The evening times., 1896-03-06
HELD UP TIE VOUCHERS
Auditor Pelf's Action in the
ATm1ry Matter.
CONTENTION OF OFFICIALS
The Commissioners Claim That the
Arn,ory uud Convention Hall Are
Ordway Vexeti by the State of Az
fairs-Minor District Matters.

! The contention ietwcen the District and
the Northern Liberty Market Company,
referred to In The Morning Times. was
asccrtaincd today from reliable, but un,
official sources, to ic overtLe urtailnent
of tie District rights under its case. and
that Auditor Petty has heldup the vouchers
Of the company pending sn investigation
of the alleged infringement of the con-
| tract.
| The auditor, il is understood. regards the
| Armory and Cony yen,iou Hall lob beessentially
| Distric, property. Forthe former the munich
pality pays Il rental of 81 900 per annuni.
and for the use of The hall as drill room
an additional sum of 81, 500 is paid.
| The lease gives the National Guard the
| right 10 occupy the Armory the year round.
and during eight months of the year the
| hall is at their disposal for drilling pur-
posts each Monday, Wednesday and Sat
| urday evening, with the reservation that
| the Market Company may, If necessary,
use the hall twenty OF the evenings desig-
| mated, during the eight months, to the ex-
clusion OF the military. This concession
is made on condition that the company
shall light The hall, without expense to the
District, and shall also heat and property
light the armory.
| NOT AS A REFLECTION.
So maBycpmriaints reached the Commits
siunerx and the Treasury of nCn-compli-
| aDce with the conditions that Auditor Petty
sent a District ofc.ciai TO Investigate. The
investigation WAS made without reference
to Gen. Ordv-ay OF the quest ions involved.
II was Dot ;nten.d rs a reflection upon the
general. although h he seems to have cCnsid-
cred IL rs such, AID. as stated exclusively
in The Times of this morning, he wrote
a tart letter to Mr.. Petty. He is under
stood 0 have declared in his communication
that he had no knowledge of such an in
quiry except from bearsay, and requiring
TO be Informed il such investigation had
been made, ard. If SO, by what authority
and why he had cot been Informed of it.
The auditor is said to have responded
yesterday by admitting the investigation,
and explaining the method by which it was
made. As to his authority for the inquiry.
Gen. Ordway is believed 10 have been adj
vised that the auditor derived his right
from the commissioners. 10 whom the gem
eral was politely referred.
Auditor Petty declined today to either
deny or confirm the rumors as to the
correspondence. but said an investigation
had been made of complaints received.
and that in the exercise OF his duty he is
obliged to hold up the vouchers of the
company for the rent of the buildings
until it can he shown that the contract
has been complied with.
1t is intimated that instead of twenty
days taken from the time of the National
Guard. the company has absorbed about
fifty of the days allotted to drill, and that
the guard has not been able to drill for
several months. IL may also be shown
when the report is submitted that the.
armory has been insufficiently lighted,
except as TO the officers quarters and that
there have been other derelictions upon
the part of the Market Company.
oRDwAY NOT CONSULTED.
Auditor Petty was asked today if Gen.
0riway had been consulted during the
progress of the Investigation, and said he
had not. He added, that while he re-
garded the general as Il very worthy
gentleman, be is known to lie interested in
the market company, and that. naturally.
Notwithstanding nc is at the head OF the
National Guard, he had not deemed it
necessary TO approach him upon the sub
ject. He said he did not regard such
omission as in any sense a breach of cour-
tesy.
Abraham Van Horn has been appointed a
first-class private on the Metropolitan po-
lice force. thc order TO take effect today.
An order was issued by the Commission
ers today, requiring the Metropolitan Rail-
road Company ana the Washington and
Georgetown Railroad Company, Jointly, to
place and maintain on duty during market
hours flagman 4 the intersection of Sew
enth and y streets northwest, with the OBJ
ject OF preventing accidents to pedestrians
and others through the operation of the cars
at that point.
1t having come TO the attention of the
Commissioners that the cars on the George
town and Tenleytown Road are run over
the road from Woodley lane to the District