Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-03

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Against Liquor Licenses in the Black
Belt.
The hospital for contagious diseases viii not
be located In square 11i2. which was
purchased by the Commissioners some days
ago MS . site for the same. Yielding 70 the
protests Of the entire eastern section of
the city. and the recommendations Of the
Attorney General and the judges Of the
Supreme Court Of the District Of Columbia,
the Commissioners today decided to abandon
the site selected.
At the hearing given several days ago to Q
committee from the East Washington Citizens
Association, Gen. Birney, speaking for the
committee, raised the point that the
Comm ssaoners had not complied with
the terms OF the act regulating the
purchase Of the site, for the reason that they
had not exhausted all suitable sites owned by
the District government or the federal govern
ment This question was submitted to Attor-
ney Thomas for his opinion, which he rendered
today, saying:
"Agreeably to your verbal request have ex-
amined the clause in the current District ap-
preparation bill providing for the hospital
Tor the treatment Of contagious diseases
and have the honor to advise you that
the language as IN case q suitable site
cannot be procured upon United States or Dis
trict land, means that. II in the Judgment and
| discretion Of the Commissioners q suitable site
on such land cannot be procured, then
that they may purchase Q site. Suitable In the
sense In which tho word is used in refer
enoe to . hospital for contagious diseases
means Mt and proper in o legal view. A suit
| able site Is such . one - In the Judgment and
discretion Of the Commissioners on . consider
alton Of all the circumstances Of the
case, including the money they have to
pay for il, 10 the proper one for hospital Il
win not DO Tor gentlemen opposing the location
Of this hospital 10 urge that there is plenty OF
ground in the National or Geological Park, or on
the reservation called the Arsenal grounds Those
lands are occupied and could not be considered by
the Commissioners Is suitable for the purposes
Of . hospital site. II would be Just az reason
able to say that . suitable site could be pro-
cured in the Capitol grounds or on the White
Lot or in the Monument grounds or in Judi
ciary Square.
"0f course the Commissioners, charged with
the duty Of exercising q dIscretion reposed in
them by an act OF Congress, could not say that
able site for hospital for contagious diseases
30 that now the Commissioners are as much
at SEQ - ever regar ding he location Of the
hospital for contagious diseases. They have
al along favored the site now &C.
cupied BY the old srn.llpox hospital, but
the strenuous protests Of the Attorney
General has disposed Of this for good. Where
they will 80 now for q site cannot be foretold.
There are any number of suitable places
outside OF the city that have been offered, but
in every instance there are protests en-
| tered against their use for a con-
tagious hospital. It is evidently the in
| tention Of the Commissioners in selecting the
| site 70 get an far awav from the population a.
possible, and it may be nov that they will look
In the southeastern portion Of the city for .
place to locate the hospital
CAN'T CHANCE NAMES or srREEra
SIN my opinion the Commissioners have no
authority to change the name Of any street
urban or suburban" This 10 the gist of As
sistant Attorney A. B. Duvall's maiden opinion,
rendered to the Commissioners today upon
their power to change the names Of streets Mr..
Duvall saws:
"Ths convsyancs by the original proprietors
in 1871 was in trust that said lands should be
laid out for . federal city, with such streets.
squares, parcels and lots the President Of the
United States for tho time being should ap-
prove, accordingly the city OF Washington
va: laid ont with streets and avenues, named
and numbered.
Frequently property in the city has been and
| il conveyed and described - binding upon
such named or numbered streets, &c; they
| are well-defned landmarks and should be per.
manent Instances may be found where such
changes have been made For example, by ap-
propriate legislation. the old corporation, with
the assent Of the President, named jackson
place and Madison place, and the late territorial
government changed the name Of Grant
street to Grant place. These, however. were
in the exercise Of Legislative power which ID
| my opinion the Commissioners have
no authority to change the name
Of any street, urban or suburban.
They may efectualiy prevent in the future
that confusion and inappropriateness Of names.
Of which Just complaint 10 now made, by with
holding their assent to the recording of subdi-
visions which do not conform to proper
nomenclature"
LICENSES IN THE BLACK BELT.
Mr.. A. 8. Taylor writes to the Commissioners
today against the granting Of licenses 10 sell
liquor IN that section known 40 the Black Bolt
He says:
In connection with the granting Of licenses
to sell liquor in the District wish 70
call your attention to q portion OF the
city known among policemen as the Black Belt,
! and in which II seems to me 1t would be well to
refuse all applicants. This belt lies between
Connecticut avenue and 2lss and L and M
streets northwest. and, II you will examine ii,
you will ind in IL some Of the worst places in
| the city; worst because Of the character Of the
frequenters and the quality Of the beverages
dispensed; worst. also, because these places
stand - . constant menace 10 the Advancement
Of that portion Of the city from either fuan-
cial. educational, moral or religious view point
This should be . resident portion Of the city.
Az n is. II is portion to be avoided. at night
Is unsafe, BY day from its evident want
Of thrift Do the right kind Of citizens
and residents need the licensing Of six
saloons in two squares2 Do they improve the
tone Of any neighborhood? Do they tend
toward the elevation Of the poorer class2 Do
they rather not make the poor poorer?
There can be no question that the saloons
thrive upon this class. Would they be helped
by closing these places or by being
supported in the prison work house or by the
Associated Charities? These are questions
think you should consider. Placing the reve-
nue. alongside of the costs above stated think
you can reach but one conclusion, and that is
refuse the license in every case.
SPEED OF ELECTRIC cans.
The following letter from Mr.. A. S. Cay
wood relative to the speed OF cars on New York
avenue was received by the Commissioners to-
day: