Evening star., 1896-06-25
DIST RICT AFFAIRS
Commissioners Insist 0s a Watch
man at a Railroad Crossing.
TEE METROPOLITAN ROAD OBJECTS
,Mr. Phillips Says the City Should
Pay for Protection.
OTHER LOCAL NOTES

One Of the most dangerous street rail-
way crossings in the city, according to the
opinion of the Commissioners, is ct the
Intersection Of 7th and B streets north
west, wherc the Capital Traction and Met
ropolitan Railway companies cross each
other.
Durirg market hours when the street
and sidewalks are crowded there is con-
stant danger there, and Lieut.. Aniss
recommended that a watchman, to be paid
by the railroads. be placed there to pro-
tect the citizens and prevent accidents
President Phillips. representing the Met
ropolitan railroad, demurred to the issuance
Of police regulation compelling the en-
ployment of watchman there. The Cap
ital Traction Company favored the pro-
posed regulation, and President Dunlop
wrote to the Commissioners asking for in
structions and how the watchman should
be paid. He thought the two companies
should divide the expense. President Phil
lips, however, opposed the employment of
the watchman and refused to bear half
the expense. In the meantime CMarch u,
1885 the Commissioners passed police
regulation compelling railroads to protect
their street intersections wherever the
Commissioners should designate, and bear
the expense of the watchman. Thirty days
After this regulation was passed the same
had all effect of law. but the wat chman did
rot materialize. Then the attention of The
Commissioners was again brought TO the
matter. and they wanted to know why the
order had not been enforced. So they sent
notices to President Dunlop of the Capital
Traction Company and President Phillips
Of the Metropolitan railroad to appear be
lore them this morning at IL o'clock. Both
Presidents were on time. President Phil
lips urged postDOnement of the hearing
In view OF the Importance Of the subject
ana the absence of Commissioner Ross
AFTER a good deal Of talk between Presi-
dent Phillips and the Commissioners the
latter refused to postpone the hearing, and
directed the hearing to proceed.
commissioner Truesdell was very plain in
his position on the subject. The Metropol-
itan railroad was in the attitude of disobey-
ing police regulation, and its duty was
to place watchman there and then come
In and ask for the revocation of the regu-
lation Or the case could be taken into
the Police Court if the constitutionalty of
the regulation were questioned, where a
Judicial opinion could be obtained.
Railroad Side.
President Phillips said Of course If the
Commissioners insisted upon 1t he would
do his best to present the objections of
the Metropolitan railroad to the regulation
He claimed it was a municipal matter, a
taking care of pedestrians at the expense
of the railroads. If such thing We're true,
it was within the power of the authorities
to place watchman at every crossing in
the city, or all along the line, if deemed
necessary, and make the railroads bear the
expense. The Commissioners had no right
to impose municipal duty upon a corpo-
EatiOn. 1t was the duty Of the authorities
on the other hand. to protect the citizens.
That was what the police We're paid for.
In New York city policemen were paid and
at do
the pedestrians. 1t was municipal duty
and the public, in all fairness. should pay
for the protection of itself. If further pro-
lection We're needed, let the public provide
1t.
In all of his travels he had never seen or
heard of municipality establishing watch
men to warn off the public and compel the
railroads to pay for it. Not a single case
where the municipality. at its own expense,
had provided for watchmen because it was
their duty.
President Phillips denied that the inter
section was dangerous one as far as the
Metropolitan railroad was concerned He
read an affidavit from Engineer Connect
of the Metropolitan railroad setting forth
that he had never known of two inter-
employing watchman. Where two cable
lines intersected a watchman was neces-
sary, because one of the cars had to cross
by momentum. There was no danger at
the intersection Of 7th and B streets
President Phillips read other affidavits from
employees of the company, setting forth
much the same thing.
Commissioner Powell said that he had
serious doubts as to the constitutionality
of any regulation concerning the protection
of the public. The regulation could be
changed and made clear that it was for the
purpose of preventing collisions. Surely
such regula ton.
But such a change Major Powell, would
be sharp practice"
This nettled the Engineer Commissioner,
and he replied rather sharply that such
was the original idea of the Commissioners,
and the Metropolitan railroad had seized
upon the phraseology to defeat it's purpose.
IF there was any sharp practice it was the
Metropolitan railroad that had been guilty
of it, The Commissioners gave President
Phillips until next Wednesday in which to
file brief.
The Police Force.
The Commissioners are confronted with a
peculiar condition of affairs in the ap-
pointment of the fifty new policemen pro-
vided for under the new appropriation bill.
There are any number of applicants, good,
big, strong specimens Of manhood, who
would make excellent policemen. The
trouble is that few of them are qualified
according to the examinations they are
compelled to take to pass the civil service
muster. An example of that took place at
a recent examination, when out of twenty
three applicants but two received the requi-
site percentage that entitled them to be
put on the available list. The applicants
complain that the questions are difficult
and not fair Only an intimate knowledge
of police duties would prepare them for
such an examination. 1t is believed that
the policemen will be appointed without re-
spect to the written examination.
Payne Building.
The Commissioners will, it is understood,
name the new colored public school build
Ing, at the corner of 10Th and c streets
southeast, in honor of Bishop Payne of
the A. NJ. E. Church. That name was
recommended by a large number of people
ana the school trustees also favor it,
To Await u Hearing,
Arthur G. Hurley, a corporal in the 4th
United States Artillery, was placed under