Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-14
DIS TRICT AT AIR S
Considering the Possible Local Legislation
This Year.
Mr.. Burns and His COntract-BOEus
Milk Inspectors Working the
Surrounding Country.

considering the question of obtaining legis.
lation for the District at the next session of
Congress. There are number of matters
of great Importance to the city that will be
embodied in bills which the Commissioners
hope to have passed before the next session
Of Congress closes
Senator Harris. chairman of the Senate
committee on the District of Columbia, to-
day transmitted to the Commissioners a
number of bills. with the request that they
indicate which they desire reintrodrcej
during the next session of Congress.
There are a number of bills contained in
the list WHICH the Commissioners will doubt
less request Senator Harris to reintroduce at
the coming session of Congress.
Perhaps the most important of these bills
Is the one known as Senate bill 2066, ITO
provide for continuing the system Of trunk
sewers in the District of Columbia, to pro-
vide for sewerage disposal. to lay out high
ways and for other purposes" This is the
famous bond bill, and, while the Commits
sioners may substitute another bill, or even
several separate bills, it is understood they
will make strenuous effort to have Con-
gress pass them.
Then there is the bill to regulate medical
colleges, and the bill to regulate the practice
of medicine in the District, both of which
will receive the attention of the Comission-
erS.
Senate bill 2672 to authorize the Commits
siorers to make and enforce sanitary and
quarantine regulations. will also be careful
ly considered, and another bill. it is believed
broader in scope substituted to cover the
situation.
Senate bill 1893, which number an official
facetiously remarked would probably be
the date of it's passage, provides that after
its passage all steam railroad companies
will be required to erect gates or guards at
all railroad crossings In the District of Co.
lEmbia. There is little doubt that the Com
missioners will urge the passage of this
tnoa fI,ty ft..I 1nx- hot.
tention has been called to matter which
seriously affects the situation and exposes
several grade Observation-Disclosures grade
crossings at tnat-to the merciless trains
Some days ago, when the attorney for the
District advised the Commissioners to pro-
coed In the courts against any railroad that
did not provide watchmen at its crossing of
public streets the engineer department de-
tailed an Inspector to examine the several
railroads and report what crossings were
not guarded. His report mentioned several
crossings in the northeastern section of the
eity, and they were Immediately looked
Into. 1t was found that the crossings while
clearly unprotected, did not come within
the law, for the reason that the streets
which intersected the road were laid out
after the railroad had been established and
had procured its right of way. This barred
further action on the part of the authori-
ties, and the railroad was never proceeded
against. The passage of the law mentioned
above will give them authority, 1t is be-
lieved, to remedy all existing defects.
There are several other bills of minor i'm
portance which the Commissioners will
urge at the next session of Congress.
Letting Contracts.
There was a warm colloquy this morning
in Commissioner Trnesdelrs private office
between the Commissioner and Mr.. A. B.
Burns. 1t appears that several days ago
Mr.. Burns was awarded contract for erect
ing fire escape Oh the Homeopathic Hos
pital, it being stipulated that the work was
to be done by c. B. Albre & Co. The inspect
or of fire escapes learned that the work was
not being done by the Albre company, and
he promptly reported the matter to the Com
mssioners. The Commissioners promptly
summoned Mr.. Burns before them, and he
appeared this morning to explain his con-
necton with the case.
1t appears that Mr.. Burns obtains con-
tracts for such work, and receives a COM
mission therefor from the firm that does
the work. What the authorities wanted to
know was what right Burns had to sublet
the contract to other than the parties
named in the contract. Mr.. Burns explain
ed that he had originally intended to have
Albre & Co. do the work. but the firm re-
fused unless given contract on another
building. This meant a loss to Mr.. Burns
and he turned the matter over to p. RE
seek without informing the Commissioners
The Commissioners insist that the original
contract be carried out, and that Albre &
Co. do the work as per contract
Bogus inspectors.
The new health regulations governing the
milk supply of the city stipulate before a
license or permit is granted to a dairyman
to bring milk into the District, that a vet
erinarian must certify to the condition of
his cattle and cleanliness of his dairy.
Today the health department was in
formed that unauthorized persons are go
ing through Maryland and Virginia
claiming to represent the department and
stating that they have been sent to inspect
the dairy farms, etc, and demanding fee
of 81 for such inspection Such persons
are impostors, Health Officer Woodward
states, adding that there is no charge for
any inspection by the health department
and, further that there are no inspectors
out making inspections for the District out
side Of the city.
Another Party.
new engineering party has been formed
under the provisions of the highway act
and will go to work immedia tely. The
appointments have all been made and are
as follows: C. E. Petx transitman; Thomas
]. Fisher, jr., chairman. and D. C. Amman,
rodsman.
1t was w. R. Campbell and not W. D.
Campbell who has applied for a license to
keep saloon in Anacostia.