Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-25
DISTRICT AIRS
Hearing Today on Bill Relating to
Alleys.
CITIZENS MAKE EARNEST PROTESTS
Excise Board Wish to Increase
Liquor Licenses.


| A public hearing was given this morning
at II o'clock by the District Commissioners
| to those persons intereste in Senate bill
| 1887, which authorizes the Comm. ssoners,
| upon the recommendation of the health Of
| fcer, or in their own discretion. to purchase
| by condemnation the necessary land needed
| to extend alleys through squares in a direct
| line. The Commissioners have somewhat
amended the bill by inserting provso that
| hereafter permits for repairs for alley
houses shall be refused until approved by
| the health officer 1t is further provided
| that the health officer shall make such adj
d!tions to the plans as in his judgment are
necessary to insure sanitary conditions.
The apparent effect of this bill (section b
is to decrease the number of alley houses;
its actual effect. it is claimed. assuming that
this appropriation is to be continued from
| year to year, will be to increase the number
| Of such houses. The construction of alley
houses was practically prohibited in 1882 by
! an act Of Congress. The bill provides fur
| ther for the straight opening of any alley in
the city to the adjacent street, thus remov-
| ing the principal restriction to the con-
| struction Of alley houses.
The First Protest.
The hearing this morning was well at
| tended. A number of citizens and real es-
| tate brokers were present, including Mcssrs.
Alexander Porter Morse, Robt. w. McPher-
| son. E. S. Wescott, j. w. Pilling, G. w. F..
| Swartzell. Gen. F. p. Lippett and Drs A. P.
| Pardon. Aaron Baldwin and S. NJ. Newman.
| Mr.. Alexander Porter Morse, representing a
number of interested property owners. spoke
against the bill.
He said his clients had no objection to
offer as to tine first two and fourth Sec
tons Of the bill. They would go further
ana provide for the widening as well as
| Strengthening Of alleys and ask for a
! larger sum 20 carry out the law in the
exercise of the power of eminent domain
| as the public need required it. They en-
tered a protest against the third section
| of the bill, which was characterized as I'M
| il st, and confscates without damages pri-
vate property. Attention was calIeu to the
fact that large amount Of money has
been invested in alley houses. The lots
| for these houses were laid out in the CEN
| tiers of the squares. and in innumerable
| cases are provided with their own rear
| alleys, and these have been dedicated to
| the public and the dedication accept ed.
| Consequently these lots cannot be rean-
| nexed to the lots from which they were
| carved, nor could the owners of outside
| lots be compelled to buy them, for i,
| was argued their ownership has diversed
into different titles generations ago, and #
| they could be annexed they would not
be desired by tae owners of outside lots.
| for their own lots are large enough, and a
| larger lot would mean heavier taxes with
! out corresponding benefit in the vast ma
jority OF cases. To injure the property by
hostile legislation or to hamper the owner
| in the use and enjoyment Of MS property
| is not honest.
Great LOss Claimed.
Where the District has authorized SUBJ
| division Congress should not forbid the
owner to use It Tor the purpose for which il
was intended.
The legislation proposed was most odious
and would lie accompanied by a condition
Of things that would be scandal to the
community. At least million dollars
worth Of property is concerned and affected
| by the proposed legislation. He argued
| that the alley house is not nuisance.
Properly widened, paved, lighted and sew
cred there is no reason why the alleys
should not exist Under proper conditions
they give Individual homes to the very
poor, far better than by crowding them into
the tenement house, where more than one
family is sheltered under one roof. THIS
condition of affairs exists in New York,
where there are no alleys. The Medical So
ciety of the District mas no complaint to
make Of alley houses if kept in a sanitary
&C niit:on.
should the bill become a law hundreds of
people would be involved in loss. The rights
of owners of alley lots should be respected,
and they should not be involved in disas-
trous and expensive litigation to protect
them.
The legislation proposed in the third sec
ton of the bill seeks to practically strip the
owner OF his property and provides no in
Identification for him. These alley lots can
be used, save in the rarest possible in
stances. for stables. and then under re-
strlctions SO that the prohibitions of the
past years have practically, in the case of
vacant lots, amounted to confiscation, and
yet it Is notorious fact that vacant lots
upon which the owner is not allowed to
build are assessed as building lots
Gen. F. j. L-ppett, representing forty-one
interested property owners. also spoke
against the bill.
Inc Commissioners reserved their action.
Increased License.
The Commissioners have received from
the excise board a draft Of a bill TO in
crease the liquor license fee. which Is
urgently recommended for passage The
board believes an Increase in the tax will
force number of Objectionable places out
OF business and generally improve the
liquor trade. The bill is drawn as an
amendment TO the present liquor law. and
tne commissioners will recommend it's pas
sage
Have the Right.
The attorney for the District rendered an
important opinion today to the Commits
sioners relative to their rights to gran;
permits for underground conduits briefly
he holds the Commissioners have ample
power III the premises. and are not eStOpDed
by the decision Of Judge Bingham as far
as it relates to the United States Electric
Lighting Company.
The opinion was called forth by the :p.
plication Of President Thomas of the United
States Electro Lighting Company, who ap-
peared before the Commissioners several
days ago, and asked a permit to put q line
of conduit on the south side of F street lie.
tween 7th and 18th streets northwest, in
order that he might bury the overhead
wires along that street.
Major Powell promptly refused the up-
plication, on the ground that the decision
of Judge Bingham took the power out of
the Commissioners hands. Thereupon the
application was sent to the attorney for the
District with the request that he submit a
legal opinion on the questions involved
This was done this afternoon ATTORNEY
Thomas holding the opinion of Judge Bling
ham did not apply to the case, and the
United States Electric Lighting Company
had the right at all times to make appl;ca-
lions, and the Commissioners the right to
grant the application.
The Division.
The Commissioners this afternoon gave a
private hearing to Rev. DR.. 8. M. Newman,
G. P. Hopkins, Geo. H. Davidson and Dr.
Wray Beatty with reference to clearing out