Evening star., 1895-09-07
Attorney Thomas Submits His Re-
port to the Commissioners.
SUMMARIES AND SUGGESTIONS
Necessity for Legislation Relating
to Vital Municipal Interests.
c A ES OF THE YEA R

Mr.. Sidney T. Thomas, the attorney for
the Distlic let of Columbia. has submitted to
the Commissioners a statement CT the
operations Of his office for the fiscal year
ending June 30 last. Mr. Thomas proceeds
to the consideration of the decision of the
Court of Appeals in the case Of Burgdorf
against the District, in which it was held
that District water main assessments since
1888 are invalid because not authenticated
by the water registrar, which. he says,
emphasizes the necessity for legislation
authorizing reassessment in all cases where
proceedings for the collection of general
anG special taxes prove Intellectual. No
reasonable objection can be raised to such
legislation" continues the attorney. 1.-The
only cases in which hardsbips are likely 10
be inflicted by such a law are those where
tax is reassessed upon land which has
changed hands since the tax should have
been collected from it: but under tax
certificate system, for mere nominal fee,
a purchaser would readily discover the liza
biiity and be enabled to provide against it.
Such legislation, while it would not validate
tax which was originally void, would at
least remove the temptation from property
oWLe1s to avoid the payment of public dues
on technical grounds"
Important Gases of the Year.
There were four new law suits brought
personal injuries, and six new equity suits.
Referring to the decrease in the number of
damage cases brought since his last report
Mr.. Thomas attributes it to the policy of
the engineer department in readjusting
water and gas boxes so as to place them
in the parking or near the curbs.
Proceeding to the other cases of impor-
tance in which the District is an interested
party, Mr.. Thomas enumerates those now
pending, and then examines the cases set
tied by the Court of Appeals. Speaking of
the case of Kerr against the Commissioners,
which involved the plumbing regulations of
the latter, he says:
I'm order to make the plumbing regula-
tions effective. in view of this decision. it
will be necessary to obtain from Congress
further legisla ton. l would suggest that
the provision referred to in the first section
of the act of 1892 be repealed, and that the
Commissioners be authorized to annex to
their plumbing regulations such reasonable
penalties as will secure their enforcement
Reca concentrations and Suggestions.
There We're POI lunacy cases since the
last report, being a decrease of five as
against the previous year. Whilst there IS
a slight decrease in the number of these
cases Mr.. Thomas thinks there are yet
enough of them to suggest that the District
Of Columbia is being imposed upon by hav-
ing the lunatics of other places imported,
and suggests that the Commissioners
will tend to prevent this abuse.
Mr.. Thomas compliments his assistants,
and especially Mr. James L. Pugh, jr.. for
his diligent efforts in the Police Court,
where 12,5S2 cases We're tried during the
year, resulting in S24, 10 in fines, a de-
crease Of S12,o32. st from the former year.
The Commissioners should also be in
vested with power to remit fines and pen
alties," concludes the attorney, ''and to
pardon for all offerses against the Dis
;rct, wherever in their judgment execu-
tive clemency is eXpedient and proper. and
thus relieve the President in such matters"