The evening times., 1896-02-18
Mr.. CROsBT's SIDE GIVEN
Argument About Electric Lights
Before the Commissioners.
WHAT HE Is WILLING TO DO
Another Amendment of the Building
OF Land-New Hydrant on Nine
teenth Street-Daily Orders and
Minor District Matters.

President Crosby OF the Potomac Light
and Power Company, was given hearing at
| late hour this afternoon by the Commits
sioners. upon tue merits OF House bill No.
573S, under which an extension of the lines
OF the company is sought.
This is the measure concerning which the
residents of the northwest suburbs entered
a protest. and it was To harmonic the diff
ferences. and topresent to the Commiss toner's
a basis. believed to meet all requirements.
upon which favorable consideration OF the
bill may be obtained.
The bill as prepared provides. among
other things, that mo overhead wires
shall be erected by the said company within
the limits OF the city of Washington"
that in that part of the District not in.
cluded in the city the Commissioners may,
at their discretion, grant permits for the
construction Of overhead or underground
lines"
The Columbia Heights citizens objected
to this, and asked that the limit within
which overhead construction may be per-
United be extended beyond their territory.
They suggested that Spring road SHALL be
established as The fire limit line, and that
the bill bc amended SO as TO correspond
with the proposed fire limit line.
AMOUNT TO BE A PROHIBITION.
The company argued that to make such
u INT
to a prohibition or electric light service
in large part or the territory, and relief
measure has Eeen practically agreed upon,
In the form OF a stipulation, by which per-
mits may Ee obtained for overhead wires
inside the suggested fire limit upon the
basis of consent of majority in the
values ofo wners who sc lots front on squares
through which IL may be desired to run
such a service.
The president of the company expressed
a Willingness to have the bill amended in
conformity with all reasonable sugges-
tions, his only purpose being, he said, to
secure n franchise that Will bc upon
practicable and living basis. Where per-
inItfor an overhead service cannot be grant
ed. the underground conduit viii be substi-
tuted.
AMEND THE REGULATION.
An order was made by the Commission
ers today to further amend the regulations
in respect to the future pla atting and subdi-
viding of lands and grounds in tie District,
and also to amend the building regulation
to conform to the change made in tie gen
eral orders"
Under the amendment just adopted, it is
provided that mo land shall be subdivided
into lots less than sixteen feet in width pro-
vided that If, after laying off tract into
lots, 1t shall appear that there is a surplus
OF not less than twelve feet in width. such
sarnlus may be given number and be in
Guided in the subdivision"
1t Is further provided that any existing
lot not less than twenty-four feet in width
may be suhdivided into two lots of equal
width, and that no lands shall be subdi-
vided into lots OF less than fifty feet
in depth, except when such lots abut on
two public streets, or upon street and
an alley.
Paragraph IA of section of the building
regulations. is amended by substituting
in the third line the word sixteen for
the word twelve" and by the addition
of r clause as follows:
provided, That any existing lot less
tnaa twelve feet wide, or any lot which,
under the orders and regulations FOR plat
ting and subdiviling land is author ized TO
be less than sixteen feet wide, may have
a building erected thereon the width OF
such lot