Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-03-11
THE MECHANICS LIEN LAW.

ter OF COINCIDENCE TO Mrs. Miller.
THE MECHANICS LIEN LAW.
A Hearing Before the House District
COmmittee-The Proposed Amend
ments as Viewed From Different
Points.
A very full hearing of all parties interested
on both sides in the mechanics lien law of the
District of Columbia was given by the House
District committee this morning. A large num-
Der of dealers in material, representatives of
| the Knights of Labor, real estate men and
persons generally interested in the property
welfare Of the District were present Gen.
Armstrong first made an argument against the
Wadsworth amendment. He represented the
brick merchants and plasterers, and argued
that it should be the duty of the owners of
property to find out who did their work, and
get receipts from them before paying the con-
tractors for work done.
IN BEHALF OF POOR CITIZENS.
MI. ]. r. White appeared, as he said, in de-
tense of the poor citizens of Washington who
were trying to get homes. He then told story
of his own case He said he was a laborer, a
plate printer, that by Is years hard work he
had saved So, 200, with which he sought to
build a home for his wife and five children.
contractor told him that a certain man was fur
nishing the lumber. That man was the con-
the door. But finally or days after he (White)
had made the second payment having bor-
| rowed $4,000 from a building association. he
| was notified that some other man was furnish
ing lumber. This he said, involved him in a
loss of $500 or 5000, he thought. He could not
tell where it would lead to. He was involved
in several law suits. Some one asked if he
could not have gone to the lumber man and
| found if he was furnishing material.
"That is" said Mr.. Rowell ironically, che
should have gone to all the lumber men in
| the District and asked if they were furnishing
1.-THE first man whom the contractor told you
| was furnishing lumber did furnish some?"
asked MIR. Hemphill.
Mr.. White replied that he did.
"Then, to secure yourself you would have
had to see him every day to ask ii he was still
furnishing lumber to the house.
Mr.. White thought the Wadsworth amend
ment was good thing.
A woRHINGMAN's VIEW OF IT.
Mr.. 6. A Fadden, secretary of the Plasterers'
association, said he had lost money under the
old law before the present one went into effect.
He had been robbed by contractors and real
estate men. There were not more than three
or four contractors in this city who had prop
erty that might be attached by the man doing
work or furnishing material. He accused real
estate men OF rObbing working men and put
ting the money in property in their wives
"How did the law assist them in doing this?"
asked Mr.. Wadsworth
Mr.: Eadden made no direct answer to this;
should be money enough to complete the build
ing.
vision in his substitute.
A PROPERTY OWNER.
Mr.. W. c. Dodge said he had been raised a
workingman, and sympathized with working
men, and wanted their interests protected. He
was, he said, citizen of the District of Column
bia and what money he had saved, from many
years Of hard work, he put in property here,
and was helping to build up the city. Some
of his houses looked in:o the Capitol
grounds. He favored lien law to protect the
| rights of the laborers. But he wanted just
| law. He wanted simply, as an owner of prop
| said that the present law was to the injury of
the city and in the interest OF the wealthy con-
| tractors and material merchants The bill was
drawn up by dealers in material, and not for or
| in the interest of the workmen. In as much as
it protects labor he did not object. All mechan-
les should be secured in their wages, but he
wanted them to notify owners of their liens.
He wanted justice to all. Building had cost
| him 20 per cent more since the present law went
| into effect In answer to the statement that no
| liens were filed under the old law, he said he
had paid four on the first house he built, aud
and proper that there should be a just lien law
to protect everybody concerned. There were
not more than three OF Tour IN the
buildings without being paid by installments.
''Where is the wrong" he asked, ..in requir-
us it any worse" asked a member of the
for son himse 10 leave the owner 70 look out
MR. EDsoN's VIEWS.
Mr. John Joy Edison, secretary of the Equi-
table Building association, made a long and
able argument in favor of an amendment of the
law. He thought the present law did not bene-
fit mechanics All he wanted was that men
going TO furnish work or material go to the
court house and write in a book that they intend
TO do so. Liens should be a matter Of record.
He said building associations had almost ceased
TO loan money to poor people wanting to build
since the present law went into effect
Mr. L. NJ. Saunders said that all he wanted
was that persons having right to liens give q
prompt notice of their intention to file them.
RULED OUT.
Mr.. Bowen, a clerk in the Treasury, who had
been heard before in behalf of the Knights of
Labor attempted to speak, and began by saying
something that Mr.. Wadsworth considered very
offensive, and he was ruled out, and not allowed
to speak.
A PROTEST.
Mr.. NJ. F. Hobbs, of the Knights Of Labor, was
allowed to read a long protest against the
amendment