The morning times., 1895-12-21
MUST PAY ALL THE TAXES
Property Owners to Be Reas-
Sessed for Improvements.
ALSO FOR WATER MAINS
sary Legislation-Advice Given the
Commissioners Rexa rd Ing Abate-
ment OF the Smoke Nuisanoe-Ques-
ton of Alleys Rec0nsid cred.

Property W ners are to be made to pay all
taxes where the right to levy or to make the
public Improvement proposed Is unQues-
toned Inc right 10 reassess Will be asked
OF Congress ana us escape once on q tecnni
cailty VIII be oil no avIaiu y expected that
payment wAl be made without quIDDie after
legislation now sought is enacted. IT Is
Proposed also TO coiiect all takes lost on
water main assessments invaiIuated by the
| burEdorI decision. -
Attorney S. I. Thomas submitted TO the
Commissioners yesterday drafts OF two
bills, winch Will he forwarded TO Congress
| with request for early and fAvorab bic
| action.
One of them authorizes reassessments for
| local improvements and local taxes. 1t
provides that when general taxes OF as
sessmeDts other than for water mains may
| hereafter De set aside by TIE district su-
preme court by reason or imperfect or er-
| roneous description OF the lot OF Tor failure
| OF autnentlcatioD, defective service, or otner
| teCnDlcaiity other than The right or The au-
thorities to levy the taxes or TO MAKE the
| required improvement the Commissioners
are authorized ana directed to Ieassess the
| property with power TO collect iD the usual
way.
LIMIT OF TIME.
II is provided that where such assessments
shall have been declared void, the reassess
| meDt must be made " Ithin one year from the
| passage OF the act and In other cases within
thirty days. The assessments are to bear
interest at 9 per cent. from the date of origi-
The second bill provides for reassessment
| in water main cases under precisely the
same conditions, upon the same terms, and
| In the same manner as the reassessment for
| geDeralfaXes and other local Improvements,
| except the shortest time within which re-
assessment is TO be made is ninety days.
AS the drafts were originally made they
contained proviso apparently attempting
to make legal reassessme mt Of lots where
assessments have already been set aside,
and where they shall yet be before the law
Is m fIpatN nf hos.
or words occurred and the latter part of the
measure will need to be remodele1.
The third is for licensing billiard, baga-
telle. pool and other similar tables. The
essential new feature puts ii III the dis
cretion of the assessor TO refuse license.
1t is made unlawful to keep such table for
public use or for profit without license.
The annual fee is S25 and the liceneeexpires
with the license year The penalty is S25
fine or three months Imprisonment or both.
The Commissioners have received COM
municatiOn regarding the smoke nuisance
which they hope may be OF much practical
value. After reference to what Rev. DR..
Hamlin and others have sa aid-about the
disfiguring effect of soft coal smoke upon
public buildings the writer says unfortu-
nately, no effective smoke-consumer has yet
been invented.
COKE AS SUBSTITUTE FOR COAL.
He suggests coke as a substitute for coal
BY coke he means material which is the
solidified carbon OF soft coal free from gases,
and slack. 1t is about half the weight OF |
soft coal and it is claimed can be used |
wherever soft coal is useful. 1t is not to be |
confou nded with the resdum produced |
III me Manufacture oT gas. II Is the same |
used in the iron regions for smelling ore.
IL costs only 30 cents a ton more than soft |
coal ana feiDg free from cinders and smoke |
is preferable to anthracite coal.
Inc writer asks tnat the commission
engaged in examining smoke-conSumers ex-
tend their investigation 10 consider the
merits OF this coke In closing lie says,
Washington is an Zeal city in good order,
good streets, admirable parks and free
dom from the trolley and other wires II
only remains to get rid OF coal smoke.
James X. Ellerson secured the consent /
OF the Commissioners to divide g1.O square |
feet of ground at the northwest corner OF
wenty second and Il streets northwest |
without giving any part as an alley as re-
CURED by the order that "a sixteen foot alley
shall be given in the rear of lots less than
He argu ed that he was
called upon TO give only seven ard one-lIalf
feet ana he had no assurance that lOt-ownprs
ADJOINING would give any SO that his ground
would be taken from him and yet he would
, commissioner TrueSdell explained that
,Ie Il dn need OF ngit and ventilation demanded
an aIey where lots Were too narrow to al
oW side entrance or were to be covered
entirely with buildings, but lie thought they
part or an alley.
LURKING PLACE FOR TRAMPs.
MI Ellerson said he thought an alley was
Usually lurking place for tramps and he
preIeTred not to have one.
MAI. Powell said the alley seemed es- |
sentlal, where there was no side entrance |
or the proper disposal OF garbage
The vote to allow the subdivision was
unanimous, but the Commissioners decided |
20 change tue order so as to secure alleys in |
III future subdivisions like this. The width
Of & the alley will probably be reduced to
Attorneys Albert Sillers, E. N. Hewlett.
Hatley Norton and NJ. N. Holland, all hav-
Dg offices In or near the Webster build |
ng, next door to the police court, argued |
oe1ore the commissioners for the reInstate- ,
nent OF Edward johnson, whose commits
'ion as special policeman at the building
was revoked upon recommendation of As
'lstaDt Attorney Pugh and p Policeman Flynn
ndorsed by Mai. Moore. ,
They declared that Mr.. Pugh was mis-
dken In saying JohSon had made himself | .
Troublesome by causeless arrests. He was
useful man in his place and necessary to |
make transaction of business practicable in
he offices along the row. He was polite |
he street there to move on. The arrest of
Albert johnson, alleged to be a "capper"
vas made after he had told the special |
policeman to "gO to h-ll"
Mr.. Faul, owner of the buildin0, said
Albert johnson was a bad fellow and be ,
lad instructed Special Policeman Edward
Johnson, as his employe, to keep Albert :
lway from the place.
DIV. b. jackson, resident physician at
Washington Asylum, has resigned and DR..
[. B. Mcdonald will succeed him.
A permit has been taken out by Jacobs
for 5000 worth of alterations and
epairs at the Riding Academy, at Twenty
,ermit was issued yesterday TO Jacob Franz
or repairs at No. 2713 Seventh street |
northwest, $500.
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