Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-09
Title to River Front Vested in United
States.
NOTICE TO Be SERVED ON OCCUPANTS
Order for Payment Of Rents tc
Collector of Taxes.
PROVISIONS OF ACT CONGRESS

| day two notify all parties interested
! that rents from wharf property now occu-
| pied by said parties on the Potomac river
| front of the city from the list instant must
| be paid to the collector of taxes of the Dis
| trict. AS has been heretofore explained in
| The Star, the recent decision of the United
! States Supreme Court in what is known as
| the Potomac flats. case finally and COM
| p.etely confirmed the title of the United
! States in and to said river front, and it is
| in view of this decision that the Commits
| sioners acting under the provisions of an
! act of Congress approved March 3, 1888,
| will give such notice to all occupants of
! the river front, excepting those occupying
| the space Immediately adjacent to the
| northern boundary line of the arsenal
| grounds.
| The notice which will be served by the
| Commissioners on such occupants Is as fol-
| lows:
| Notice is hereby given by the Commits
| sioners of the District Of Columbia that IN
| view of the decision rendered on the Isl
| instant by the Supreme Court or the united
| States, and in pursuance of the authority
| granted by the act Of Congress approved
| March 3, 1892 entitled An act relative 10
| the control of wharf property and certain
| public spaces in the District OF Columbia,
I all rents from wharf property now occu-
| pied by you on the Potomac river front of
| the city Of Washington from the LIST in
| slant must be paid to the collector OF taxes
| of said District.
| Rules and regulations for the proper use
| of said wharf property. and for the rates
! of rental of the same, will be established
| as soon as possible, and application for
| such use should be made in writing to the
| said Commissioners"
! Provisions Of Law.
! This act of March 8, 1899, provides that
| the Commissioners Of the District shall
| have the exclusive charge and control of all
wharf property belonging to the United
States or to the District within the District,
| including all the wharves, piers, bulkheads
and structures thereon and waters ada
cent thereto within the pier lines. and all
| Slips basins, docks, water fronts, land I'M
| der water and structures thereon and the
appurtenances. easements, uses reversions
| and rights belonging thereto, which were
! then March 3, 1890 owned or possessed by
| the United States or the District, or to
! which they either of them is or may be-
come entitled. or which they or either of
| them may acquire under the provisions of
| said act.
| The act in question also provides that the
! said Commissioners shall have exclusive
| charge and control of the repairing. build
| ing, rebuilding maintaining, altering
! strengthening, leasing and protecting said
| property and every part thereof, and all
the cleaning, dredging and deepening nee
! essary in and about the same within the
| pier lines By the same act the Commits
sioners are authorized ard empowered to
make all needful rules and regulations for
the government and control of all said
mentioned wharves. piers, etc, not owned
by the United States or the District, but
places tie banks of the Potomac river from
the north line of the arsenal grounds to the
southern curb line of street south. and
also 500 linear feet of shore line in the
flushing reservoir at the foot Of 18th street
west. and west from the western curb of
said street, including levee 100 feet wide
under the immediate Jurisdiction and con-
chief pnQjnparC nf ha mil ad
States.
| Rules and Regulations.
| The chief of engineers and the District
Commissioners are authorized and empow-
cred By the act to make all needful rules
and regulations for the government and
proper care of such property placed in their
charge and under their respective control
and to annex such reasonable penalties
thereto will secure their enforcement.
They are also authorized and empowered
to make and enforce rules and regulations
in regard to building and repairing
wharyes. the rental thereof and the rate
of wharfage. All rents so collected shall
he covered into the treasury of the United
| states, one-half to the credit of the United
States and one-half to the credit of the
District, and no lease made under the pro-
visions of the act shall extend beyond the
period of ten years. The act further pro-
Vides that the harbor lines of the District
shall be determined by the said chief of en-
glneers and the Commissioners, subject to
| the approval OF the Secretary OF War
Commissioner WiGht's Comments
! Speaking to a reporter of The Star today
| upon the matter, Commissioner Wight said
| that, while the Commissioners have not
| determined the rates of rental to be charged
| for wharfage and other occupancy of the
! river front. it was thought best to at once
! notify all concerned that they must pay for
,,I,
date of the Supreme Courts decision These
rates of rental, a well as the rules and
| regulations required to be made win be-
! said Mr.. Wight, promulgated as soon as
| they can be devised, which will be- he
| thinks, some time this month. As the case
| has been sent back to the lower court by
the Supreme Court for further proceedings,
| in conformity to the opinion of the latter
| tribunal, Mr.. Wight stated that he has no
| doubt the lower court will promptly hear
| and determine the claims of all persons
| who have in good faith occupied and erect
ed buildings upon the river front But
| these proceedings will not. so the Commits
| SlonerS are advised, interfere with their
| duty of making the necessary rules and
regulations prescribed in the act of March
3, 1888. nor with the collection of rentals
| for the occupancy Of the river front from
the LIST instant. After these matters have
| been settled, the Commissioners will pro-
| coed to Clean out and make needful repairs
| in and about the river front, which work
has been sadly neglected. it is stated, be-
| cause of the uncertainty heretofore attend
| ing the ownership of the property.
J Mr.. Wight also stated that it is not i'm
\ probable that the United States will erect
d commodious and modern wharf structure
on that part of the river front placed in
charge of the chief of engineers, and the
District will likely erect a wharf for its
exclusive use, whereon win probably be
placed the Office of the harbor master. The
Commissioners, said Mr.. Wight, will make
| every endeavor to improve the whole
| river front placed IN their charge and con-
| troll is to remove all the structures which
are in a state of dilapidation or in any
other way discreditable to the District. In
this he expressed the opinion that Congress
| WILL by liberal appropriations, give the
Commissioners every facility.
| Gets Ten Days and Advice.
| u1oIta, TobpSon Uas ballad ,,non in Judge