensed to sell liquor in this way have violated the law and not many serious troubles have arisen in connection with the sale of liquor at these places. If the same wise course is continued it is be- lieved that the evil consequences aiways resulting from ihe sale of liquor will be reduced to a minimum, and Washington will be as free from such consequences as it can be so long as bar rooms exist. Licenses for Brewerles. Attention was called in the last annual report to the Commissioners to the matter of breweries doing business in the District ond the necessity fer legislation regarding their sale of beer on Sunday. Strenuous efforts are made to enforce the law in re- gard to the sale of liquor on Sunday, but these efforts are more than counteracted as long as beer can be bought at the brew- cries in quantities and taken to houses, vacant lots and other places to he drank by all serie oF people, occasioning the Sreatest amount of annoyance and dis- turbance, to the discomfort of citizens and the discredit of the city. Many complaints Lave been made regarding this matter, and it is earnestly hoped that legislation may be effected at this session of Congre: which will remedy the evil. In addition to the breweries referred to, there are in the city agents of breweries in other cities who sell beer on Sunday and who are also exempted from license tax by the provision of section 1 of the act ef March 3, 1803, which makes the law appli- cable “to the sale of intoxicants by the maker, brewer or distiller thereof, not to be sold on the premises.” Municipal Building. No greater or more pressing need exists in connection with the municipal govern- ment than the need for a municipal build. ing. Although the city has grown within the last twenty-five years so as to exceed by many thousands the population of that time, and the work of administering mu- nicipal affairs has kept pace with _ the srowth of the city, there has never been adequate provision made for housing the offices and giving the proper facilities for the transaction of busi Not a single department of the municipal government 4 present has sufficient room or suitable a commodations for carrying on the large amount of business which daily comes be- fore it. While th is true of all depart- s, it is especfally true of the polic: Sor and collector of taxes. These are the three departments with which a larger majority of the people have to do than with any other, and it is to the greatest discomfort of the people in transacting business wita them that they are compelled to attend to the same in the narrow and restricted quar- izned them. In addition to this fact, it is decidedly in- jurious to the health of the clerks em- ployed, on account of the insufficient ven- tilation and hght. Washington should surely be provided with a municipal build- ing thar would not only be adequate in its accommodations, but creditable to the tional cani A small amount is asked in the estimates for the ensuing year w which to get plans for a new building w which to make a beginning. It is hoped that this will not be again denied us, but that we may now begin the erection of this building, which has been so seriously needed, and which all the citizens of the District are anxious to see an accomplished fact in the near future. Suggestion by Board of Trade. While there is some demand for money for local needs that are so peculiar to Washington, the necessity for municipal buildings is so universally felt and recog- nized that this cannot but appeal to every member cf Congress as a reasonable and proper request. in this connection attention is invited to the inclosed letter of the committee on public buildings of the Washington board of trade, representing the citizens of the which wes addressed to the board under date ef November 18, instant: “The committee on public buildings, Washington bowrd ef trade, having learned that you are at work preparing your part of the annuat report of the Commissioners, D. €., would call your attention to the fol- lcwing, wtih the hope that you may see your way clear to make it a part. ‘The present quarters of the municipal government are not sufficient in size, nor so arranged, as to permit of the various de- partments performing properly and cor- rectly the duties assigned to them. Any one can see at a glance that they are cramped for room. The mere fact that it is a rented building forbids the making or consum- mating of such plans as are a permanent aracter, either for the transaction of business or filing away of books, papers, ete. We cannot understand how men as in- telligent as are the members of Congress can fail to see the unsuitableness of the present building and the great need of a new municipal building of such size as will give ample and necessary space, with such arrangements of a permanent character as will make provision for the safe-keeping and preservation of the books, papers, etc., of the municipal offices and courts. Should they be destroyed it would pe impossible to duplicate them. “it is well Known that the courts of the District are inadequately provided for in the present court building, or city hall, it being overcrowded and unfit for the pur- poses for which it is used. Its condition in- side and outside is a disgrace to the gen- eral government and to the city.” This communication was signed by Thos. Somerville, Geo. Gibson and A. A. Thomas. Health Department. No part of the Commissioners’ report, probably, is of more interest or importance than that of the health officer, relating, as it does, to such matters as affect the com- fort, health and life of every one dwelling in the District of Columbia. The report is full of interest, and its recommendations are concurred in by the Commissioners and the attention of Congress is esp ly in- vited to the same. The degree to which various diseases and the resulting deaths occurred in the Dis- trict during the past year, as shown by the record of vital statistics, affords only available index as to the sanitary con- ditions prevailing during that period. It is interesting, therefore, to note that the death rate, 20.71 per thousand, was prac- tically as low as at any time during the past twenty-two years, and it is especiaily gratifying that there has beea a marked diminution during that entire »=rfed. The high death rate among the colored e, 28.59, which makes up practically one-third of the community, tends ‘o raise the rate for the city as a whole, that for the whites being but 17.03. A Comparative Statement. The entire number of deaths which oc- curred during the year was 5,737, of which 216 were whites and 2,521 colored. Dts- tributing these deaths by locality for the purpose of determining where the greatest death rate is to be found, with a view of ascertaining what loca] causes, if any, ex- ist there, it is noted that the death rate for the city proper (what was formerly com- prised in the cities of Washington and Georgetown) was 19.39, while that for the portion of the District outside of the city was 27.92. Making a further analysis ot the county death rate, we find that of the Eastern branch district to be 55.82, a rate which under modern conditions is abso- lutely unjustifiable. Searching for the cause of this increase in the death rate in that section, the most evident feature which appears likely to have a causative relation is the enormous tract of swamp land known as the Hast- ern branch flats. The immediate reclama- tion of these flats would -seem, therefore, to be demanded. It is not to be expected that this work alone would reduce the death rate to that of the city proper, but if accompanied by an improved system of sewerage and improved water supply, there is no reason why this should not be the case. The death rate, when cohsidered with reference to the varieties of disease, shows an increase in the number of deaths from constitutional and developmental diseases and @ decrease in those zymotic and local causes and violence. From a sani- tary standpoint the chief interest attaches to the zymotic diseases and to the tuber- cular diseases, which are charged in the constitutional class. Interest in the deaths from violence 1s from the stan it of police rather than from a sanitary \d- int. Pamong the zymotic diseases local interest centers at present chiefly around the major contagious diseases, of which smallpaqx is the most common, about scariet fever and diphtheria, relative to which there Yias been special legislation, and about typhoid fever, which ts generally considered as one of the best indexes of the sanitary condi- tion of a community. In reference to small- pox but little need be said, as the city has been, as usual, entirely free from this dis- ease. Attention is invited, however, to the need of a sp2cial fund for the suppression of this disease and others of the same class under the provisions of the law re- cently passed, and for Which an appropria- tion has been asked in the estimates which have been submitted. A Gratifying Decrease. It is gratifying to note the marked de- crease in the prevalence of scarlet fever ard the extremely ‘mild type of the dis- ease, there having’ been but 160 cases in the community during the entire year, and only one of these terminated fatally. Among fourteen principal cities in this country, from- which information was col- lected, Washington stands eleventh with respect to the proportionate number of cases of this disease which occurred dur- ing the past year, and if the number of deaths can be taken as the standard of comparison it is at the end of the list. The showing with reference to diphtheria has not. however, been so favorable when compared with the previous record of that disease in the District, as the number of cases shows a very considerable increase. The mortality from the disease has been, however, exceptionally low, and despite the number of cases it is as low as it has been since 1889. The number of cases of typhoid’ fever that occurred during the past year was but 153 as compared with 240 of the year preceding, and in the class known as diar- rhoeal diseases there was a decrease from 168 deaths to 358. The diminution in the typhoid fever death rate is especially sat- isfactory. As the present decrease has corresponded with the closing of a consid- erable number of surface wells, with the improved drainage of a large number of premises, including the replacement of box privies by water closets, and with a closer supervision of the milk supply, we are probably justified in expecting a further decrease of the prevalence of this disease. But the experience of other places indi cates that it cannot be expected to reach a very low figure until the general water supply of the city be subjected to a pro- cess of filtration before being distributed through. the mains. Deaths From Tuberculosis. The number of deaths from the various forms of tuberculosis remains high, in view of the known preventable nature of these diseas This is a source of regret. The promulgation of a regulation during the past year forbidding expectorating in pub- tic buildings and vehicles may be consid cred in the light of a beginning of more ex iended measures for the restriction of the disease. Among the deaths from violence an u milly large number have been due to suicides, but as the cuuse for th in- ercase cannot be ascertained, prevent measures are, of course, impo: Among the accidental deaths fiftec sulted from injuries received from st i and nine from those received making a total of somewhat more than 10 per cent of all deaths from. violence. This number is, hov 7 ably somewhat of ¢ from Distri have in auses not infrequently injured in the adjoining heen are brought to the District for treatment and die here, while the reverse seldom, if ever, occurs. Returns of Marriages, It is to be regretted that under the re- cently enacted law regulating marriages, the returns made by. the officiating clergy- men ¢ »prox- imately 39 per cent of the marriages which have been a not been re- corded in the alih off s required by the previously e ting ordinance und the advisability of amending the law so to secure the desired record in all ca is suggested. visability of i pecified mini ay per n authorized to cel rriages, su ted by the health offices, merits con- sideration. The Cemcteries, The passage of a law to regulute the leca- tion of cemeteries and the disposal of dead bor is respectfully recommen: . bill for that purpose, which was pre by the health department, and passed both houses of Congress durirg the Fifty-fourth session, is now pending before the House of Representatives, hav- ing already passed the fer such legislation is apparent w is remembered that approximately six thousand dead bodies are consigned to the earth of this District every year. Water Supply. Special attention is invited to that part of the report cf the health oificer relating to the water supply of the District. Some improvement has been made through the efforts of the ergiveer department, in the way of closing shallow wells and replacing them by deep ones, but information at hand indicates that the general water sup- ply derived from the Potomac river should be improved, and ior this purpose filtration seems to be the only effective remedy. ‘s it be proposed at once to establish filtration, an investigation character of the water supply should be made so as to definitely prove or disprove the allegations which have been made against it, for so long as they re- main unsettled they materially affect the desirability of this city as a place of resi- dence, and it they be correct there can be no question as to the need of improve- ment. ate. The need Abatement of Naisances. The difficulty incurred by the health de- pariment in securing the abatement of nuisances upon the property of non-resi- dent owners is a serious one and demands remedial legislation. Garbage and Refuse. The collection of garbage and dead ani- als has been continued under the contract in force during the preceding year. So far as the matter of collection alone has been concerned, the service rendered by the con- tractor has been very good. ‘The delay in the erection of the second crematory re- quired by this contract has been, however, the cause of some complaint, and the un- satisfactory character of the work of this crematory after erection has been a matter of regret. It is hoped during the coming year that this service will be adjusted upon a satisfactory and permanent basis. In this connection ‘attention Is invited to the ubsence of any provision for the collec- tion or disposal of any form of house refuse other than garbage. The estabiishment of a general scavenger service for the collec- tion and disposal of ashes, miscellaneous refuse and night soil is recommended. The Pound. ‘The recommendation of the health officer for the erection of a new pound meets with the approval of the Commissioners. In the interests of economy and good administra- tion this establishment should be combined with a stable for such hérses and vehicles as are required by the service of the health department. Food Inspection. One of the most imporfant duties of the health department is the inspection of food. It is to be noted that this Inspection has been performed during the past year not only with reference, to the sanitary aspects of the matter, but also from the standpoint of police, viz., with reference to the pre- vention of fraud by unscrupulous dealers. From a sanitary standpoint, probably the most important work has been in connec- tion with the regulation of the sources of milk supply; for minor importance has been attached to the mere adulteration of this commodity with water, and to the ab- straction of cream, and attention has been given chiefly to the supervision of the con- dition.under which it is produced and kept. For it must appear, even to the laity, that milk which is not wholesome in the begin- ning cannot be made a desirable food af- terward, and that even good milk may readily become unwholesome by surround- ings which expose it to contamination by foul gases or even infective matter, or which favor its decompesition, and in pro- portion to the harm which may result from these conditions, that which results from the mere loss of nutritive value by the fraudulent abstraction of cream is of sec- ondary importance. -A Chief Difieutty. - The chief difficulty which has been met -with in the supervision of the bare produc- tion of milk has resulted from the fact that the force and eontingent fund of the health department have beem insufficien® to permit it to exercise its full power in re- gard to the inspection of dairy farms locat- ed in the adjacent states, as authorized by the milk law now in force. The figures given in the report of the health officer in- dicate conclusively the need of an inspec- tion of these places: Of the cattle used for dairy purposes and located within the District, 2.59 per cent were found, upon in- spection, to be totally unfit for such use; while of those in the adjoining states, where no inspection could be made. but reports as to the condition of the cattle are received from veterinarians employed by the milk producers, only 56 per cent were con- demned. Of the applications for permits for the maintenance of one or more dairy farms within the District, where the premise: could be inspected. 40 per cent were jected. In the case of applicants for per- mission to ship milk into the District from the adjoining states, which involves the maintenance of one or more dairy farms, where no inspection could be made, but in regard to which the healta department had to be guided by the statements of the appli- cants, in no instance were the premises re- ported as being in such a condition as to Justify the refusal of the permit. Storage and Delivery. In the matter of storing and delivering milk, a serious defect seems to have been met with in the absence of any provision of law for the regulation of the temperament before sale. The result is that chemical changes begin in the milk before it reaches the consumer, and materially impair its wholesomeness and diminish its keeping properties. Here again the small force ai te command of the health department has seriously limited the amount of work that ‘ould be done, and the inspection of dairies has been at the expense of the examination of the milk in the laboratory, and of the analysis of other commodities. Inspection of Live Stock. The inspection of live stock has hardly been sufficient to be of much practical value, but it has indicated the need for ex- tending this branch of the food inspection service. As provision is made annually for the inspection of live stock all over the United States, under the direction of the bureau of animal industry, when it is to be used for slaughter and shipment to other tates than that of slaughter, argument ap- pears unnecessary to dem te the im- portance of work of this kind. The inau uration of such a service has met with th approval of the better class of butchers, us it gives to the meat slaughtered by them a uaranty as to soundness as great < en under authority of the gov to imported meats; so that it is belic that, in the interests of local industri proviston should be. made for the inspe= tion of all meat slaughtered in this District Detection of Frauds. e will not permit more @han apa: ing comment upon the work vf the health Jepartment in the analysis of fooc nd candy, with the view of de frauds in their composition and the pri ence of harmful ingredients. Work of thi: kind is in the interest not only of the consumer, but also of the honest mer- chant, whe cannot enter into fair compe- terated foods and other commodities. v of the showing made in the re- the health officer at the exten- sion of that service be authorized by the of necessary legi ion for that and by the pre yn of money to meet the requirements I suflicient forth. As stated in the report of the health cflicer, a bill is now pending in Congr to remedy, as far sible, the nuisanc: of b F from the chimneys of manufa ishments. flats, office building: is rapid! marring the beau city. It is hoped come a law and that interested in the o! liness of the city wil assage. For Minor Contagions, bill will & citizen who i » of the clean- ist in securing its this ss, at its last ses: appropriated for the erection of two isolating tuildings, to be constructed in the discre- tion of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia on the grounds of two hos- of pitals, and to be operated as a part such hospitals, for minor contagious dis Since the bill became a law the Com- oner have communicated with all the hespitals in the city regarding the loca- tion of these buildings, and received per- mission to erect buildings from only two of them, the Homeopathic and Providence hospitals. Measurement of the grounds of the Homeopathic Hospital developed the fact that there was not sufficient space for the erection of the building and a proper allowance for a neutral zone, which must necessarily be maintained around a con- tagious ward, and the Commissioners were restricted tothe erection of one butlding en the Providence Hospital grounds. Ar- rangements have been made for the con- struction of this building on terms which it is believed are perfectly fair and just, and which will be entirely satisfactory to any one who may have occasion to make ure of the building. The Sewer System. Too much importance cannot be placed upon the recommendation in connection with the increase of the sewer system. It seems unnecessary to multiply arguments for its enlargement. A few facts which are readily at hand are quite sufficient to con- vince any one of the great importance of its extension both to health and life, and the Commissioners most earnestly desire that the plans proposed may be carried out in the manner indicated. Enginecr Commissioner. The Engineer Commissioner's report, which follows the foregoing, was printed in full in a previous issue of The Star. ees Le Droit ¥ Holds a Meeting. The regular monthly meeting of the Le Droit “Y’ was held Monday, November 29, at the residence of Miss Clear, 543 Florida avenue northwest. After an in- teresting businéss meeting a game of ad- vertisements was cnjoyed, Dr. Miller and Miss Porter capturing the prizes. Music, games and refreshments completed the cvening’s program. Among those present were Miss Clear, Miss Sue Clear, Master Clear, Miss M. L. Rynex, Miss Carpenter, Miss Ethel Carpenter, Miss Irma Callanan, Miss Griffin, Miss Dorothy Rynex, Miss Harries, Miss Randolph, Miss Knew, Miss Foster, Miss Porter, Mrs. Johnson, Miss Austin, Miss Sharp and Miss Myers, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Metealf, Mr. Sharp, Mr. Doyle and Dr. Mille ————— Union Veteran Legion Elects Officers. At a regular assembly of Encampment No. 111, U.V.L., Friday evening, the foltow- ing officers were elected for the ensuing year: Walter I. Hines, colonel; Daniel O'Connell, Heutenant colonel; John N. D. Nordeman, major; Morris S. Persing, ofti- cer of the day; Fred, R. Sparks, quarter- master; Henry N. Couden, chaplain; Adolph Berger, surgeon; Edward Quigley, trustee for three years. Willlam Wilson and George McCutcheon were recommended to the national commander, the former as assistant inspector general and the latter as aid cn the staff of the national com- mander. ——__. Miss Dicherson’s Recital. An enjcyable recital was given at Trin- ity Parish Hall last Friday night by Miss Edith Perley Dickerson, the affair drawiag a large and enthusiastic audience, notwith- standing the state of the weather. Miss Dickerson gave a number of statue poses, which were well received, and contributed also several recitations and pantomimes. The Greek drill, portraying a number of famous poses, was one of the features. Mrs. Mary M. Richmond and Miss Dicker- son gained favor with a duet for contralto and soprano voices, entitled “A Streamlet Full of Flowers,” while numbers were also given by Mrs, Richmond and Mr. Edwin Tracy. —___ Ivy Club Entertainment. The Ivy Inetitute Literary Club gave one of its regular entertainments at the in- stitute last Friday night, the nall being crowded to its fullest capacity by an admir- ing crowd of friends. Those who took part were Prof. 8. W. Flynn, who acted as master of ceremonies; the Montrose Mandolin and Guitar Club; Messrs. W. B. - ton B. Fletcher, Stephen B. Clements; car ten Burdette, Albert Haske, Lee Moxley, Charles W. Bouvet, Johm Schriner, George J. Weber, Jesse Veihmeyer, C. W. Becker, Denfinger, Se one Samia Me Be Laura Behrens and M.A. Taylor. JUSTICE AND JAILS First Report of Attorney General McKenna. A NEW GOVERNMENT PRISON NEEDED Recommendations Regarding Local Institutions. TERRITORY OF ALASKA The first annual report of Attorney Gen- eral McKenna went to Congress today. It includes the operations of his office since he took charge in March, and for the three months prior to that. The Attorney General devotes consider- able space to the relations of the Pacitic railroads to the government, and gives a report of the sale of the Union Pacitic, and preparations for the next week, of the Kansas Pacific. In the part relating to Pacific railroads the fourth annual report of ex-Governor George Hoadley, special assistant to the Attorney General in the matter of the Union Pacific. He details the events lead- ing up to a gu.rantee to bid by the reor- ganization committee of the Union Paeitic In the Supreme Court. The Attorney General reviews portant decisions of the Supreme Court, which the government was a party, am others being the Chapman and Dunlop sale, the im- in The number of cases remaining undis- posed of on the appellate docket of the upreme Cour: the October term was “St, the smallest number in seven years. in 18% the number at the same time was 1,190, Th has been a steady decreasc until now Court of Claims. The report of Assistant Attorney General Pradt is referred to as giving very full and precise information concerning the busine=s of the Court of Claims during the year, The assistant attorney general recom- mends, as did his predecessor, the abolition of the claims jurisdiction of circuit and district courts, so that but ene court will determine the law concerning claims against the government. He points oul that the mcst contradicto decision: endered in like sin different districts, and that uniformity can only be obtained at present by appeals to the Supreme Court. More sericus embarrassments arise from the fact that many of the claims were ferred by officials of the governm nec with the ceurts themsely while the partial charge to the tem has to a great the Attorney Gene: mendation of the ren) d this, curs in the recom- istant attorney g ext al ¢ ‘avorable attention is called recommendation, which was ineff repeated year after year, that the s the assistant attorneys in th nt should be equalized and m: per annum. The ordinarily temporary char- acter of such employment does not justify an attorney who has an increasing practice paying him half that amount <o tbandoa it for temporary employment, dis- t from his home, at $4,000. It would m to be the reverse of economical and to employ lawyers to defend suits involving many million: at com- pensation less than pri corporations would under the circumstances expect to pay. The La Abra claim, growing out of claims nd awards against Mexico, has been de- red fraudulent by the Court of Claims and an appeal taken to the art. The similar case of the United States vs Alia Weil is still pending in the former court. Indian Depredation Claims. The report of Assistant Attorney General Thempson, tn charge of the defense of In- dian depredation claims, is referred to for a detailed account of that busine The amount originaily claimed in those cases, 5 867.06, suffices to show the important interest of the government in their proper defense. An important question as to the liabili of an Indian tribe to have its annuiti taken to pay claimants where individuals of the tribe stole property and the tribe Was never appealed to for satisfaction, required by treaties and statutes, has been advanced for early hearing in the Supreme Court. The decision will determine many cas and, if favorable to the government and Indian tribes, will considerably reduce the total amount to be paid on account of this class of claims. Solicitor of the Treasury. The business of the office of the solicitor of the treasury during the last fiscal year is shown by his report. Among the numerous interesting facts stated by him, it appears that 3,456 suiis were commenced; that 1,798 were decided in favor of the United States, 59 adversely, 460 settled and dismissed, leaving 1,139 suili pending; that the number of suits decided or otherwise disposed of during the year was 4,571; that the whole amount for which judgment was obtained, exclusive of de- crees In rem, was $548,388.70, and the en- tre amount collected from all sources was 2,092, The number of opinions ren- dered was 117. Attention is called to the recommenda- tron of the solicitor that an appropriation be made to enable him to complete the set of state reports for his library, he hav- ing no reports of Idaho, South Dakota, North Dakota, South Carolina, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, or any of the ter- ritories; and to his recommendation that the two fourth-class clerks who keep the principal dockets in his office, and the fourta-class clerk performing the duties of law clerk, have their salaries raised to $2,000 per annum. The necessity for a complete library for the solicitor’s office would seem to need no argument, in view of the multiplicity and importance of the legal businese there transacted. Cireult Courts of Appeals. The Attorney General says: The state of business in these courts is shown. The cases docketed during the past fiscal y were 775, being a Gecrease of 4% from the preceding year; 7: ex were disposed of, being a decrease of 95, leaving 54? cases pending at the close of the fiscal year, be- ing an increase of 46. One hundred and forty-three cases have been argued and await decision, as against 204, and 33 have been taken to the Supreme Court of the United States, as against 56 in the preceding year. I think it is generally conceded that these courts have justified their’ creation ey, accomplishing what was expected of them. “The necessity for additional circuit judges was brought to the attention of Congress by my predecessor in the report for 1894, and the Ccngress has provided an additional judge each for the seventh, eighth, and ninth circuits. I beg to repea the recommendation in the last report, that the same may be done at the coming session for the fifth and sixth circuits. The sixth was one of the circuits mention- ed by my predecessor. I invite special at- tention to the table showing the amount of business brought and disposed of in ihe various circuits. The district judges are, as a rule, more busily occupied in the sixth and fifth circuits than in many of the oth- ers, which affords an additional reason for giving those two circuits, but especially the siath, an additional circuit Judge. “My atcention has been repeatedly called to the unnecessary expenses imposed on litigants in this court, which should be avoided by an amendment of the act of March 3, 1891, establishing these éburts. The practice in most of the state courts is to make the eco ole g the agers on up- peal contain the orig! papers, pleadings, bills of exceptions, depositions, etc., filed in the court below, with a copy of docket of dollar: thé District of Columbia is shown. Thera has been a further diminution in the ca undisposed of. there having been only for- ty-three pending July 1, 1807, and seven areued and awaiting decision. Business of the Federal Cour! The work of the federal courts throug? out the country is given by the Attor: General. I: shows that IN134 cases we terminated during the The report of Special Attorney Reynolds shows in detail the business done by the Court of Private Land Claims during pest year, The importance of the work of this to the go" ament’s interests and the greater importan, a large section of the country requite special argument. Large portions of 1 Public domain have been saved by recent decisions of the Supreme Court upon some of these claims, In the New Me trict, fifty-seven cases have been ¢ of, wherein there were claims acres, which have been re. amount of 2,434.44 ac: The Library, Regarding the library he says: re rt sul p of it in settling titles in no ico dis- posed “The importance of a th eepar ime eed not be s voor sued, nor is the expensiveness of many legal publications unknown to Congress. Yet for years past the Attorney ¢ recommended without suc in the appropriations of a rpecial the commend ap- ». The r calls atten- again and ppended ton to the nee? of more room fur tt brary. That need is no more real, how ever, for the books than for the officer: the deparument, and I may this wrtunity to say that the department grown the building it occupies, It have escaped attention that this } p- has may fiding owing to high ceilings, affords less floor room than it appears to have, and that the ale force is crowded upon four storie wholly upied by the new accounts division. Besides the rooms of the libr. and that division, the total number rooms, large and small, is twenty them herdly entitled to be called recommend that some provi for a suitable building, as wel porary relief for the library ardons. The report of the attorney in charge of pardons (exhibit Q) contains the t{ ng, covering the fis Applications $0; pardens es commuted, 4 respites ship, 3 applicat The a nit, 110, nt pr luding all items, we pr jon to the places of their confine- ment, employment and treatment, has materially che the last annual report to Cong On June » were cor the various reformat the country 1 States The number so confined on June was 12, showing an incre during the year, from June the increa seem to indicate that the acme. bers, has been reached, and it may be ly questioned whether the total numb: federal convicts for whom provision must in the future will greatly exceed time, if not possibly less. s said upon this subject in the calling attention to the necessity of provi¢ suitable government in the hope that » taken. nviets are now the prisons of more than thirty nd territories, to Which they are senten and left without any special provision subsequent inquiry or supervision by importance 4 the erection risons, proper onfined slates i fe eral authority, No state t sposes of its prisoners the reasons whieh in- duced this policy on the part of the gene government have lost th But so long as the pi seattering federal convicts throughout state nd territories cont provision should at least be made quent inspections under direction Attorney General with a view to taining their condition and treatment discharging the duty involved in the tion of the government toward them. Such examinations of this nature have been conducted have been m permitted, with but heretofore opportunity tempt at regularity, and by officers or em- temporarily assigned to that work ental to the disc f other du- ties at the same time. The results of these infrequent investi- ations, however, have been. stifficient to cw the need of measures for more ade- al supervision. y for suitable United § and reformatories ha: been urged in the reports to department, and it time for adequate provi: fully arrived. An act was passed by the Fifty-first Con- gress authorizing the purch for the ction of three United te goverpme ion to that end haw prisons, but was held tc be inoperative cavse it carried no appropri 5 it be deemed inexpedient now to make appropriation cufficient to carry out the original purposes of that law, it is sug- gested that at least one penitentiary should be lished in a southern state for the confinement of convicts from southern dis- tricts. It has been ascertained that ther the south quite a large number of ry s belonging to the government nd otherwise, amorg which site for a prison could doubtless ted. If not, offers made after ti age of the act just mentioned show at the land required would doubtless be furnished free of ccst to the government. District of Columbia Jal The Attorney General says regarding lo- cal institutions “The jail in the District of Columbia is in excellent condition, and its managemen satisfactory to this department. The pri rs are well cared for, are well fed very reasonable cost, and the in is maintained at mod eral necessary repairs among theta a new roof, at which was imperatively nec propriation has now been ma gress for a new cell room for female y onerse the necessity for wh has quenily been urged in former reports; work has been inaugurated and will be completed. By these in.provements « ple accommodations will be afforded tor all the female prisoners in a portion of the building entirely separate and apart. “Preparations are also being made to ‘begin the erection of a wall about the in- clesure and for needed repairs, under ap- piopriations already provided.’ It is lieved that the jail ranks among the bes in the country. During the year ended October 1, 1897, 3,591 prisoners were co mitted, with a daily average of 98. The details concerning them, showing offenses ecmmitted, etc., are given in the report of the warden. Reform School for Girls. “The report of the president of the board of trustees shows the condition of the school at the close of the last fiscal year. Since the opening of the school on Novem- ber 6, 1893, seventy-four girls have been admitted, of which number fifty-one have been released as reformed, apprenticed to suitable employments, sent away from the school, ete. “The recommendations made in the report have my approval. The school should be eniarged by additional buildings, which will provide for the care of a larger num- ber of inmates at a smail increase of ex- perse, and the amount asked for ($50,000) should, it is believed, be appropriated for this purpose. At present the accommods- tions are entirely inadequate to the de- “ tion is invited to that portion of tne president's report in relation to the m-