The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-30
AFFAIRS OF THE DISTRICT
The Views ofthe Attorney on Rop-
ing Off the Streets.
The Health officer Recommends Tint
No More Permits of This Character
BE Issued-The Removal of Ashes
From Places of Observation-Disclosures
ing Property in Lieu of Damages.


the Attorney for the District was recent
ly called upon for an opinion as to the
right of the Commissioners to authorize
the obstruction of public streets on ac-
count of the presence of persons seriously
ill in the vicinity, and as to the duties
devolving upon the District as the result
of the issue of such permits.
The Attorney has just filed his opinion,
holding that the right of the Commission
ers to authorize such obstruction is, in
any case, questionable; that the existence
of such distractions can be justified if at
all only by the exceptionable gravity of
the situation; and that the District is
bound, through its officers, to give notice
of such distractions by lights and signs
Sc as to prevent persons travelling the
streets from coming into contact with
them.
factory enquiry into the special circum-
stance of each case SO as to determine the
gravity of the situation, or to maintain
the required lights and warning signs, ex-
cept through persons not employees of the
District nor responsible for it, the Health
Officer has recommended that the issue of
permits for the obstruction of streets be
discontinued, at least until Congress shall
have made provision therefor.
The authority under which the Health
Department has acted in granting permits
for temporarily roping off section Of the
streets is an old ordinance passed by the
Commissioners in 1883, which provides:
That permits to prevent the passage Of
vehicles in neighborhoods where persons
are SO seriously i'll as to make such step
necessary are confided to the Health De-
partment under a limitation of three days,
unless a longer period be granted by the
Commissioners. But no principal public
thoroughfare shall be SO INSTRUCTED, nor
any street car lines be interfered with.
All such permits shall be notified to the
Major and Superintendent of Police and to
the Engineer Commissioner"
The HealthDficer in his report of 1886,
after the practice had been in opera:' IN for
thirteen years, informed the Commission
ers that the. obstruction of streets and
alleys in the way prescribed In this ordi-
nance is frequently a source of incon-
venience to persons having business there
on, especially to those engaged in the de-
time the Health Office correspoDded with
other cities and found that Washington
stood alone in the practice. He also stated
that in the belief of some Of the best ply
sicians the roping Of the streets was never
necessary, but that in few extraordinary
cases they recommend the spreading of
tan bark on the pavement, which deadens
the sound of the wheels OF the pavement
and does not interfere with traffic.
Since then the practice has been con-
slant source of inconvenience alike to the
police, the Health Department, and the
Commissioners, with the result that the
matter was laid before the Attorney.
One Of the defects of the present sys-
tenn Of collecting and disposing of ashes
and miscellaneous refuse is that 1t makes
no provision for the removal of such re-
fuse from stores and business houses In
all the factories, stores. and premises 9TH
er than private residences the removal of
ashes. ETC., must be done at the expense of
the parties owning or OCCUPYING the prem
ises in question. There has been much
complaint at this discrimination beween
the householder and the business man in
the removal OF city waste, as the average
person is unable to draw dividing line be-
tween ashes burned in a kitchen range or
the furnace OF private house and similar
residue Of fire in the heating apparatus of
store, while waste paper is much the same
in all cases.
The matter was brought to the attention
of the Commissioners again recently by
letter from T. A. Judd and by petition
from ]. r. Bowen and others complaining
of the manner in which they are discrim-
mated against. Mr. Judd says that he has
been officially Informed by the Depart
ment Of Street Cleaning that the refuse
from his store must be removed at his ex-
pense, while at his residence, he says, it
is taken away by the collector free of
charge. He asks that the Commissioners
urge upon Congress the necessity of max
ing an appropriation for the removal Of
private houses.
In the petition OF Bowen and others a
similar request is made and the petitioners
state that they are now taxed to pay for
the collection of these materials from pri-
vate residences; and they declare them
selves unable to see any reason why the
or business man should be ex-
cluded from the service.
In reply to these letters the Commits
sioners wrote yesterday that they would
ask Congress to make an additional
appropriation of $4,000 for the collec-
tion and disposal of ashes and miscella-
neous waste to cover the increased ex-
pense OF taking such material from stores
and business houses, including hotels,
restaurants, and apartment houses.
George ". Mercer Acting Superintend- |
ent of Street Cleaning, explained to
of The Times yesterday that
he failure of the department to take |
away ashes and waste from stores and
business houses is not entirely the fault
of the authorities. The appropriation
made at the last session of Congress was
not sufficient, he said, to meet the ex-
pense. He stated that a lump sum of