Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-13
THE NEW SNOW LAW.
PrOvistOns of the Act Which the Com
missioners VIII Enforce

missioners VIII Enforce
Under the provisions of tn. new snow
law the Commissioners will IN all proba-
bility have 1t in their power this winter to
give work to hundreds Of the unemployed
and thereby reduce very largely the de-
maGds upon the poor fund. This law was
enacted only last March, and there have
not yet been any prosecutions under it.
Some doubt is expressed as to whether or
not the law rontemplates prosecution in
the Police Court, but it is the intention of
the authorities to issue warrants in the
near future in order to get decision from
the court. Under the old law owners of
unimproved property could not be prose-
cuted, while under this law The Commits
sionerS are given power to cause the re-
moval of the snow and assess the cost
against the property. The first section of
the law provides: That the owner or ten
ant of each house or other building, or lot
or lots of ground in the cities of Wash
ngton and Georgetown, and in such other
part or parts Of the District of Columbia
as the Commissioners may from time to
time designate shall, within the first four
hours of daylight after every fall of snow,
cause the same to be removed entirely
from off the paved sidewalks opposite such
house. building, lot or land, under the penal
ty Of 81 fer each lot for every such neglect,
TO be paid by the said owaer or tenant"
Section of the act which refers to the
icy sidewalks. requires.
That in case the sidewalks are covered
with Ice, the owner or tenant of any build
ing, lot or lots of ground in the cities of
Washington and oIgetCwn shall prompt
ly cause the paved sidewalks or paved por-
tons OF the sidewalks opposite his, her or
their premises to be strewed with ashes
sand, sawdust or some other suitable sub
stance that Will insure or contribute to the
safety of pedestrians, under the penalty OF
81 for each lot for every neglect. to be paid
by the said owner or tcrant.
Inc work required of the District en-
ployes on the cutters and crosswalks is de-
fined in section 4. as follows:
THAT 1t shall be the duty of the Com
missioners CT the District of Columbia i'm
mediately after every fall of snow on the
crosswalks or in the cutters forthwith to
cause the same to be removed from the
from out of the said cutters to the breadth
Of one foot: and the said crcSswalks and
cutters shall be kept clean and free from
distractions. and in case the crosswallSs
are covered with ice, it shall be their duty
to cause such crosswalks to be liberally
Sprinkied with sand or Sawdust or such
other material as will insure safety to Pc
deStrianS."
Section of the act imposes upon the.
Commissiorer the duty of seeing to the
enforcement of the law. and where the
tenant or owner ref SEES or neglects to com
ply with the law, the Commissioners are to
see that the snow is removed or the ice is
sprinkled with ashes. sand or some other
suitable article, and the cost of the work
is to be assessed against the property as
taxes.
Under the last section of the act the Sill
perintendeDt of public buildings and
grounds is directed, when funds are avail
able, to have the walks in and about the
parks and public spaces cleaned. as provid-
ed by law for owners of property.