Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-27
DISTRICT GOVERNMENT.
A "sEwER-GAs" SCARE.


was permeated on Saturday with an odor that
surprised and disguised the residents of these
localities. An investigation of the matter was
made by Acting Health Officer McGinn, and it
was found that one of the large pipes of the
Washington gashght company crossing the
James creek canal and used for the purpose of
carrying naptha oil, had been run into and
broken by a sand scow, flooding the surface of
the canal with the oil. Tide and wind carried
the material back up the canal and the sewers
intercepting, and soon the odOrs were finding
their way out from every available opening
such as perforated manhole coverings. &C. The
damage was remedied as soon as possible but
not until several hundred gallons of oil had
been lost. As it was plainly discernible that
the unaccountable odor came from the sewer
openings, hue and cry of ''sewer gas" went
up from all quarters.
THE REVISION OF ASSESSMENTS
The Commissioners. at their session Satur-
day afternoon decided that the laws of last Feb
ruary, providing for the revision Of the Emory
assessment, covers all special assessments for
improvements made by the old corporations
and board of public works not heretofore re-
vlsed and reduced This decision was made in
compliance with request from the assessor
for ruling on the question, by which the en-
ployes III the assessors office might be guided.
PROPOSING A NAME
A committee representing the Bethel liter
AIRY society called on the Commissioners Sat-
urday to ask that the colored school build
Ing course OF erection at "a ana h streets
be named the Martha B. Briggs building, in
honor of the memory of the late Martha b.
Briggs, who was engaged for many years as a
teacher in the colored schools and Howard
university, and who died March % last Mr..
Frederick Douglass headed the committee
which comprised Mrs. Jesse Lawson, Mrs.
John II. Smyth, Messrs. W. H. H. Hart
Louis II. Douglass, Thos. II. Wright, and VIM
H A. Wormley Miss E. F. G. Merritt, and Dr.
Z. Il. Purvis. Commissioners Douglass and
line xa6f hgir Via 81, -,
Mr.. Fred Douglass spoke briefly. urging the
appropriateness OF naming the building after
Mrs. Briggs, saying that the name would be an
inspiration not only to the colored youth, but
also TO the teachers engaged in the work of
education. Both Commissioners expressed
themselves in favor of the proposition and at
u meeting of the board held later it Was de-
cided 10 comply with the request of the COM
mlttee-
FEES FOR BUILDING PERMITS.
Under the orders recently issued by the Dis
trlct Commissioners. fOrbidding any employees
Of the District from receiving money except
the collector and those employed in his
once, new system has been put
IN operation III the building inspectors
Office, which entails considerable more clerical
work In that office. as well as in the Office of
the collector. Formerly the fees for permits
were received by the building inspector or
ms assistant, and a daily return made
from that Office to the collector Now a
person applying for permit has a coupon
hlled out and given him and takes it to the
collectors Office. where he pays the fee and gets
a certificate receipt. Returning with this
receipt to the building inspector the permit
required is issued to him. The delay is caus-
ing some complaint among the master builders,
who are considering proposition of asking
the Commissioners to restore the old order of
things. This, II is thought, might be done by
constituting some one in the inspectors Office
an agent OF the collector.
APPOINTMENT OF COIORED sCuoor rrGcurpS
The STAR has heretofore referred to Mr.
James h. Smiths complaint relative to the ap-
pointment of colOred teachers who are not
graduates of the District Normal school To-
DAY the Commissioners received another letter
from him bearing upon the same subject in
which he SAYS: THE defence of the coIored
trustees, If any is attempted. to my charge that
they had appointed number Of persons to
POSITIONS as teachers who are not graduates of
the District Normal school, when these grad
yates should be preferred, will doubtless be
sought behind a rule or bylaw adopted
or supposed to be adopted January H.
1889. by the school board, but / seriously doubt
II II was ever done with the knowledge and con-
sen OF so good lawyer as Mr.. Darlington. 1t
Is little bit OF retroactive legislation. and il
seems to have been designed to meet the con-
dltions l presented to you. 1t does seem
strange that a little quasi-legislatiye body like
the school board should undertake to do what
no regular Legislative body would presume To
do. He says the rule is neither legal nor
equitable, and concludes as follows: I've are
supposed to have one common school system in
this District operating under the same rules.
but this is true only in theory. In comparison
with this, cite the rule governing the normal
graduates Of the white schools Graduates of
the Washington Normal school shall be assigned
TO schools as teachers, vacancies occur. in
the order OF merit as determined by their
relative class standing in said school This
should be the uniform rule Of all schools in the
District"
WIRE OVER GEN. scorT's SHOULDER.
Colonel John N. Wilson. in a letter to the
Commissioners to-day. states that within re-
cent period some one has stretched a telegraph
or telephone wire over Scott circle so that the
wire passes just across the shoulder of the
statue OF Gen. Scott. He says as the statute
prohibits the putting up of overhead wires on
streets and avenues, the wire in question should
De removed as soon as possible.
THE DISTRICT PRINTING
Inc commissioners have received a letter
nom Mr. John II. OBrien, Of the Columbia
typographical union, calling their attention to
the fact that at a meeting Of the union a COM
mittee was appointed TO wait upon them in re-
gard TO the District printing. They ask that
an hour be appointed for the interview.
MIscELLANEoUs
MI. L. +. Schneider has written to the Com
missioners that he has under construction a
block Of thirty-four houses on the north side OF
Y street, between 18th street and New Hamp-
SHIRE avenue, and urges the necessity of paw
Ing the alley In the rear, as it is impossible
Mr.. H. Richards, representing the property
owners on Corcoran street. has written To the
Commissioners calling their attention to the
necessity OF q branch water main along their
street to connect with the new large water
main which 10 shortly 20 be brought into the