Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-05
] NSANlTARY BUILDINGS
The Health officers Recommendation Be-
speoting Their Condemnation
Suggests Legislation Similar to That
Which Failed of Adoption by
the Last Congress.

|
| health officer, has recommended to the
| Commissioners that Congress be asked by
| them to enact bill similar to that intro
duced in the F'ifty-ffth Congress, creating
a commission for the condemnation of in
| sanitary buildings in the District. This
! measure, House bill 1888, was introduced
in the House January 6, 1898, by Represen-
tative Babcock, chairman of the House
District committee, but had not been acted
upon at the time the Fifty-fifth Congress
expired. Dr. Woodward states that it orig
mated with the general relief committee
appointed by the Commissioners, and rep
resented legislation which, the health Of
fcer believes. is urgently needed here. 1t
is understood the Commissioners will APP
prove the health officers recommendation
The bill introduced in the Fifty-ffth Con-
gress provided that the senior assistant to
the District Engineer Commissioner. the
health officer and the inspector of build
ngs should be a commission, with jurisdic-
ton and authority to examine into the
sanitary condition of all buildings IN the
District occupied or intended to be occu-
pied by human beings and if. in the tudg-
ment of the commission, 1t should be found
that the same were unfit for such occupa-
ton by reason Of their .insanitary condi-
ton, to condemn the same and to require
the occupants thereof to vacate within
thirty days from the order of condemna-
ton.
Owner to Have Notice.
Before proceeding to condemn any build
ing the commission was required to give
the owner of the building ten days notice
to show cause why it should not be con-
demned, such notice in case the owner
should be found within the District, to be
served personally. and in the case of
nonresident owner or one not found by due
diligence then by publication once week
for W wppkS in local newSDaDer, or,
if the address of the owner be known, by
a mailed notice.
The bin made it obligatory upon the oc-
cupantS of a condemned building to vacate
the same within thirty days from the order
of condemnation. and made it unlawful for
the owner of such a condemned building to
allow 1t to be occupied after the expiration
of said thirty days, until he had made such
changes in it as satisfactorily remedied. in
in the opinion of the commission, the condi-
lions which led to its condemnation. Upon
the making of such changes or repairs in
the building the commission was author
lied to cancel its order of condemnation
and allow it to be again occupied. Any oc-
cupant Of a condemned building who did
not vacate 1t within thirty days should. the
bill provided, be elected therefrom by the
police.
Buildings of wood, having an assessed
value for taxation of not more than $500,
which have been condemned, the bill
further provided, should not again be occu-
pied. making it obligatory upon the owner
thereof. within period to be specified by
the commission. to demolish it. In the
event Of the failure or refusal Of the owner
of such a structure to demolish it the Com
missioners were directed to do so, and to
assess the cost thereof against the prem
ises on which the building was situated, to
be collected in the same manner as other
taxes are collected.
The Prescribed Penalty.
A fine of not more than so, or imprison-
ment in the workhouse not exceeding five
days. for each day during which violation
of the provisions of the act continued, was
provide as the penalty for a violation Of any
of the provisions of the measure, the Police
Court being given Jurisdiction of such cases.
The Commissioners were authorized to ap-
point an inspector, at an annual salary Of
81 800. whose duty it should be, In addition
to any others that might be assigned to
him. to examine into the sanitary condition
of all buildings in the District, and when
ever they were found unfit for human occu-
patton to report the same to the commits
SION The bill also appropriated the sum of
10000 to be equally charged against the
District and the United States, for the pur-
pose of executing the provisions Of the act.