Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-04
DISTRICT MATTERS
Topics Discussed Before the Com
missioners Today.
MESSRS. BlBNEY And WOLF In A TILT
An Incident of a Hearing Given the
F ire Underwriters.
MARKET COMPANY'S CLAIM

| attention of the Commissioner this morn
| ing. First of all was an application from
the laborers employed in the county for an
increase of pay from s1.25 per day TO s150
per day, and be relieved of the burden of
purchasing their tools. Next came Cen
eral William Birney, representing the
| Washington Market Company to protest
against the recent order Of the Commits
| sioners clearing the north side of street
| A delegation from the fire underwriters of
| the city We're heard last in support of its
proposition to increase the number of COM
panes in the fire department, and provide
an inspector whose duty it shall be to reg
ularly inspect all cellars and other places
where infiammable material is kept
Ieh. bifney was given supplemental
| roundly score the fire underwriters Mr.
simon Wolf responded with cutting sar-
casm, and the morning session OF the board
| was brought to a close after an exchange
of compliments between the two
Lawyer Jones, according to previous ar
ransement, appeared before the Commits
| sioners at II o'clock and presented the
petition from the laborers engaged in the
county on District work, praying for an
| increase Of pay He read the petition
which he said was signed by forty-two la
| borers in behalf of 130 Many of them had
been IN the service of the District for years
| Before Congress passed the eight-hour law
ne said these men received sl59 per Gay
M L fl-
| ised to consider the matter
Ihe nre underwriters were then ready to
| pc heard, but the chairman gave way to
Gen. William Birney, who stated he desired
only few moments conversation With the
commissioners upon an important subject.
ID Street and the Market.
Gen. Birney called attention to the order
| recently given to the police TO clear the
sidewalk of B street, and read the order to
| Major Moore which said: "The Commits
| sioners direct me tc instruct you to prevent
| the occupancy by market wagons or stands
| OF produce dealers of any portion of the
| sidewalk or roadway on the north side of
b street north between 9TH and 9th streets
north. except for SO long as such occupan-
cy may be necessary for ordinary uses"
! This order, said Gen. Birney, was evident
| ly issued under msapprehension OF the
facts. The charter of the Market Com
pany, he held. runs to the middle of b
| nothing to say about the street, but the
stands outside of the market were ap-
purtenant thereto, and without the iurisdic-
tion of the Commissioners. They were To-
| Gated on the Sidewalk, it is true but with
! in the line controlled by the Market Com
| pany under its charter
Maj. Powell said he did not think the
| sidewalks were included in the order, al
| though he was free to admit that he be-
| lieved the sidewalk on the north side of B
street was the property of the District
1
| curb, said Commissioner Truesdell.
| Exactly; but you cannot acqaire a right
| to property by simply laying a sidewalk or
setting few feet OF curb replied General
| Blrney Now, as matter of fact. the
| market company has been in undisputei
| possession of this street, mean to the
| middle of B street, which is supposed to be
| the bank of the old canal-for over twenty
| years.
'tIf there is anything that you do not un-
derstand, examine the charter, but do not
proceed SO abruptly, without even serving
notice upon the Market Company, and or
| der the immediate abandonment of the
| street and sidewalk Let's go into court.
| the Market Company is ready and willing.
| and settle this matter in a legal and proper
| way"
Commissioner Powell thought the Market
| Company should go into court, if It desired
| the matter settled legally. Surely il was
F, not the Districts place to institute pro-
ceilings.
| Comm ss:oner Truesdel somewhat startled
| General Birney by stating that the D.stric.
| had caused an official survey of B street
| to be made, and the result justified the state
| ment that the sidewalk belongs to the public,
and he thought it was the duty of the Com
| m ss.oners to take charge of it.
| General B.rney asked if ii was the purpose
| of the Commissioners to include the side
| walk on the north side of the market, hut
| the Commissioners answered that 1t was
| not parallel case.
| General Birney SAID he could not telieve
| that the Comm.SS. .oners really proposed to
: use 1Orce 10 COmpel lne execution OF an OTuer
| of which the market company had never
| been given notice.
Commissioner Truesdell said that was the
| way the Commissioners have to tile all
| such cases. When they found people in
illegal occupancy they were moved off.
After further discussion General Birney
| intimatcd that an Injunction would be
| taken out preventing the District from en-
| forcing the order until the case had been
| judicially determined.
| The Fire Underwriters.
| Mr. Simon Wolf, representing the fire I'm
! derwriters was next recognized. He said
| at recent meeting of the board several
questions of much Importance to the as
| scciaticn we'll as the public generally
| had arisen, and committee composed Of
Messrs. H X. Simpson. Henry Burge. w.
Riley Deeble and himself had been appoint
| ed to lay the matter before the Commits
| sioners
| First of all it was the desire Of the asso-
| citation to cooperate with the District Com
missoners to have the fire department en-
| larged. The present department was thor
oughly efficient, but it was not large enough
| for the city. Then there was the matter
| of a more efficient fire alarm service. The
present one was not reliable. But perhaps
| the most important matter the committee
had to invite attention to was that of the
| appointment OF inspector, whose duty
| it should be to inspect the various business
houses of the city, and TO prevent by re-
porting to the proper authorities the ac-
| emulation of waste, from which fires SO
| often originate. In every large city of the
| country there is. he said, public inspector
| and he inspects the risks. especially the
| cellars conducive to CONGREGATIONS.
| If the Commissioners have no appropria-
| ton to pay such man. It was recommend
| ed that an amendatory estimate be- sub
| mitted to Congress covering the expense.
| For the present the board of underwriters
was willing to pay the salary Of an inspec-
| .or if the Commissioners would only ciothe
| him with proper official authority.
| The Commissioners questioned their
| thority to cover the matter by police reg
ulation, stating the courts were very strict
! in their Interpretation of the Commission
| ers' powers, limiting them to those matters
| covered by Congress.
Mr.. Wolf suggested that II the Commits
sioners had the right to appoint additional
| policemen and give them authority to
make arrests, they certainly had the power
| to appoint a fire inspector.
| After Mr. w. Riley Deeble had set forth
| his belief that the Commissioners could
| make q regulation under the same law that
| gave them the right to make health regula-