The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-03

|
missfoners That Judicial Investi-
| CATION or Congressional Action Is
Needed TO Settle the Pending Con-
troversy--Rcquests for Refund.
The long-standing controversy between
| the United States Electric Lighting Com
| pany and the District authorities over the
amount of compensation to be allowed fer
arc lamps for street lighting purposes was
enlarged today by an additional statement
| from the office of the Auditor Last month
! the company Informed the Commissioners
that it was ready to furnish the seEyice
at the price agreed upon, but requested
| that the requirement of a bond for the
faithful performance of the duties Incl
dent thereto be waived on account CT the
! low rate of the contract.
]. T. Petty, the Auditor, in his report
! informs the Commissioners that the con-
| troVeTsy seems to be of such character
! that 1t cannot be settled short of a judi
cial investigation or by the Intervention
OF an act of Congress. The company, he
says, is willing TO accept payment at the
rate which tie District claims is contem-
plated by the act of Congress making ap
preparation for the service. But tbs COM
pany, he states, reserves the right 10 ap-
peal to Congress for the difference be-
tween the amount allowed and that which
the company claims it should receive.
If Congress appropriates therefor,
continues Mr.. Petty, the increase Will be
paid. but if it fails, after consideration.
to make the additional allowance. then
the amount as paid is to be considered by
the company as full discharge of all OBJ
legation in this respect on the part of the
District.
In view OF all the facts I recommend
that, pending the action of Congress, no
contract be cXacted, but that regular
monthly payments be made il accordance
with the foregoing understanding fer
which action there are several presidents.
notably in the cases of the Washington
Gas Light Company and the Chesapeake
and Potomac Telephone Company"
In this connection it may be stated that
in the last appropriation bill it was pro-
vided THAT not more than ST. per annum
shall be paid fnI any arc light burning
every night from fifteen minutes after
sunset to foIty-five minutes before sun
rise, and operated wholly by means of
underground wire, and each arc light
shall be of nor less than !, 600 actual can
die power. ETC.
In advertising for bids under this act the
Commissioners received from the United
States Electric Lighting Company hid TO
furnish these lights at the rate of $115.64
for each light per annum- The company
has maintained that the price named in
tie appropriation biIl-namely, 81 for
each light per annum, is less than the
. actual cost OF the service, and in coming
t. an agrel ment with the District authcri-
les it has expressed its confidence that
when the members of Congress rightly
+E,~,, FTr- 4
.iitional pay for the service This is the
tentative arrangement under which the
street lighting has been furnished since
the beginning of the present fiscal year.
The Commissioners today had before
them for consideration several appliea-
tions for the refund of oyerpaid taxes.
One of them was that Of Joseph R. Fague,
acting as attorney for John \. Schaefer,
who asked for tie return of s. alleged TO
have been overpali on the second half tax
of 1880 en- property in square SCI Mr.
Fague in his statement Of the case says
that the taxes fn" the year were ylUo.b3,
or $5O33 for the first half and 5000 for
the second half. He informs the Commits
sioners that on November 30, 1855 Mr..
Schaefer paid the first half $50.23. and
that on May 81, 1890. he paid s55.S2 for
the second half tax, and the attorney asks
that the amount oEerpaid be returned
Of Mr. Fague is correct and upon the rec
ommendanon Of the Assistant Assessor
the request was approved
AlIer C. Clark, acting for Lena D.
Smith made a request that the duplicate
payment of tax of 1900 on subIot SS6, as
sessed in the name of Lena D. Smith, be
refunded, the amount in question being
$2145 In the statement of the case made
by Mr. Clark ii is shown that the tax was
bar and hy o.
spectiyely, on May 2, 1900, and on May %,
1900
On the recommendation of the Assist
ant Assessor this claim also was APPROX
ed
A similar request was fled with the
Commissioners by Joan Sherman, of 610
Fourteenth Street northwest, asking for
the refund Of duplicate payment of sec
ond half tax for 1889, on IT of an acre,
plat I, Cleveland Park. The facts show
that the tax in question was paid May
81 1889, and upon the recommendation of !
the Assistant Assessor the claim was APP
proved.
H. H. Twombly, Secretary to the Board /
OF Education, has forwarded to the Com
missioners the copy of resolution pass
ed at the last meeting of the board reIa-
tive to the purchase of apparatus and /
materials to be used in the prevention Of /
contagious diseases in the pubic schools. /
The resolution is:
Resolved, That as a result of the I
practical tests of the Kuhn Formaldehyde |
generator made at the Ssaton and Wal
Zach school buildings in this city. it is /
the opinion of the Board of Educati@n of /
the District OF Columbia that twelve of /
the large gen ratorS and $50 CT the de-
odorizers Of the Kuhn patterns, and such |
materials as are necessary fer the opera |
Fer Il Cold in the Head
Laxative BrOmo-Qufnine Tablets.