Commerce.— By virtue of its fundamental character, Washington's commercial interests are, generally spea1cing, limited to local needs. The latest census report for the District of Columbia on this subject shows 514 manu facturing establishments whose total capital is $40,8100100. The number of persons en gaged in these is 11,323, of whom 435 are pro prietors and firm partners, 2,011 salaried em ployees and 8,877 wage-earners. The salaries and wages reported from these establishments are $8,068,692. The cost of material is shown to be $12,976,241. The value of the product is $a,978,241. This, less the cost of material, is $16,739,11& Between the reports of 1909 and 1914 a slight falling off appears in the number of these establishments. Within this period, however, there was a gain of 33.6 in capital, of 37.5 in salaries, of 21.6 in wages and of 11.3 in the net value of products. In addition to its manufacturing interests, Washing-ton supports a vast mercantile business. Its department stores are models of this modern industrial ex pedient. The heart of business Washington is in the northwest section of the city, though the complete business district extends from 6th to 15th streets, east and west, and from Penn ylvania avenue to K street, north and south. The real estate interests of the city are enor mous. Out of town investors control large blocks of property and speculation has at times been a conspicuous feature of this business. To the active speculation in real estate Wash ington owes the development of its handsome suburbs both in the District and in the States immediately surrounffing. Over 50 per cent of the property is controlled by the United States government, whdse holdings are increased from time to time as the demand for public building sites increases.
Banks.— The banldng interests of the city are important. Reports made to the Comp troller of the Currency, 12 Sept. 1919, by the banlcs and trust companies of the District show that Washington has 14 national banks whose deposits at that date were, in aggregate, $84,437,000; 24 savings banks with a total deposit of $21,722,000 and six trust companies whose deposits amounted to $55,578,000. The grand total of deposits stood at $161,737,000.
Transportation.—Washington has two street railway companies operating about 220 miles of track within the District. The larger of these companies is the Washington Railway and Electric Company, the other is the Capital Traction Company. The former is a syndicate of eight companies, with eight lines operating within the city and six in the suburbs. The lat ter controls three important lines. The track age is, for the most part, double track under ground conduit electric. The slight percentage of overhead trolley lines is operated outside the city, connecting in several instances with re lated lines of Maryland and Virginia. The street railways of Washington have played a conspicuous part in developing the suburbs and outlying sections generally.
Charitable Institutions.— The peculiar con ditions governing Washington politically have their effect on its moral government The humane institutions of the capital are divided into three classes. First, those supported en tirely by the combined general and local gov ernment; next, those supported partially by the same government combination, and third, those maintained solely by private means. In the first class are Soldiers and Sailors' Tempo rary Home; the Board of Children's Guard ians; Freedman's Hospital for Negroes; Municipal Lodging House; Washington Asy lum, including the workhouss, ark institution- far correction, and also the almshouse, to which the sick of both these institutions are sent, and the Government Hospital for the Insane. In the second class are the Columbia Hospital for Women; Children's Hospital, Providence Hospital, Garfield Hospital and Emergency Hospital; Woman's Clinic; Washington Home for the Incurables; Washington Hospital for Foundlings; Saint Ann's Infant Asylum, and many other organizations of similar aim. The third class includes many institutions and asso ciations which have for their object the caring for sick and incapacitated persons. Washing ton has numerous private charities and institu tions for charitable purposes in connection with the various chnrches and religious organizations. The charities of the District are superintended by a board of prominent citizens known as the board of charities; appointments to this board are made by the President of the United States.
Government. —The government of Wash ington is unique. The population is a disfran chised one, therefore the citizens have, prac tically, no part in its direction and control. On the c,ontrary, it is the voters of the country at large who, through the Congress of the Umted Sates, control their Federal city. Congress enacts the laws for the government of the Dis trict. It also appropriates all sums required to meet both the current administrative expenses and those involved, as well, in measures for the further development and improvement of Wash ington. This body, moreover, names in specific
detail the purposes for which its annual ap propriations are made and dictates to the least item the several uses to which these appropria tions aie to be put. The source of revenue for such maintenance and improvement is two-fold. One-half of the amount required annually is drawn from the Treasury of the United States. This represents the federal obligation toward the support of the Federal territory. The other half is derived from taxes levied on the real and personal holdings of the citizens of the District and from the proceeds of licenses of various sorts. The vast property values within this area belonging to the general government are exempt from taxation. Three commis sioners are appointed by the President, (with the advice and consent of the Senate,° to ad minister the District government. Two of these represent the two dominant political parties. The third one is an officer drawn from the engineer corps of the army. A commis sioner's term of office is three years. The salary is $5,000. In addition to the District laws enacted by Congress, corresponding to the State laws of other localities, there are munici pal regulations taking the place of municipal laws of other cities, formulated by the board of commissioners. For the purpose of admin istrative convenience, the government business of the District is divided into three groups, over each of which a conunissioner has charge. The department of the engineer commissioner is, as a matter of course, a technical one. The remaining two are grouped according to cer tain convenient lines of agreement. Questions that may arise over carrying out the enactments of Congress are decided by a majority vote of this administrative board. All subordinate officers required to execute the government bueittess of the District are appointed by the commissioners themselves. Fiscal affairs are in the hands of an assessor, a tax collector and tin auditor. These stand as the heads of a compactly co.ordlnated fiscal department. Ac counts are scrutinized, also, by the auditors of certain Federal departments. Appointed by the commissioners is an officer, not connected with the fiscal department itself, who disburses the funds allotted to the District, The general safey and welfare of Wash ington is vested in police and fire departments, in a board of health and sanitation and irt the courts. The police department consists of 854 men. Eighty-eight of these are officers, ranking from a major and superintendent of police to sergeant. Police jurisdiction, covering an area of 69.7 square miles, is divided into 13 pre cincts, each in charge of a lieutenant of police. The fire department consists of 650 men. The head of this organization is a chief engineer, supported by two deputies, eight assistants, a machinist and a fire marshal. The force is divided into 27 steam-engine companies, 12 truck companies, one chenucal company and a fire-boat company. In both police and fire departments a conspicuous feature of the trauung is a well-organized study of methods of prevention as the fundamental idea of municipal protection. Sanitation in its wide range of application to city life is in charge of a health officer, assisted by numerous inspectors, a chemist and a bacteriologist. The commonly recognized functions of this depart ment are now increased by medical and dental inspection of public school pupils and the direc tion of school nurses, as well as by an over sight of the operations of the Child Labor Law arid the Eight-hour Law for women workers. The District of Columbia, though unique in character and limited in arca, is, in its human nature, neither unique nor limited. It is neces sary, therefore, to maintain a judiciary of com prehensive purpose and applicability. This judiciary consists of five branches. These are the Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court of the District, the Police, Municipal and Juvenile courts. The Court of Appeals considers appeals from the Supreme Court of the District and also from the commissioner of patents. It is. pre sided over by a chief justice and two associates. The Supreme Court, .presided over .by a chief justice and five associates, is so divided into criminal, equity, circuit and probate courts as to include within its jurisdiction such matters as are generally covered by the Federal, State and municipal courts of other localities. The Police Court consists of two branches, each in charge of a police justice. One branch talces cognizance of minor infractions of United States laws and the other of major violations of municipal regulations. The Municipal Court deals with the multitude of lesser violations of city ordinances. The Juvenile Court, as its name implies, takes cognizance of the offensive .of minors against municipal regulations.