The Washington times., 1895-02-26

that the existing form of government the
District is regarded as superior, in econom-
ica' and good administration, TO any form
OF municipal government in this country"
They therefore recommend adverse action
by Congress upon House bill No. 1854, au-
thorizing a special election to determine
whether or not the citizens desire to make
a change.
A copy ofthe communication to Chairman
Heard is forwarded to Dr. Robert Reyburn,
president of the Suffrage Petition Asso-
citation, and he is informed that for want of
time, owing TO the nearness of the sessions
close, an audience cannot be given the asso-
citation committee, and he is advised of the
Commissioners action in order that the
promoters of the movement may have oppor-
tunity TO be heard by the Congressional
Committee on District Affairs
NOT TIME ENOUGH FOR HEARING.
President Ross said yesterday that it was
impossible to give the committee a hearing,
and. not wishing TO delay the measure, the
Commissioners made their recommendation
and immediately notified the president OF
the association of their action.
The real contest" he said, will be in
Congress, anyhow, and there is but little
left OF the time of the present session"
In a communication submitted TO the
Commissioners yesterday the attorney for
the District comments upon the objections
made by Mr.. t. w. Birney to the reassess-
ment of the cost of paving an alley in square
SIG, and says:
MT
now pending inthe court OF appeals, Mr. Jus
tice Cox. in refusing an injunction 20 cnjoin
proceedings in certioTari TO quash assess
ments for the Improvement of Connecticut
avenue extended. remarked that IL was COM
petent for the Commissioners to give notice
to property owners and Teassess the cost
Of the Improvement. He is Of the opinion
that this business Of setting aside assess
ments for public improvements for defect
il the proceedings TO levy and collect them
VIII probably not cease until we have Il law
I authorizing reassessment in such cases"
The attorney theTeupon submits a draft
OF bill TO cover the cases which, in sub
stance provides that from and after the
passage OF this act, in all cases where gen
| eral taxes and assessments for laying
water mains and other public improve
mcnts In the District, which shall have
been declared invalid or void by the courts
by reason OF any defect in the proceedings
relating to assessments, the Commission
ers are authorized To reasSess such taxes
and assessments upon the original basis OF
valuation, and such taxes and assessments
shall be collected in the manner provided
by existing law.
ENGINEERING SKILL REQUIRED.
The construction Of the retaining wall for
the protection Of the proposed street railway
union station in the West End, viii involve
the exercise OF a good deal of engineering
! skill and the expenditure of good deal or
/ hard cash.
! The wall viii have to bear the pressure
/ Of vast weight OF rotten rock, loose soil
! and clay from an altitude of over sixty
! feet, the incline being at an angle OF about
! fOriv-fiye degrees. The nature of the
surrounding soil is such that at certain
/ seasons il is likely to take a slide sud
denly The wall must therefore De of
sufficient strength to resist the onslaught
Of tons OF earth, and this is the condition
which is giving the engineers and build
/ ing Inspector a good deal OF concern.
1t is probable that instead Of sixteen
! feet at the base the wall VIII have TO be
nearly twice that thickness, but the dimen-
sions are now the subject OF careful Inquiry
and calculation
Building permits issued yesterday: f.
/ L. McClelland, store building, No. 1886
/ Twenty second street northwest, $25 ,000;
D. L Croft, eleven dwellings, Nos. $40 To
/ 53S Third street, and Nos. 221 to 231 F
. street northeast, So, 900; Frank Jung
haus. frame dwelling, No. 1905 Gales
4 street, county, 81 200. For repairs: Jennie
". Hoffman, Improvements TO church,
/ Wilson street, Howard University sub
division, $500.
COMPRESSED AIR COMING POWER.
Capt G. j. Fieberger, who has just re-
turned from on official inspection of the
operation OF compressed air surface mo-
tor car in use at Rome, y. Y, made verbal
report TO Major Powell yesterday, in which
I he expressed satisfaction with the system,
4 and gave as his opinion that il is the coming
power on street lines.
One feature of his report that was Of in
terest was that the motorcars were nolosed
for the protection of the employees from the
inclement weather.
Rev. Alexander Mackay Smith having
I declined to accept the appointment as
trustee of Columbia Hospital for Women
Rev. Alfred Harding, Of St Paul's Protest
I ant Episcopal Church, has been appointed
! instead. The vacancy in the board was
occasioned by the resignation Of Rev. DR..
Bartlett. The appointment of Dr. Hard
ing was recommended by DR. Mackay Smith.
II was ordered yesterday that the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad Company be re-
quired to repair the roadway of the cross
ings at i street, Massachusetts avenue, g
street, Fourth, Fifth X, and NJ streets, re-
1 Spectvely, and Florida and New York
( avenues. as recommended in the report of
General Inspector L. Y. Beggs, under date
of January Is. The company is also re-
quired to provide a footway crossing at
/ xth street
Mr. Edward warfield had an interview
| yesterday with the Commissioners respect
ing the proposed garbage reduction pro-
cess provided for under the appropriation
( bill, but as tie measure is not law nothing
could be done except to discuss the plans
in view should the appropriation go
through.
After consideration of the application of
certain physicians TO the poor for extra
4 compensation for vaccinations performed
/ during the recent smallpox scare, Auditor
1 Petty expresses the opinion that the pay
mcnt cannot be made from the emergency
fund. as recommended by the attorney. He
saws If it is not a legal charge the compen-
sation cannot be authorized under the law
/ which provides for an emergency eund.
=
Fighting Chara Sters Come TO Grief.
Washington must have been in fighting
mood Saturday night and Sunday. Here are
some of the sentences imposed by Judge
Miller yesterday: Horace Allen, fined $50
orsixtydays for assaulting Edward Walters.
Jesse Nelson pounded William Robinson
! in an unmerciful and -uncalled for manner
and went TO jail for thirty days without
/ fine. Theophilus johnson and Samuel Will
1 liams engaged in a fracas south of Pennsyl-