Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-05-24
The Street Washer Roxes.

Editor Star.-While it is true as you state, that
much OF the protrlson OF the boxes is caused
that boxes set even with the pavement will be
raised by the frost q little each year, and thus
in time be made 70 protrude considerably.
several years ago suggested TO the autbOri-
ties remedy for this, which consists merely In
casting them with ianges protrud'ng laterally
earth W engg her ne Sne
drawn up by the upheaval OF the earth when
frozen: AS everybody knows, the frozen earth
on all sides, it lifts the box with It, TO remedy
this they should be anchored below the frost
line with sufficient tirmness to resist this lift
ing action OF the frost, which may be done In the
manner suggested.
1t strikes me that what the authorities should
co.'s TO prescribe some special form and size OF
ooA, and provide that 1t alone snail be used; and
among other things require the cover to be
hanged SO 1t can n cher bG displaced nor StOlen
as mine have been.
AS 1T Is now we have all sizes and styles: many
or those put down by the contractors under the
late board Of works being SO small that the or
binary key OR wrench cannot be got into the
Stop-cOck, especially, unless uhe box is set with
the utmost precision, which they generally were
not, aud consequently In case OF break 1t Is not
unIiequently impossible TO turn off the water.
In addition to that, the covers being loose are
displaced aid stolen, and the box gets flied up
With dirt, stones pieces OF COAL &C., thus pre-
venting the insertion OF the wrench.
There seems to have been no system or order
about the matter. and there certainly Is none
now. It seems to me that this Is a matter to
Which the authorities might devote their atten-
tlon 10 much better advantage to the public
than by trying to make citizens more tronbie
and expense with the present hotch-potcn ar
engagements. CITIZEN.
The Protuding street Washers.
Editor Stdr.-Sir: Your article on this subject
In Thursdays STAR hit the nall on the head in
part, but not as fully as it might. While iJ Is
true that the washer belongs to the citizen it is
also true that very large portion OF them were
set by the late board OF works, or the con-
nf or INV
La addition to that large number all over the
city were made to protrude by the lowering Of
the sidewalks sometimes as much as four to SIX
inches. Hence it is clear that the fault lies
with the District authorities and not With the
citizens.
In my own case, the washer that put in when
built, Is flush with the pavement, while two
others put in by the authorities protrude from
two to three inches. For those Two with tie
service pipe from the center of the street, and
just inside the curb, was charged sixty four
dollars, While as / showed the Commissioners
plumbers offered to do the same for from Sl1 to
Sl4 each. AT the time these were set they tore
up the pavement, dug hole, chucked in the
box, threw the dirt In loosely, and laid back the
brick without pretending to wet down or pack
the earth In any way, ard rs a consequence the
pavement has settled down around the boxes,
GOC only leaving them prOtruding, but also
forming hollow around them In which the
water stands when fGrains, and in which the dirt
accdmuiates, and in which the grass and weeds
nave taken root and grown so as to hide the
boxes. was present when the work was done.
and protested against the manner In which 1t was
Done. pointing out just what the effect would
ding with what they said was none OF my bust-
ness. ana now, after having been thus cheated,
ana made to pay for service pipes, when not a
proposed to make me pay for the bad work
done by the District author1ties That is equiva-
lent to Knocking man down, and then kicking
him for falling!
But more than this, as was clearly de-
monstrated by Gen. Birney before the House
committee last week. there is no law whatever.
1 ppe q Sa to Pay for the service
provide that the entire cost Of the distributor
OF water, including mains, pipes, stop cocks
ana az necessary natures, shall be paid for out
out OF the fund created by the water main tax
aud the wafer rents.
Moreover, these pipes and washers ara all In
the streets and walks, which are owned by the
general government. and under the exclusive
jurisdiction OF the authorities; and no citizen Is
permitted to touch them, except by special
pei mission, and even then, as stated by the
water registrar, they are required to employ
plumber, who is specially licensed by the board
or Commissioners.
Holding citizens responsible for matters over
which they have no control, and in which they
nave no voice whatever, Is the same as taxa
ton without representation, besides being
repugnant to the welLsettied principles Of law
on such subjects. The authorities have no
Ilgnt 10 call ON citizens to pay for laying SER
vice pipes, &C., nor for repairing them The
law provides that it shall be done out OF the
general 1und, as above stated, and the whole
th1ng Is simply an extoTtfon and an outrage
1t seems very Strange that the present District
authorities. instead OF sympathfzing with the
citizens under their accumulated burdens and
trying TO get Congress to relieve them, seem
determined to add to their burdens in every
conceivable way, not only by violating existing
laws, but also by trying to secure the passage
OF others, increasing still more the burdens
under which we are now but barely able to
exist. w
AS to Congress, it does not look as though any
renef Is to be expected when as stated Il, 'Vas
STAR Of the nth. one member OF the committee
VIII not even attend the meetings and those
who do, seem to be controlled entirely By the
suggestions OF the Commissioners, and are dis
gusted because those who have most reason to
complain repeat their complaints heretofore
made. CITIzr,