The morning times., 1896-07-02

The question OF continuing the lease of
Convention Hall as drill room for The
District National Guard is at the present
time one of the greatest importance, not
only to the members or the guard, but to
the District Commissioners as well. The
militiamen are up IN arms against the
perpetuation of the lease OF the han. under
present conditions, which have over two
years more to run, for the reason :hat the
agreement entered into at the time the
hall was leased have not been complied
with, and petition has been presented
to the Commissioners by representatives
of the Washington Light Infantry and the
National Rifles. asking them 10 declare
the lease Of Convention Hall null and
void.
This was done yesterday when the Com
missioners were waited upon by n dele
CATION composed OF Capt. John s. Miller,
Capt. Allison Nailor, and Capt. A. w.
Kelley, of the Washington Light Infantry.
and Lieut. George w. Evans and Capt.
James F. Oyster OF the National Rifles
who prepared n petition asking FOR Il pro
portionate aInoInt OF the sum Of money
appropriated by Congress for the rent Of
National Guard armorics IN the District
of Columbia, and also for the ann n1ilinent
of the contract for the hall.
GROUNDS FOR THE PETITIONS.
The ground upon which the petition Ct
the Infantry was presented was to the
effect that heretofore they have been
paid an annual rental for the use nf their
armOry. and inasinuch as they pay big
tax to the District on the property they
hold they thought It right and proper
thut the District should compensate them
for the use Of their armory.
The petition of the National Rifles is
based on the ground that they, too. own
their own armory and have not yet heen
paid an amount for rent from the District
funds appropriated by Congress They
are entitled. the representatives claim,
to a proportionate amount Of the ar
mories fund and as they are heavy tax
payers TO the District and are connected
with the National Guard. claim the saine
recognition given to other commands in the
District Militia.
Convention Hail. at present the drill room
Of the brigade, is claimed to be unfit for
drilling purposes or has been unit Tor
military drills during the winter months.
The representatives OF the two companies
ask that the lease Of the hall be de-
clared void on the ground that its terms
and conditions have been violated and the
companies haze suffered thereby. The
lease was drawn up and signed bv the
parties interested in the fail OF 1895, and
the principal condition was that upon the
payment Of an annual rental of S5.cCO the
hall was to be used by the District Militia
three nights every other week during the
drill season, OF 20 nights in all.
1t was represented by the petitioners
that on several occasions companies
were refused admittance to the hall be-
cause it had been rented for other purposes
and on other occasions when the Com
panies were allowed to go into the hall
the atmosphere was like that OF cold
stora ge room and many of the men became
sick from the exposure: that the han was
wholly unfit for drilling purposes. The
hall had been used as a skating rink and
the flooring on which the companies drilled
had been nut down over che sheet OF Ice.
MANY COMPLAINTS MADE.
Nearly every company in the brigade had
several complaints to make about the un-
suitable condition OF the hall and the
matter has been one of serious consdera-
tion on the part OF Gen. ordway and other
officers of the brigade. A statement was
made yesterday to the effect that unless
a change was made for the better it will
be impossible to hold the guard together.
The Commissioners listened with com
mendablc patience to the several complaints
and agreed to give the matter their at
tention. In reference to the petition OF
the two companies mentioned for pro-
portionate part OF the armories fund, the
Commissioners declared that nothing could
be done at the present time or at least
until the Convention Hall matter had been
amicably settled. Mr.. Petty, the auditor
of the District, was out OF town, and the
whole matter would be brought to his
attention Immediately upon his return.
Gen. ordway could not be found, conse-
quentiy his views relative to the matter
could not be obtained.
Fireworks! All the novelties. Prices
L.. L G...ll II