Evening star., 1900-01-22
Draft Of Bill Prepared by Commits
sioner Ross.
LEGISLATION TO CURE DEFECTS
The Penalties Prescribed for Vio-
Iations of Its Provisions.
CONGRESS ASKED TO ACT

The District Commissioners have ap-
proved a bill drafted by Commissioner Ross.
providing for the removal of snow and ice
from the sidewalks in the District, and Con-
gress will be asked by the Commissioners
to make the proposed measure law at the
earliest date possible. This action of the
Commissioners, recently explained in
The Star, was taken by them in order to
cure the defects in the existing laws on
the subject, the Court cf Appeals having
several months ago held these laws to be
inconsistent and practically imperative.
The bill prepared by Commissioner Ross
makes it the duty of every tenant or occu-
pant of any improved lot or lots of ground
in said District wheIeon there is or shall be
house or building, and to which there is
adjacent paved sidewalk, within four
hours of daylight after every fall of snow
to cause the said snow to be removed from
such sidewalk to the extent in length to
which said lot or lots abut thereon and to
the extent of not less than six feet in
breadth, so as to afford reasonably safe
passageway along said sidewalk; and in
the event that said snow shall have been
so hardened by freezing that it cannot be
removed without great difficulty, or in the
event that ice shall have formed on the
sidewalks by the freezing of the rain there
on, it shall be the duty of such occupant
or tenant to cause such ice or frozen snow
" bt 50 SpGllkltu WIN SdHu. SdWuuSl or
other such material as to make a reason
ably safe paSsageway along such sidewalk.
For the violation of this act any such oc-
cupant or tenant shall be liable to a fine
the amount of which is to be decided by
Congress, and which fine is to be recovered
at the suit of the District of Columbia in
the Police Court of said District.
Duty of COmmissioners.
The second section of the bill makes it
the duty of the Commissioners forthwith
after any and every fall of snow or
cumulation of ice Oh the paved streets of
the District in front of and adjoining the
public buildings, pubic squares and public
reservations in the District, to cause the
removal OF said snow and ice, and also to
cause such removal from all cross walks,
from the Junction of alleys with streets and
from the cutters adjacent to the sidewalks
OF all paved streets. In the event of in
ability to remove srch accumulation of
srow or ice by reason of the hardening
thereof, 1t shall be tfeir duty
possible to cause such paved sidewalks.
cross walks and alley entrances to be freely
sprinkled with sand. sawdust or other such
material, so as to make a reasonably safe
pathway.
The third section of the bill makes it the
duty of al owners of vacant or unoccupied
lots in the District fronting abutting
upon paved sidewalks. within four hours of
daylight after every fall of snow accu-
mutation of snow, as aforesaid. to cause
SdIu Sllt OF Ice 10 ne removed from SAID
paved sidewalks in front of their lots in
the same manner and to the same extent
as is required by the first section of this
act in regard to improved or occupied prop
erty; ard in the event that such snow or
ice has become hardened as not TO be
removed without great difficulty, then to
sprinkle the same freely with sand, saw
dust or other material, as hereinbefore pro-
Vided for improved occupied property.
In the event of the failure of any such
owner of unimproved vacant land TO
cause such removal of snow or ice, or to
sprinkle the same as the case may be- the
bill makes 1t the duty of the Commission
ers to remove the snow ice to sprinkle
the sidewalks. as the case may be, No
fine. however. is to be imposed upon the
owners Of unimproved property for failure
to obey the law. Nevertheless a penalty
is provided in cases of such failure. the
proposed law making 1t the duty Of the
Commissioners to assess the sum of 81
against every such lot of ground having a
front of - feet or less, and additional
sum of 81 for every additional frontage of
25 feet or fractional part thereof, which as
sessment shall be added to the taxes an
nually levied on such lot or lots. and be
collected as part of such taxes, and become
as the said taxes lien on such lot or lots.
Additional Penalties.
The fourth section Of the bill imposes an
additional penalty upon tenants or occu-
pants of improved property for failure to
comply with the requirements of the first
section of the bill, as it makes it the duty
of the Commissioners to then act as in the
case of an offending owner of unimproved
property, directing the same assessment
against the property as is to be assessed
against unimproved property.
The fifth section of the proposed measure
empowers and authorizes the Commission
ers to make all needful and proper rules
and regulations to carry ii into effect, and
the sixth section repeals all inconsistent
acts and parts Of acts, and especially the
act approved March 9, 1897.