The evening times., 1896-02-25

protest against stthcenactmcnt OF tine measure
The objections were stated ut grea,
length. and were principally upon ths
grounds that the greater part of the invest
ment in alley lots and improvements haf
been authorized by the District, ami to now
proceed to destroy that property would bt
an arbitrary act OF great injustice.
The bill and various suggested amend
ments were read. Among these last weri
| several proposed by Assistant Engineer
Commissioners Fiebeger. Changing section
as outlined la The Morning Times OF today
so as to authorize the Commissioners, with
out suggestion from the health officer, t
acquire the land necessary for alley ex
| tension.
Itproyides that when, in the judgment ol
the Commissioners. IL becomes necessary Il
public health or safety, and upon the peti
ton of more than one-half of the real estate
owners. they shall, in the name of the Dis
trict, secure by purchase or condemnation
the necessary lands to have alley run from
street to street.
THE ACTUAL EFFECT.
1t Is Capt. Flebegers opinion that
while the apparent effect OF section 3 o
the bill is to decrease the number OF alley
its actual effect, assuming that the appro
priations are TO be continued from year to
year, will be to increase the number.
Construction of alley houses, he adds
| was practically prohibited in 1893, when
it was made unlawful to erect or place q
dwelling on an alley of less than 80 feet
in width and not supplied with sewerage
| water mains, and light. and also prohibited
the placing of n house on an alley which
does not run straight through the square
The proposed bill, he says, in providing
| for the opening of straight alleys from
| street to street, removes the restriction
and it is question, he suggests, whether
| or not it is good policy to spend public
| funds for the purpose of increasing alley
| houses.
| Capt. Fiebcger recommends that the Com.
| missioners be authorized 10y the bill to close
any alley, or any part OF an alley, rendered
useless or undesirable by the terms of this
| act, and sell the same for cash, provided!
the place shall not he iess per foot than
! the assessed valuation OF adjacent lots per
| foot.
The principal spokesmen for the opo-
nents of the bill were Mr.. j. W. Pulling.
Gen. F. ]. Lippitt, and Mr.. A. p Morse,
all of whom pursued the came line OF ar
gument.
Mr.. Pilling stated that section 3 of the
proposed enactment would practically con-
fiscate the alley property. He did not be-
lieve the Commissioners should be author
lied to do anything OF that kind. as it would
be very great injustice, especially as in
his Judgment adequate compensation is not
provided for.
.IsN1t to- hat f,ad h<oar a
with the further statement that the i'm
provcments in alleys would aggregate an
immense amount He appeared not for him
self, as he had no investments in such
property. but came In behalf OF actual prop
erty holders and the occupants of alley
houses. He asked what the effect would be
of law TO prevent repairsto such structures.
1t was an unheard-of and unprecedented
provision of law, arbitrary and objection
able FOR many reasons. The houses are oo-
cupied mainly by the poor and largely by
coiored people. Repairs are as essential
to their dorniciles us to other dwellings.
Gen. Lippitt's argument was lengthy ard
covered great many points. 1t was sup
piefDented by Mr.. Morse's address and
by the filing of sundry papers in protest.
LITTLE FAULT FOUND.
Mr.. Morse's objections were in large
part identical with that prepared by Others
and indorsed by all. With the first two
and fourth sections there was hut little
fault found. but emphatic protest was en-
tered against the third section.
The protes,crs say hey have no objection
to the Strengthening of alleys. They would
go even farther and agree to widen them.
But the provision to authorize the Commits
siOncrs TO refuse permits to make repairs
was most unjust.
Very many OF the subdivisions, they
siad have been made. approved a nd recorded
in pursuance OF law. and upon the property
general and special taxes have been and
are being levied.
'Thc owner of this property Is to be
prohibited from repairing it? For what
reason? That it may fall into ruin and be-
come dilaptdated? What then?
1.-The next thing is that the health officer
comes along, and through him the Dis
trct, 10y quasi criminal proceedings, takes
of its own wrong-tloing, and Or
ders its destruction, without affording COM
pensation."
Commissioner Powell here interposed, and
said there Is compensation provided for,
which, to Il degree met some of the objec-
tions. :.
MODERN CONDITIONS.
1T has been found" said the objcctors,
that the new conditions of modern life do
not require large building lots and the re-
suit is that property is subdivided into
narrower. but sufficiently wide, streets, |
where citizens may live atless cost.
"Aiiey lots arc laid out in many instances |
in the center of squares, in some cases |
provided with their own rear alleys that |
have been dedicated to and accepted by |
The District. These cannot lawfully be |
The improvements made upon |
hem are OF substantial character.
Addresses were also made by Rev. DIR. |
$. NJ. Newman. F. L. Siddons and Miss Kate |
Hosnier, the latter being particularly ap-
piicabIe.
Miss Hosmer said that experience in every |
arge city, here and abroad, shows the ne
,essity for such habitations and she advo-
,atcd their retention, adding that instead
II driving the occupants out, provision
should be made for a better class of houses
or them.
Nobody seems TO know whence came the
Dill. Mr.. Siddons said the Civic Center had
lot originated 1t, nor could he learn who
lad it presented to Congress.
Among those present not named above
we're Messrs. R. w. MCPHERSON. E. S. West
,ott, DR.. Aaron Baldwin, DR.. A. P. Far
Ion and G. W. F. Swartzen.
FAyORING THE KERR BILL.
rgument on Reciprocity Before the
1