Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-13
THE FIRE LIMITS
Hearing Tsdsy On the Proposition to
Extend Them. >.
WHAT TIE OPPONENTS had TO SAY
Items Of Interest Collected at the
District Building.

District SuldlnQ.
M NICIP Al CONTROL
A proposition to extend the fire limits
Of the city 10 Spring road and Piney
branch on the north and to Rock creek on
the west. was the subject of public near
ing before the Commissioners this morn
iEg.
The hearing was granted at the request
Of the Mount Pleasant Citizens Associa-
ton, which, it will be recalled, asked for
the extension through its executive COM
mittee last February.
There ives considerable opposition to the
proposition. Messrs. A. A. Lipscomb and
VIM. H. Saunders. trustees for Holmead
Manor, entered strong objections. MIR.
Ldpscomb said he appreciated the fact that
the fire limits had to be extended some
time, but he thought the change should not
be made until the necessity arose. Mere
esthcticism should not enter into the mat
ter. The Mount Pleasant Citizens Asso-
citation had merely taken this means OF
keeping out overhead wires. AS far rs
he was concerned, he welcomed overhead
wires.
AS far as Holmead Manor was concerned
an extension Of the fire limits was not de-
sired The advocates of extension were OF
the opinion that to extend the fire limits
would bring brick houses. This was
mistake. he said. DR.. A. B. Jamison urged
the extension as far as Mt. Peasant was
concerned. Holmead Manor was protected
by clause In all deeds which required a
house Of value not less than 5000. But
Mt. Pleasant was unprotected and needed
the protection sought Mr.. Donald Nc
Fherson, representing his interests in Den
nfson and Leightons and Lanier Heights
subdivisions, spoke In favor Of extending
the fire limits. Mr.. Herman d. Walbridge
expressed himself as opposed to the con-
templated extension.
The Commissioners took the matter under
consideration.
Great Falls Property Right.
Tho Commissioners today made the fol-
lowing report upon House bill 1906. to
amend the act to increase the water supply
of the city of Washington:
The Commissioners deem 1t Of the high
est Importance to the public interests that
the government acquire the title to all the
water right in the vicinity of the Great
Falls of the Potomac river not now owned
by 1t. All the available flow of the river at
that point will be needed to meet the grow
ing needs of the national capital for its
water supply, and the Commissioners earn
estly urge that possibility Of contentious
and embarrassments from divided jurisdic-
ton over this source of supply be eliminated
through the acquisition of all those water
rights by the government"
In the judgment of the Commissioners the
earliest action possible In this direction Is
advisable. but as the Washington aqueduct
is under charge Of the War Department,
they take the liberty to suggest that the
bill be referred to the Secretary Of War.
The Old Sunday Law.
Revs. Teunis F. Hamlin, Adolos Allen and
Geo. L. Luccock appeared before the Com
missioners this afternoon to urge the re-
enactment of the old Sunday law Of the
corporation Of Washington, which fs''ed
to become operative. because the mayor
inadvertently neglected to approve it. They
said they did not come as preachers repre-
senting any organization, but merely as cfti-
zens OF the District OF Columbia.
In Place of the Contract System.
Health Officer Woodward has recon-
n.ended the municipal ownership Of gar
hage plants ard municipal direction of the
work Of collection. In other words, he be-
lieves the District should have entire con-
troll Of the collection and disposition Of
garbage. These conclusions were given In
report to the Commissioners today based
upon q letter Of inquiry from Senator Nc
MILAN. While the work has been done by
contract for number of years, the doctor
says 1t has never been satisfactory and is
not so today. The service at times has
teen due to insufficient appropriation and
lack of authority on the part of the Com
missioners to require that garbage should be
properly cared for by householders. The
performance of such work under contract is
bad IN principle, ne says, because the IT.
terests of the contractor are to a certain
extent opposed to the interests of the COM
munity. By the contract system the cost
Of inspection Is doubled to no good pur-
pose. In conclusion he says:
FOR these reasons I am of the opinion
that SO far as collection and disposal of
garbage Is concerned. 1t would be greatly
to the interests of the government to per-
form such service itself by the days work
system instead of by contract. L am fur
Their of the opinion chat If politics is not
allowed tc enter into the organization and
maintenance of such service. the cost will
be less and the service better under the
days work system than when done by con-
tract, especially If the street sweeping Is
undertaken in the same way.
Nv neither or not the proposed change in
the system Of collecting and disposing Of
laboring men engaged in such service I
am not able to state.''
District Notes.
The Commissioners have promoted c. NJ.
Towers, bank messenger Of the collector of
taxes, to the position of clerk, vice Cougar.
deceased.
Private R. 8. Reed of the fire department
has been removed.
p. r. Pullman has been given the con-
tract to build fifty bath houses at the hath
ing beach for the sum of $345.
Inc charges against Marshall and Rob-
eltson OF the police force have been dis
missed.
Morton Club Rooms Raided.
Saturday night the police raided the