The Washington times., 1895-05-02
Aa!AGs OF THE DISST1RI|!e! DIS1I|!!eG!!
Progress Made by Street Rail-
ways in Adopting Tenders.
TWO ROADS ARE EQUIPPED
lexington and Soldiers Home and
Rock Creek Line Report Having
Compiled With the Order-Delay
of the. w. and G. Accounted For.
w. c. T. U. Proposition.

The order issued by the District Commits
sioners, February /, requiring the several
street railway companies to equip theircaIs
/ by April l with acceptable Tenders was
not complied with by the time specified, but
each of the companies made aneffortto toobey
and notified the Commissioners of its
willingness to conform TO instructions.
The Washington and Georgetown COM
pany adopted the Backiston pickup aud
wheel guard, and the Rock Greek and
lexington and Soldiers Home companies
each selected the Claude fender, while the
Columbia road, anticipating the Introduction
of its cable system, had its cars all equipped
with the Sterling fender.
The latter was not included in the list OF
Tenders approved by the Commissioners, aud
the question now pending between tie com
pany officials and the District authorities
| is 10 whether the Sterling pattern VIII
be rejected and the company required To
| adopt one from the list approved.
! Inquiry at the District building yester-
day developed the following as the status of
! affairs in connection with the order "f the
! Commissioners
PROGRESS MADE.
The Washington aud Georgetwon road is
partially equipped with the pick-ap, only.
/ The responsibility for its failure 10 fully
comply was assumed by Mr. Blackiston,
/ thc owner OF the patent, who personally as
/ suned the Commissioners that, owing 10 the
/ change necessary from au overhead trolley
TO cable system, there were new dcvises
required To procure which del d ycd the manu-
/ facture. The fact that the Washington
! and Georgetown company has more cars To
! provide for than the other zines, Is also
/ taken into consideration.
The Rock Creek Road and the lexington
! and Soldiers Home are both fully equipped
/ with the Claude fender, the latter com
! pleting the OUTFIT yesterday.
The Columbia line, as above stated,
! has the Sterling fender in use. The officials
| stated TO The Times yesterday that if the
| Commissioners insisted upon a charge, it
/ would bcmade- Theconteutionmadcto tothe
board is that the fender was adapted be-
| fore the order was made designating
! list from which to select. Besides, they
! propose 10 Prove the safety and utility Of
the Sterling fender by lis successful oper-
alton for more than a year on the Third
avenue and Broadway lines, respectively,
in New York.
WILL NOT EvADE THE ORDER.
The officers stated, however, that there
was no disposition on their part TO evade
the order. though they do not think it is
! just TO require the change, under the cir
cumstances. They wIil submit 10 the
board within few days an equipment
| for approval, in case the commissioners
shall insist upon a substitution for the
| Sterling fender.
Comm issioners Truesden and Powell
were absent from the District building
| yesterday afternoon, and as the whOie
| question comes within the jurisdiction cf
| the engineer department, President Ross
| was not prepared TO discuss the situation.
| He was gratified. however, to know that
| there had been substantial progress made,
and believed there would be 10 friction
whatever in obtaining compliance with
/ the requirements, reasonable delays con-
| sidered.
Mrs. Mary z. Griffith, President OF the
Women's Christian Temperance Union, Re
cording Secretary Emma +. Shelton and
1 Mrs. Westcott requested the Commission
ers yesterday to permit the placing of pub
| lie fountains at all the prominent street
railway intersections in the city for the
| dispensing of cherry phosphate at a cent
per glass. The idea advanced was such
an arrangement would tend TO diminish
intemperance, and as the small amount
charged would not more than meet the
| expense of maintaining the fountains, there
would be no inconsistency in issuing the
! permit. The Commissioners W i'll refer
the matter to the District Counsellor for
his opinion as TO the legal points Involved.
FIRST DAYS TAX GATHERED.
The aggregate of the collections yester-
day at the office of the collector of taxes
was $40 ,2I7.27. For the first days re-
ceipts On payments of assessments this
is regarded as considerably above the
average The collections for the month
of May, il is anticipated, viii exceed
hose of any month preceding in the his
lory OF the District government. This is
of course due to the fact that taxpayers
are now making a double payment, the
November co elections having been de-
,erred until May 10 give time for the board
of assistant assessors to do the revising
work required under the law. The clerks
in the collectors offcie. as Well as the
assessors force, are correspondingly busy
and have 10 make overtime.
Building permits were issued yesterday
to Baker & hampton for the construction
OF three brick and stone dwellings. Nos.
1915 to 1919 Yale street, TO cost SO 900.
y. l.. Burliugame was yesterlHy ap-
pointed an additional private on the
Metropolitan police force for service with
the lexington and Soldiers Home hallway
Company.
The appointment of William Spcakc as
an additional private OF the Metropolitan
police force was yesterday revoked, ard
Thomas Morrow was appointed in his
stead, for duty with the Adams EApress
Company.