Evening star., 1896-04-01
DISTRICT AFFAIR S
Vigorous Protest Made to the Excise
Board.
Railroad Extensions of Existing
Lines-LOcal Matters of Interest
to All Taxpayers.

| In hearing before the excise board this
| morning Attorney Frank Madigan, repre-
senting several saloon keepers whose IL
cerses had been rejected, directly charged
the board with unfairness, a violation of
their oaths Of office, and an abuse of the
arbitrary power granted them under the
new liquor law.
The discussion was brought about by the
action of the excise board in granting cer-
tain cases upon reconsideration and rcfus-
ing Others which, 1t was claimed, were
Identical. Mr.. Madigan pointed out how
the board had listened to the dictates of
tain cases because of the pressure Of in
fluence. 1t was unjust. The men he
| represented had fully complied with the
law and the regulations. If the board
ed 1t, a power more potent than that vest
ed in the United States Supreme Court.
where were the citizens coming to? His
clients had rights. rights that should be
were engaged in received official sanction.
All he wanted was justice No viola
tions of law had beensrecorded. The only
thing against his clients was one protest
from woman living on an opposite cor
ner. and against another the fact that
crowds congregated on the sidewalks near
his place on Sunday. Several times the
board, through Messrs. Morsell and John
sun, piotcSteu against the lduS udSc uSeu,
but MIR. Madigan retracted nothing. He
did not mean to reflect upon the integrity
of the board, but had simply said what
he considered right, and had nothing to
retract.
Garbage Smell.
South Washington has been heard from
in relation to the garbage crematory. This
morning a delegation from the Citizens
Association of that section, consisting of
Messrs. NJ. j. Brown and John QUINN ap-
peared before Commissioner Ross and stated
that last night the stencil from the crema-
tory was Inbearable. 1t could be smelied as
far as the club house of the Washington
Athletic Club and a gentleman who was
eating pie on the street was forced to
throw it away. SO sickening was the odor.
1t was the smell of burning garbage, and
very offensive. Several members of the
club walked down to the crematory. The
odor was noticed all along the route That
was about o'clock at night. When they
arrived opposite the crenlatory no odor was
noticed. The wind was from the east They
could not say what the condition Wodld be
If the wind were from the south. At any
rate, 1t was most offensive to the residents,
commissioner Ross promised to look into
the matter.
Donnelly's Contentious.
MIR. William F. Mattinsly has presented
brief to the excise board in the case of
James d. Donnelly. an applicant for a
wholesale license at the corner of 14th and
l streets northwest. He urges the granting
OF the license on the following grounds:
Because the business conducted by him
is lawful and wholly unobjectionable. Be
cause. as a matter of law, having made the
deposit of so on October %, 1892, he was
licensed thereby until just part of the
same not used was refunded, which was
never done. Because it is clearly shown
beyond question or the cavil of decent
doubt by all the circumstances of the case
and by positive oral and record evidence
that his application for a license was pend
Ing on March 3, 1893 Because the first ex-
else board, after full investigation and
hearing. decided the very question now in
controversy in Donnelly's favor and granted
the license That this as matter of law
was final adjudication of that question,
and no subsequent board has any lawful
right to reconsider it, but is absolutely
bound by it,
Columbia Suburban Road.
The Commissioners this afternoon made
the following report upon House bill 1853,
to amend the act Incorporating the Column
tia Suburban Railroad Company:
This company was incorporated by act
of Congress of July 5, 1892 The charter
contained this provision: That the line of
said railway company shall be commenced
within six months and completed within
two years from the passage of this act
otherwise this act shall be of no effect
in December. 1892, and was ended by some
inconsiderable grading for two squares on
18th street in Brookland.
THE charter has expired by the terms of
its limitations; the Commissioners arc not
in favor of reviving it. They are of the
opinion that the public interests can better
be served by extension of existing street
railways, especially in view of the fact that
such arrangement would enable passengers
to come from the suburbs into the heart of
the city without changing cars, and for one
fare.
The Columbia railway and lexington
and Soldiers Home railway companies have
bills pending in Congress for the extensions
of their lines over part of the route sought
by the Columbia Suburban Company The
Commissioners propose to recommend that
the Eiadensburg route be granted to the
Columbia company and that certain other
routes in the region north of the Bladens-
burg road be granted to the lexington COM
pany, which has an existing charter right
on New York avenue extended and is
operating line to Brookland, an objective
point of the system contemplated by the
Columbia suburban"