Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-04-11

The District Commissioners yesterday afternoon
passed the following order:
That the chief of police be instructed to prevent any
aud all persons from entering upon any work whereby
thereof Stall broken or dead Won ane
in writing duly obtained from and issued by the Com
What CommissiOner Edmonds Saws of
STAR reporter asked Commissioner E1monds
this morning II the order issued by the Commits
sloners yesterday prohibiting the tearing up OF
the streets had reference to the gas company He
replied, y
mo. it was general order bearing upon the
pan1eS-are authorized by Congress to erect build
1ngs or lay tracts, and they begin tearing up the
They thhak the law OF Congress Is sufficient and
the police suppose that 1t fs all right. To put an
end to this sort of thing we issued the order"
"Dld you have any 1ntimatton that the gas com.
pany intended to lay the mains whether the Com
missoners granted permit or not7" queried the
mo, we had no such intlmatlon. I heard a ru-
NOR that they intended to do So but discredited
II. the immediate cause of the order was the re-
laying tracks which Congress had authorized, but
for which no permit had been issued"
pamoGaa can very easily understand continued Mr.:
reierred 70 the gas company, but they are not the
90. Would W they attempt it without the permita"
''They claim, you know, that the law authoriz-
ing the laying Of mains is sufficient authority for
granted supervisory power. They go to the
commissioners and get the permit which 1s a
ssss a4s ns Of rsts ssS Tse sas 1
and we have no authority to interfere"
What is the opinion Of the Commissioners"
cOnunued the reporter.
eve have not had the time to give the matter
consideration as yet, and am not prepared to give
legal opinion. but in general way should say
rl,a,,o+
when they laid the mains now down, and that
they have no right to tear upthe streets when
They have laid down the mains Under the law.
and now they want to replace them with new
pn9Si rghi 1t Is question whether they have such
When will this question be decided9" asked the
II don't know as to that The Commissioners
ton FOR permit OF the gas company has not yet
been taken up. II there is any exception taken to
this order that Will also bring the question up"
What the Secretary OF the Gas Conn
pany Says.
STAR reporter this morning called upon Mr.
G. B. Bailey, the secretary Of the gas company
MI Bailey said the patrons Of the company in the
densey settled portion of the city, or rather the
larger consumers OF gas in the vicinity OF Wizards
been down some years and are inadeouate to SUP.
ply the demands TO replace these old mains
WIN Uthers of greater capacity, the gas company
the streets upon which they desired to place larger
mains This was originally from street to
pennsylvania avenue, by way OF 18th street.
Capt. Greene, OF the District engineer department.
revised the plan and suggested one which would
bring the main down 14th street to the Avenue
ana along street, instead OF street. as the COM
pany proposed. see by morning paper that IN
order has been issued instructiag the police to
protect the streets from being torn up. have no
Idea whether or not 1t Is aimed at the Washington
Gas company or has reference to the subject of
laying new mains, which has been under consfd-
Grafton by the District Commissioners. do
know, however, that the Washington Gas COM
pany has no idea of laying the mains proposed
Without the permission OF the District authorities
We have always asked permission OF the city ati-
thorites to open Streets and with be governed by
them. All there Is In the matter is this: the
Washington Gas company. at an expense proba-
bly, OF $4,000, was willing, in the interest OF the
consumers OF gas to lay certain mains to increase
much-needed supply. 1t is a matter OF indif-
ference to the company whether the main Is laid
or not, aside from the desire the company has to
acceDtably serve its customers. The company
assure you has no desire to test the matter in the
courts Ii the Commissioners deny the authority
to lay the mains In accordance with plans revised
by one OF their engineer officers why there the
matter rests. The company had no idea that the
request to lay the mains would be refused and 1t
Is, that IS an end OF it. Our aim was to increase
the supply OF gas In a section of the city which
the present main will not acceptably supply