Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-02
DISTRICT AFFAIRS.
An Opinion Asked From the First
Controller
AS TO new REFORM ScHOOn BUILDING
Shall the Commissioners or Trus
tees Make the Contract.
OTHER INTERESTING MATTERS

The Commissioners have sent the follow
ing letter to First Controller Bowler of the
treasury with reference to the new building
at the reform school:
The president of the board of trustees Of
the reform school Of the District Of Column
bia, for boys, has raised the question
whether the making of the contract, and
expenditures for zone additional brick fam
lily building, including heating apparatus"
provided for in the District appropriation
for the current fiscal year, shall be made
by the Commissioners of the District of
Columbia, or by the said board of trustees
Section IA of the act Of March 3, 1875, en-
titled. An act revising and amending the
various acts establishing and relating to
the reform school in the District of Column
bia." which prescribes, THAT all contracts
and purchases made for or on account of
the institution shall be made in the name
Of the board. and by whomsoever the board
may direct" is cited by the school authori-
ties as imposing the duty upon them but
as the act providing for this and other
buildings prescribes that Said buildings
shall be constructed by the Commission
ers, In conformity with plans and speci-
ncations, which they and the architect of
lne capitol shall approve. and is of later
GATE than the act quoted by the reform
not prepared to accept that construction
Inc Commissioners would be obliged for
the FAVOR OF your opinion in the premises.
Reservation No. 264.
Col John M. Wilson, superintend-
ent Of public buildings and grounds.
has written a letter to the Dis
trict Commissioners, in which he states
that there is small triangular space
known as the United States reservation No
26f at the intersection of New York avenue,
New Jersey avenue, and Nj street, contain
ing about 2,1OO square feet. AS the trolley
car line passes near this small area. he
street by making this reservation a portion
OF the latter. II this is satisfactory to the
commissioners and they will agree to COW
er 1t with asphalt. he agrees to abandon it
ana drop 1t from the list of reservations.
Thinks Her Assessment Excessive.
Mrs Martha Riordan. an aged widow and
blind, Is the occupant of premises No. 729
18th street. which were recently assessed
at $3.50 per square foot. Now she has writ
ten letter. or rather dictated one, to the
commissioners in which she objects to
this assessment as excessive, for she says
that heretofore she has had to pay 500
taxes, which sum was so large that 1t
compelled her to deprive herself Of the or
binary comforts of life, and she objects to
having her taxes made any larger. She
same figure as the Safe Deposit Company's
building, Welcker's, and the Columbian
although she receives no large income from
In her letter she goes on to say: "If we
mad Just and Interchangeable laws. plainly
derstand them, published quarterly lynn in the the
newspapers with heavy fines imposed for
the breaking thereof, there would be no
share of the expenses of the District on
real estate. In this day Of the rich grow
Ing richer. and the poor poorer there
deserving poor. and there could be no bet
ter way than to exempt from taxation all
homesteads not exceeding $4,000 or 200 in
value.
Chambers to he Investigated.
District Veterinarian Robinson has been
directed by the Commissioners to INQUIRE
into the matter Of CHAMBERS among horses
here to ascertain to what extent it prevails
and to report what means can be resorted
TO In order to stamp II out.
Inc matter was called to the attention of
the commissioners In the form of a letter
from the secretary of the Live Stock SAM
tary Board of Maryland, complaining that
number of horses afflicted with glanders
mad been sold to residents of Maryland by
parties IN this city The horses had to be
and the stables and surroundings thorough
" disinfected,1 at a considerable cost to
Board of Commissioners in putting a stop
to the sale of such animals.
The complaint was referred to District
Attorney Thomas, who. in his opinion just
rendered says that an ordinance of the
city of Washington. approved January II,
1886. requires owners of domestic animals
in this city that are affected with glanders
or other contagious disease, to secure or
destroy the same as may seem best. An or
dinance of the board of health declares that
glandered or diseased horses within the
cities of Washington or Georgetown, or the
more densely populated suburbs thereof
are nuisance Injurious to health. and any
person keeping the same after notice to
abate the same. shall be fined not less than
IS. nor more than SO for every such Of
Tense Mr.. Thomas thinks that a Vigorous
enforcement of the health
ferred to would afford ample protection
against the nuisance complained of.
To Amend the Plumbing Regulations.
James Cunningham, secretary of the
Master Plumbers and Gas Filters Protec-
tive Association, has forwarded to the Dis
trict Commissioners the petition of that
body, that they so amend section 1856 of
the plumbing regulations as will permit
water pressure.
Policemen and Unlicensed Dogs.
Not only Is war being made on unlicen sed
dogs just now, but there is also trouble
for those police officers who are not TAX
ing hand In the warfare. AS an example
precinct has been fined $25 by the trial board
for neglecting to enforce the law against
the owners Of unlicensed dogs within the
east Of the Anacostia river between Ridge
road and Watts branch Sergt Kerby. in
his report to Lieut.. MeCathran, said that
owned in that section, but that the books
at the District building showed that only
seven persons had taken out licenses for
dogs in the past fiscal year. In addition to
being fined, officer Roland has been warned
to be more energetic in enforcing the law
in the future
VIII Probably he Dismissed.
Just one year ago yesterday E. w. Men
denhall was commissioned an officer of the
metropolitan police force and assigned to
duty in the first precinct under Lieut.
Amiss. Now the District Commissioners
have received the findings of the police
trial board recommending that Officer Men
they found him guilty Of the charge of
drunkenness. The findings will probably
be approved. as this is the second time the
matter has come to their attention. In Nav
Mendenhall was tried on the charge Of re-
porting for duty on May while In an in
toxicated condition. He pleaded guilty to
the charge and the board then recon-
mended his dismissal. The Commissioners
however, for the sake of his family and in
view of the fact that he had taken a five
year pledge not to touch liquor We're leni-
ent with him and gave him another chance
simply fining him $50, to be paid from his
nesday MendenhalI, while in uniform went
into a saloon at IS street and had several
drinks of liquor. At least so the trial
board found. and they have now recon-
mended his final dismissal from the force
That Uncomfortable Guano Factory.
Health Officer Hammett will make a re-
port to the Commissioners, probably to-
morrow on the matter of the suano fac