Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-06-06
CITY AND DISTRICT.
THE CITIZENS, COMMITTEE.
Various subtects Considered at the
Meeting Last Night.

Various Subjects Considered at the
Meeting Last Night.
PROPOSED REBORN or THE RECORDER OF DEEDS Or
FIcE-AN AMENDMENT TO THE JURY LAW URGED
THx RAILROAD PROBLEM, TIE WATER DEPARTMENT
AND 0IBKR MATTERS
The walls Of the room In the @. A. R building.
where the Citizens Committee OF one Hundred
meet were decorated last night with diagrams
and sectional views Of the new aqueduct tunnel,
purporting 10 show the blunders In laying out the
lines that Mr. Corye, the civil engineer. claims to
have corrected. placard near by contained the
following inscription: "Why our water rates were
increased to pay for blunders OF Army engineers
They said two years would complete II. Have
been sir years and not done yet" With this were
given the figures showing the cost OF the work and
the increase In the estimates from time to time.
The meeting OF the committee opened with q
discussion OF the report and bill submitted by the
committee on code OF laws, proposing 10 fix the
compensation OF the recorder OF deeds and register
OF wills at $1,000 per annum each; proposing an
appropriation OF 10000 TO pay for indexlDg the
old land records; providing a salary OF 81, 500 a
year for deputy recorder OF deeds, 81 200 for
eisrA, So iOs ahOSnst a mo OF
who presented the report, described the mutilated
condition OF many OF the old records that needed
copying and the confusion of the old records from
lack OF proper indices AT present, he said, it was
impossible TO tell what the compensation OF the
recorder OF deeds was. He had been told that Mr.
Douglass COMPENSATION the last year he was in
Office not more than $1,000, and Mr. Mat
thews' compensation amounted proportionately
TO the same.
Mr. Isaac l. johnson asked to whom the bill pro-
posed 10 entrust the supervision OF the work OF in
deXing the OLD records Mr.. MOrsell having re-
piled that the bill provided that the recorder OF
deeds should have charge Of the work, Mr.. john
son said his observation as 10 any recorder they
had had recently was that he was utterly ineompe-
tent TO supervise the work; 1t would be throwing
money away. The recorders had been Incapable
OF devtsing plan. Unless they provided for su-
pervisOn OF the work by commission or other
wise, he would be opposed TO the bill.
Mr. Morsell said that the recorder OF deeds was
In charge Of the ONCE, and the committee thought
that he was the proper person. IL would be q re-
nection upon him 10 name another person.
ut would be no greater reflection upon him, said
Mr.. Johnson. "than the records are"
Mr.. Morseli admitted that the condition Of the
records was reflection on the office, but that,
he thought, was the fault OF the present system.
The recorder, OF course, desired TO make as much
money as he could Mr.. Weller objected to COM
Recorder OF Deeds ONCE and that OF the Register
Of Wills, especially as there was no complaint
against the management OF the latter Office He
made a motion which was lost, to recommit the
report with instructions To draw up bill apply
1ng 70 the Recorder OF Deeds of1fce alone. An
amendment offered by Mr. johnson providing for
the appointment by the Chief Justice OF the
Supreme Court OF the District of competent per-
records was adopted, and the bill was then adopted
as whole.
THE POLICE LAW.
The report OF the committee on code Of laws
RECOMMENDING rcpcdl Vi lnc ARMY ana Navy
clause OF the police law restricting appointments
on the police force 10 men having honorable dis
charges from the Army or Navy was adopted.
Major Richards and Major Walker both made re-
marks on this subject. Speaking OF the embarrass-
ment the authorities were subjected TO by this
clause originally intended to benefit veterans Of
The wal, but no longer OF service to them. It's
operation they said practically excluded citizens
OF the District from appointment on the police
force Major Walker said it was actual fact
that policemen not familiar with the city had
been lost on their beat.
THE JURY LAW.
The report OF the same committee providing
amendments to the jury law was then taken up
This provides for 46 grand jurors the first % to
serve curing the frst 20 jury days OF the term OF
the Criminal Court, and the second %, for the
mainder OF the term Fifty-two names shall then
be drawn for the petit jury OF the Criminal Court
the first 70 10 serve the rst 20 jury days ana the
second 20, for the remainder OF the term Similar
provision is made for double panel for Circuit
Courts Any person who shall have served as a
juror for The number OF jury days provided for,
shall be exempted from further jury service for a
period OF one year. After some discussion, the
COMMITTEES accepted an amendment providing that
.he ist OF JURORS prepared oy the Jury commission
amended was adopted
A PROPOSED BUSINESS COMMITTEE
Mr.. Wilson offered a resolution providing for a
special executive committee TO represent the COM
mittee In all matters requiring immediate atten-
ton until otherwise ordered SAID committee to be
empowered TO increase its number TO not exceed
Ing thirteen members whenever it may deem It
ceedings 10 The Committee or one Hundred ut each
OF Its regular meetings
mittee mad met with, through having Z number OF
executive committees He SAID this proposed an
.ra ,seIiid he lot ohs lne when many mem
of One Hundred.
Mr.. Robinson objected TO dIsbanding the new
railroad committee, which, he said, was the best
and most energetic they had hal
MI. Wilson said he would except the railroad
matter.
Mr.. Clarke opposed the appointment Of the pro-
posed committee as unconstitutional He did
not think the Committee OF one Hundred should
aodieate In favor or an executive committee He
said he understood that the railroad Committee
nae devised and submitted railroad plan WHICH
he deemed unwise, and believed would not meet
the approval OF the Committee OF One Hundred
he thought IL would lead 10 disaster to cothe any
MI. Weller said he would prefer reducing the
quorum OF the Committee OF One Hundred TO Iwen-
", 10 creating such u committee.
After some discussion Mr. Clarke made a mofton
70 lay MI wilson's motion on the table, and the
chair declared 10 lost
MI. Clarke then raised the point that there was
no quorum, and a count showed that there were
but thirty nine present. one less than quorum
~, nj; ~, wilson tnereupon Withdrew his resolution,
"elt on with Its other business.
TO FILL rP THE COMMITTEE
MI. Lehman gave notice OF an amendment TO the
constitution proposing to distribute the representa-
ton on the committee assigned To West Washing
ton, which had withdrawn from It's Connection
with the Committee OF one Hundred among the
other divisions pro rata. He said IL was import
ant 10 Keep the membership OF the committee up
u one hundred-
MI. CHURCH offered a resolution, which was
ADOPTED. lnstructing the executive committee on
steam railroads 10 use their best efforts before
congress TO have ali tracks in South Washington
suppressed 50 as 10 pass under all intersecling
streets between ID and 10y streets.
THE WATER DEPARTMENT
MI. Larner, referring 10 the diagrams and figures
on the wall relating 10 the new Aqueduct called IN
the resolution offered by the committee on water
supply proposing an Investigation or the water
department ana II was adopted. The resolution
requests congress 10 lnvesJlga the water depart
ment from ISL 10 date, In order 10 ascertain now
Tie same has been managed in all It's branches
now, where and Tor what its revenues have been
expended, and what defalcatiOns II any, have
occurred, and who Is responsible for the same.
TIE RAILROAD QUESTION.
Mr.. Dodge, as chairman OF the executive COM
mttee on railroads, made a statement OF the con-
ditiOn Of the railroad legislation before Congress
anu the work done by the executive committee
M + b. Stocking made an address on the sub
gect, urging that the citizens committee should
Insist that no railroad be allowed 10 the city,
ne SAID there Was refuge for the citizens OF the
Distrct IN the supreme court OF the United states
ne referred 10 the decision OF the court In the 9TH
Baptist Church case.
Mr.. Clarke offered a resolution which was laid
over, stating that the Committee OF One Hundred
uld not approve the bill proposing a commission
" oeate the routes VI steam railroads n the CITY,