Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-11
DISTRICT AFT AIRS.
The Commissioners Prepare a Bill in
Regard to Payments.
BILL FOR SEWER CONNECTION!
Many Local items of Interest to Al
Taxpayers.
MIS- CELLANEOUS ITEMS


A bill reading as follows has been pre-
the District committee today: BE it en-
acted by the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives of the United States of America
in Congress assembled, That the Commits
sioners Of the District of Columbia are
hereby authorized to receive payment of
special assessments for improvements made
Under contract with the late board Of pub
lie works of said District, and extensions
thereof without penalties or interest, in all
cases where, in the judgment of the Com
missioners, the equities of the case justify
the abatement of interest and penalties
Under act of Congress of February 81,
1871, the board Of public works executed a
system Of municipal government in the Dis
trct, one-third Of the cost OF which was as
sessable against the private property. In
order that the board might have more
speedy use of this one-third, the lesisla-
tive assembly Of the District authorized the
issuance of 100000 in per cent certifi-
Gates Of Indebtedness, for the redemption of
which all future assessments for special
improvements were pledged.
Where such assessments were not Paid
by the. property owners within the time
specified by law, lien certificates were is
sued against the property, to be deposited
with the commissioners of the sinking fund.
who were directed to apply the proceeds
thereof to the payment of the certificates.
On June 3d. 1893, the amount of these GER
tificates of Indebtedness outstanding was
$21 800, with accrued interest thereon APP
proximating $4,000. The amount of tax
liens in the hands of the Treasurer Of the
United States, who Is the legal successor OF
the commissioner of the sinking fund, was
$61 235. IS, with interest thereon at ten per
cent for an average of seventeen years.
This amount has been greatly depleted by
the action of the courts in annulling them
for technical Irregularities. 81. 204 49, with
interest. has been Cancelled in this manner,
and the commissioners are apprehensive
that unless Congress take some action in
the matter the fund will be depleted to such
an extent as to seriously impair the ability
of the Treasurer to redeem the certificates
for which it is pledged.
The Commissioners think that the most
practical way to preclude the further i'm
pairment of this fund by the courts Is for
Congress to authorize them to receive pay
ment of these liens without penalty or in
terest In cases where, in their judgment, the
equities in the case would warrant such
abatement. They are of the opinion that
property owners liable to such liens, and
claiming remission of interest and penalties
on teuable grounds, would prefer TO settle
their account by payment rather than
through the courts
The authorities have a legal recourse for
the collection Of these liens by advertise
>
The treasurer has made a demand on the
Commissioners, he Is authorized to do
by law, for such sale. but there is no
fund available for such an advertisement
In the annual estimates for 1885 provision
for the cost of enforcing collection Of sover-
due special assessments by annual adver-
tisement and sale will be included
Sewer Connections.
The bill which was introduced In the Senate
Friday by Mr.. Harris regulating the man.
ner in which sewer pipes should be laid
was received by the Commissioners today
The bill provides that whenever a street
is about to be paved. service connections for
all abutting property shall be made with
any water main and sewer to the parking
line. The entire cost of such connections to
be assessed against the abutting property
in like manner as assessments which are
levied under the compulsory permit system
for laying water mains.
The first portion of this bill, that is, the
authority granted the Commissioners to
make the connections. has existed since 1878
Paragraph 10, section s. of the District ordi-
nances reads as follows: 1T shall be the
duty of the Commissioners to see that all
water and gas mains, service pipes and
sewer connections are laid upon any street
or avenue proposed to be paved or other
wise improved before any such pavement
or permanent works are put down"
This law. although Incorporated in the
statutes of the District. has been allowed
to fall into dsuse and as il has not been
enforced for so long period very few were
aware that it existed The reason for its
disuse was explained by Capt. Derby today
who said that the fact OF there being no
appropriation for such work was in his
opinion good and sufficient reason The
property holders" said he, would not pay
for connections being made to unimproved
property and there being no law to enforce
such payment the Commissioners were nat
urally unable to enforce the law, This
a Tar in 10, La
provides for an assessment against the
property holder will obviate this difficulty
and If passed by Congress will enable the
Commissioners to act"
A revised bill Is being prepared by Cant
Derby to be submitted to the House In
this he shows that no compulsory permit
system for laying water mains exists.
Commissioner Powell in speaking of the
bill said that he was heartily In favor Of
just such measure, and IL the bill was
adopted the expense, both to the govern
ment and to the property holder, would be
very materially increased.
Labor Complains.
Secretary S. H. Bell of the Federation Of
Labor has submitted to the Commissioners
complaint made at a recent meeting of
that body Of a violation of the eight-hour
law. approved August /, 1892, by Contractor
Simmons, who is engaged in making repairs
on the Industrial Home School building
X.
and if ii is found that the law has been
violated proper remedy and enforcement of
the law on all public works under control
of the Commissioners is demanded.
lexington Paving.
committee consisting of Messrs J. G..
Bowen, A. S. Caywood, J. B. Edmunds H
P. Pflsbury. NJ. Rupert and Chas Dismer,
representing the property holders on New
York avenue, waited on Engineer Commits
sioner Powell today and requested that he
temporarily restrain the lexington Rail-
way Company from laying cobble stones
between its tracks until they can take def
mite action in the matter. The chairman of
the committee stated that the committee
was as yet undecided what steps they will
take to cause the road to lay asphalt They
will either sue out an injunct agains st
the road or ask Congress to interfere
They were requested to put in writing a
formal petition and the matter will be re-
ferred to the Commissioners at their next
meeting.
Price of Gas.
The alleged excessive charges exacted for
gas is the subject of a letter addressed to
the Commissioners by DR.. ]. NJ. Thompson
He claims that the government and the
citizens Of Washington are made to pay
two prices for gas. and states that 10 cents
per 1000 feet is a fail price for that article
He asks that the Commissioners instead of
exhauSting their official energies iowa ri