The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-06
AFFAIRS OF THE DISCREET
A Real Estate Agent Annesed by
Health Department Notices.
The Question of Responsibility for
weeds on Vacant LOtS-Pumps H.
legally Connected With street
Water Mains-Fire Losses for Oc-
tober old Controversy Settled.


ceived communication from Charles
Early, of 61s Fourteenth Street northwest,
in which he made complaint Of being an
noyed by the Health Department for not
having weeds cut on certain vacant lots OF
which he is the agent.
1T is evident" he writes, THAT the
Health Department. or some of its officers,
have an unkind feeling or prejudice toward
me. For some time past they have made
point of unnecessarily annoying me with
notices as to the condition Of various prop
critics, over which l have no control, and
causing me to be brought, to my great in
convenience and discomfort and loss of
time. to the Police Court, where 1 am de-
layed frequently from 9 to IL o'clock be-
fore the case is called and dismissed. This,
as you see, causes me to lose most val
liable part of the day. while others who
are agents and owners of various properties
have no annoyances OF this kind for like
condition of their properties.
Mr. Early instances case in which he
was summoned to the Police Court for not
having weeds cut on lots on both sides of
Madison Street between Seventeenth and
Eighteenth Streets northwest. over which
property he asserts that he has no control.
except as agent for the owners. and he
calls the attention of the Commissioners
to the fact that the courts have ruled tina.
an agent could not be held responsible for
such complaints.
DR.. William C. Woodward, the Health
Officer. in reporting upon the matter to
the Commissioners stated that there Is no
Discrimination made by any OF the employ
es of the department against Mr.. Early.
If he states. as the result OF notices served
en- him he is taken to the Police Court
more frequently than other persons SO 10
tilted. which DR.. Woodward does not adj
init. it is because, the Health Officer AYERS,
he is ,lore unwilling THAI they TO comply
with such notices.
Regarding the statement that the courts
have decided that an agent could not be
held responsible for nuisances of the char
acter under discussion. Dr. Woodward says
that the ruling referred to does not apply
to the present practice OF the court, as
agents are frequently held liable for nui-
sances on property belonging to their prin-
cipals.
DR.. Woodward informs the Commission
ers that his department has not taken
steps against large number Of owners OF
property on which weeds have grown in vi
olation of the law, simply because its force
would not permit it to do so. He says
that it has acted as promptly as possible
Oil all cases in which complaint was made
or in which actual nuisance resulted from
the presence Of such vegetation.
The District Commissioners yesterday
sent communication to Commander
George W. Baird, United States Navy.
Superintendent of the State. War. and
Navy Department building, in which he
was informed as follows:
Considerable complaint has been made
to this office recently regarding the fiuc-
tuations OF pressure in the water I:ains
in the vicinity of F. G. Seventeenth, and
Eighteenth Streets northwest. and inves-
tigation shows that the trouble is caused
by the pumps in some OF the Government
buildings in the locality which are di-
rectly connected with the District mains.
II is reported that the State. War. and
Navy Department building has pumps di-
rectly connected with the six-inch main.
belonging to the District of Columbia,
in the west side of Seventeenth street,
and attention is respectfully invited to
the following section of the plumbing
regulations in regard to the matter;
at shall not be lawful. except in pri-
yate dwellings, to connect or have con-
nected n pump directly WIN service fiFs
or street main for supplying Potomac
water to a steam boiler, tank, or recep-
tacle in q building. premises or estab-
lishment; the water must be drawn from
a tank or receptacle into which 1t mas
been previously discharged
"The Commissioners invoke your assist
ance in remedying. as far as possible. the
conditions to which attention is invited. -
Similar communications have been sent
to officers in charge of other Government
buildings in the city where pumps gre di-
rectly connected with the water mains.
This action was taken at the instance of
the Water Department after thorough
inspection of the premises where the Wa
ter pressure in the mains has been af-
fected in the manner described.
f. G. Lansdale. of 2720 NJ Street north
west. recently wrote 20 the Commissioners
complaining of the bad condition OF the
roadway in front Of his place Of business.
He informed the Commissioners that there
was a depression in the pavement which
caused the water to settle there, and the
accumularions of the street washings
cause mud and dust and are constant
source of annoyance to him. He requested
that an inspector be sent to view the con-
dition of the street with view to It's re-
pair.
In reporting upon the case c. B. Hunt.
the Computing Engineer. stated that re-
pairs such as would correct the conditions
of which the writer complains have been
Readers OF this paper should the window
display Of 629 Pennsylvania Avenue northwest