Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-07-07
The District Commissioners.


The District Commissioners met in their
rooms at the Arlington Hotel this morning, and
| at O'Clock
RECEIVED THE BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS
and officers of the fire department.. There was
an informal discussion of the condition and
needs of the fire department, during which the
District Commissioners stated that they had
heard good account of its efficiency and said
IL was their desire to do what they could to
promptly relieve the necessities OF the men and
otherwise promote the interests of that branch
OF the public service. The financial situation
was talked over, and the Congressional appre-
priatlons for the fire department referred to,
and the District Commissioners requested the
Fire Commissioners to present to them a state
ment of the Indebtedness Of the department To
July LIST, with other statements necessary T.
show the exact position of affairs, which was
promised them at an early day.
WHAT THE BOARD OF HEALTH WANT.
Shortly before ten O'Clock a. m. the Commits
sioners received the Board of Health. The
commissioners stated that they desired to meet
the board for the purpose of learning from them
the sanitary needs OF the District, and to obtain
from them such suggestions as they had TO pre-
sent Tor the most efficient method of keeping
the city in proper sanitary condition, and also
that they might properly understand each other
anu work In harmony. The members of the
views upon several topics: First, They desire
that the entire garbage system and everything
connected with 1T shall be placed under the
control of the Board of Health, and that all the
employees and attaches shall be held directly
responsible to the board for faithful perform
ance OF their work. Second, They ask tn at the
turned over to them, and that they have the
power to do away with the present system of
dipping out the filth with buckets and leaving
1t upon the pavement for hours to breed disease,
ana mat authority be given them to use the
odorless suction process and deposit the refuse
In proper rsceptacles st once and have il re-
moved. Third, They desire to have full power to
remove all nuisances existing In alleys aud clean
the m Immediately upon the receipt of a com
plant without being compelled to refer the
complaint to other officers as heretofore.
moval of all dead animals and authority to re-
move, designate place Of deposit and proper
means OF disinfecting carcasses If necessary be-
fore disturbing them. They desire In connection
with the above, that all of the offal Uf the Dis
trict shall be placed under the entire control OF
the Board Of Health, that they may adopt
syste m of taking care of it, removing it, and
utilizing 1t as sOon az their system Is perfected
thus bringing the entire sanitary condition un-
der one head and into one harmonious whole
The Commissioners requested the board to put
which will be done to-day.
DELEGATION OF woRKINeMRs.
AFTER the interview with the Board of Health
terminated, delegation of workingmen white
and colored), recently employed by contractors
under the Board of Public Works, was admit
ted, and stated that they had called TO see about
workingmen sum sggregating eighteen or
twenty thousand dollars; that their claims had
been put into the hands Of an attorney and
they were DESTROYS of learning when they would
be paid. They we're informed that the Com
missioners were not quite prepared to pay them
now, but were making every effort to do so at
the earliest possible moment, and were quite
anxious to pay over the money entrusted 10
them; that as soon as the pay-rOls were ready
the men would not be kept waiting a single
hour.
OTHER CONFERENCES.
Later in the day Governor Shepherd, Secre-
tary Stanton, and Lieutenant Hox.e visited
the Commissioners, and held consultations with
them The 1st and 81 Controllers also called
at the request Of the Commissioners and con-
TERED with them in regard to the accounts OF
the District. By invitation of the commission
ers, Senator Thurman was present for two
hours, and gave his views of the affairs as thew
we're developed during the invests CATION, and
assisted the commissioners in the interpreta-