Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-01

estimate therefor will have to be submitted.
which will be done in time to present to
Congress in the deficiency bill"
Lower Prices I'm Open Market.
The first controller of the treasury has de-
cided that the engineering department of
the District government may not purchase
supplies in open market in excess of the
immediate needs of the work in hand The
decision is rendered in connection with the
efforts of the Commissioners to secure lion
sewer pipe at price that they consider
reasonable and just compared with what
privaet parties would be compelled TO pay
In accordance with this decision The Com
missioners have made a contract Cor only
$1,000 worth material, or enough to last
through the present half of the working
year. They Will be compelled to re-adver-
tise for bids for pipes for the rem timing
half or that part of the year that comes
after the breaking up of winter. when work
can be resumed.
When the bids were opened some time ago
In response to the advertisements calling
for them IL was found that all the offers
were about 30 per cent higher than were
secured on last years contracts. Capt
Derby recommended that all the bids he re-
tected as excessive. and a short time there
after he got an offer from Mcmahon, Porter
Co OF New Cumberland, W. Va, which
allowed the purchase of the goods in open
market at 10 per cent lower than the pre-
Taillng prices last year. making a difference
OF 10 per cent in comparison with the prices
In the District. Yesterday Mcmahon, Por-
ter & Co. siguiied their readiness TO sup
ply at the prices they quoted an order for
present needs and they will accordingly re-
ceive contract for about $4,000 worth of
material
Capt Derby said to a Star reporter this
morning that in his opinion the law had
been complied with and the best interests
OF the public subserved when, after once
advertising for bids, they could make a
better bargain with some outside party II
II seemed as though there might be some
effort made on the part of the bidders to
a In ~ha 20 a
they could get the same thing from an out
side party for 40 per cent below the prices
contained in the bids. and he was Of the
opinion that IL was better TO get II in that
way. The controller. however. did not in
terpret the law in the same way, and had
decided that they could not make a years
contract except after calling for bids. and
so IL would be necessary to advertise for
the remaining half of the year.
No Authority to Pardon Her.
The attorney for the District has decided
that the Commissioners have no authority
to pardon Sarah Sefis from the work house.
as she asked. As the applicant In this case
was convicted of disorderly conduct under
the act OF Congress of July, 1892. IL follows
that the Commissioners have no authority
TO grant an application for pardon.
Nuisance Complained OF.
A number of citizens resident on NJ street
near 18th street southeast have sent a pc
tition to the Commissioners calling their
attention to the nuisance which they say
is caused by the Washington and Anacostia
railroad, which keeps four horses standing
there to make the changes on the street
cars. They complain that the horses are
running the trees by gnawing them. and the
stencil caused by this station is well-nigh
unbearable.
Protest Against n Change.
Mr.. VIM. b. Robson, the secretary of
the Washington Loan and Trust Company,
and prominently connected with the Beth
any Mission. has written letter to the
Commissioners to protest against the
change in the location of the fire engine
house which is now on ID street between
18th and 18th to reservation l63, at the
corner of 18th and Ohio avenue. The letter
says: Il beg to state that the site OF the
proposed new building is lower ground and
would be still more damp than the present
location of the engine house. 1 have per
sonal recollection of two occasions when the
river becoming blocked with ice, the water
backed up into the city, and reservation l63
and and properly prop IN the immediate vicinity
The firemen at the engine house refer
red TO are well aware of the low ground
neighborhood of reservation los. and are
themselves averse TO having the new en-
CINE house erected there.
My especial interest in the matter is in
behalf of the Bethany Mission, which is
now occupying said reservation. and which
Is doing such good work among the per-
that locality, and / feel sure that IL the
good people who have been so earnestly
teaching the truths of morality and good
citizenship at this place during the last
twenty years are permitted to continue
their work there. the good results that will
be Gained to the District would be much
greater and more satisfactory than could
house"
A Quarantine Inquiry.
Health Officer Hammett today addressed
a letter to the supervising surgeon general
of the marine hospital service asking ~
"a
Hshed at Fisherman's creek or at Canes
Henry and Charles. and, If so. against what
ports does II operate? Vessels from South
arrive here says the health officer, and IL
extra inspections are TO be made of them
wish to act intelligently to whether they
reaching Georgetown.
The New Police Surgeons.
Maj. Moore. chief of police has issued an
order assigning the newly appointed police
surgeons for duty as follows:
First district,Dr. Clifton Mayfield. pre-
Second district--Dr. W. D. Cannon. pre-
cfncts two and eight
Third district-Dr. J. r. hewitt, precincts
one. six and nine.
Fourth district-Dr. Thos. Addison, pre-
cincts four and five.
The order says: "An requests for medical
and surgical attendance. under the police
regulations, will hereafter be made to these
medical officers.
Garbage Complaints.
During last week the average daily num-
Der of complaints about the collection of
garbage received at the Commissioners
office was but 10 1-2. This was a decrease
of about ten a day over the preceding week
and is the low water mark in complaints of
this sort 1t would seem to indicate a cor
responding Improvement in the character
of the service.
Paying Water Rents.
Yesterday being the last day OF July was
the last upon which water bills should be
paid, according to law. The result was that
when the doors of the District building
were opened yesterday there was a
crowd of people standing ready and all day
long there was a line OF people extending
way out on to the sidewalk waiting their
turn to step UP to the desk and get their
bills receipted for cash.
The Result of Saturday Night Sprces.
Major Moore superintendent of police,
was at the District building on business
yesterday. He told Star reporter that the
number of arrests for the twenty-four
hours ending at j. m. Saturday was go
for Sunday, li5, and for Monday IS. The
first was below the average. The second
was far beyond IL and showed the bad eff
feet that Saturday night has on many peo-
pie. a large proportion of these arrests
being for drunk and disorderly. The re-
suit was that the cells at the Police Court
were badly overcrowded yesterday morn
ing.
Building Permits.
Building permits have been issued as fol-
l. halI