Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-12-22
CITY COUNCIL.

I'LL OUUNUlU.
A meeting of the City Council was
called for last night to consider the pc.
tition of the q. S. government for per-
mission to lay private sewer from the
custom house building to King street.
BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
President Marbury and Messrs.
Havener and Davis were the only men,
bers of the Aldermen present and it was.
determined to hold meeting tonight.
COMMON COUNCIL.
The attendance at the meeting of
the Common Council called last
night TO consider the application
of the United States authorize to lay
down sewer on St. Asaph str eet from
the custom house to King street was
light and no quorum was oh tanned un-
til some time after the hour of meeting.
The call for the meeting being read,
communication was read from acting
Secretary of the Treasury Curtis, set
ting out that the Treasury Department
desires to construct an S.inch sewer
from the U. S. building to King street
and asking permission therefor.
The Mayors letter to the secretary in
reply was read as follows:
MAYORS OFFICE.
ALEXANDRIA, Va Dec. 49, 1896.
". E Curtis, 4cting Secretary Of tho Treasury
Washington, ID. c.:
Sir: Yours of December 16, 1896, has
been received and contents noted.
70 To-
eight inch terra Gotta sewer from toe Custom
House building to connect with the city sew
er recently constructed on King street, t. be
for the exclusive use of the Custom House
has not, so far met with the appreciation OF
the City Council for reasons which will en-
deavor to state briefly. The City Council is
svcrse to any more private sewers IN Alexan-
dria, intending eventually to sewer the entire
city, and the square or more of street you pro-
pose to open for the purpose of constructing
private sewer will eventually be opened to
meet the demands of residents who will petit
ton for q public sewer in order that they may
tap the same When that contingency shall
arise the city will find the sewer leading from
the custom house building serious barrier to
the construction of its own.
Now the proposition the city desires to
make, it seems, is just and equitable. The
government has sgnltied its Willingness to lay
an eight.inch terra Gotta pipe from their Gus
tom house building to King street, the cost of
which would be somewhere between five
hundred and six hundred dollars. The city
proposes that the government spend this
amount of money toward building Il twelve
inch sewer, the city to pay the government
the additional cost incurred, but the city is to
have control of the same and TO allow any
other parties to tap it who shall pay for the
privilege, the city to keep The same in order
forever Should the plan be adopted, the
custom house would have better sewer faclli-
ties than would BIZ the case if the government
constructed an eight.inch sewer; besides, the
inconvenience which has been experienced by
the clogging of the present private sewer could
never occur again, as the city would be obi.
gated to keep it in proper condition.
In reference to the sewer which the custom
house has been using for number of years,
it may be stated that it empted into street,
and, in order to abate nuisance the city was
compelled to construct several squares OF
SO wer at cost of about So, O0O The city has
since ordered the fourteen persons who had
tapped the government sewer on st. Asaph
street to pay asewer tax or disconnect. They
have refused to do either, and pending litiga'
CATION with these parties, the sewer has be-
come clogged and useless.
In conclusion l would state that have
called meeting of the City Council for Mon
day night to consider the government S petit.
ton. Respectfully yours,
L. II. THOMPSON, Mayor.
1t was explained by Mr.. Burke and
other members that it had been proposed
that the government lay 12.inch
sewer pipe down St.Asaph street and the
city pay the difference between the cost
ofan S-inch and 12-inch sewer, the pipe to
become the property of the city and to
be used as q public sewer, controlled
and kept in order by the city authori-
ties; also an alternative proposal, both
of which had been rejected by the U. S.
authorities.
The U. S. Deputy Collector, Mr.. NJ.
P. Vincent, explained that the Acting
Secretary OF the Treasury was entirely
unwilling to accept any of the PROPOSE
tions made by the city. He feared the
action of the City Council in refusing
permit for the sewer to the government
would lead to litigation which would
cost more than the sewer.
The Chair did not fear the litigation.
Mr.. Vincent said he did not mean
what he had said as threat.
Mr.. Burke, from the committee on
streets, reported that he saw no reason
for changing the position assumed by
the committee at the last meeting.
Mr.. Greene concurred thoroughly
With the committee and said that the
only course to pursue was to give no
special privileges for private sewers.
The President said that tine proposal
of the committee was an entirely fair
one and should be supported.
Mr.. Strider moved that the applica-
ton of the United States authorities for
a sewer on St. Asaph street be refused
and that the letter of the Mayor be
adopted as the action of the Council,
and the motion was unanimously
agreed to.
Mr.. W. Watson, of Oil Wolfe, ten
dered the city the use of his new min
eral water we'll at that place on condi-
ton of placing pump there. The
offer was referred to the street commit
tee.
Mr.. Burke presented a resolution in
relation to the collection of ashes, and
Mr.. Snowden resolution for the
change of the code, so as TO require
lime kilns to be $50 instead of 80 feet
from any dwelling house. Both were
referred.
Mr. Suowden introduced for reference