The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-17

andrew B. DuvaIl. the Attorney Tor the
District. has submitted to the Commits
sioners an opinion upon the application Of
N. B. Newman. requesting information
concerning the payment OF taxes on prop4
erty purchased by him April 1s. 1853, at
tax sale. In ms review of the case the At
torney says:
1T appears that hs purchased lot 81
block In the Trinidad subdivision. for
the tax due Tor the year 1898, and there
after under the provisions Of section Of
the act Of Congress, in relation 10 taxes
and tax sales. approved February e. 1888,
he paid the tax on said lot for the year
1893 Section is as follows:
That the owner or authorized agent Of
the owner Of any properly sold as aIore-
said any other. persons having an IN
tsrest therein at the time of sale. may re
deem the same from such sale at any time
within two years after the last day Of sale
by paying TO the Collector of Taxes. for
the use OF the purchaser, his heirs CT as
signs. the sum mentioned in the eertid-
cate Of sale tnerefor, WIZ interest thereon
at the rate OF IL per cent per aunuu=
after tbs date Of sLeh certificate Of sale,
together with any tax or assessI1ent which
the holder of said certificate snail have
paid between the days OF sale and redemP-
tion, with interest on the same FL the rate
Of 10 per cenI per annum-
.4-Sss section was amended April .
1899. ps king ont the words together
with any TAX assessment which the holder
of said certificate shah have paid between
the days of sale and redempti0Ts with in
terest on the same al thc rate Of 10 per.
cent per a1aHm
The writer desires 10 know whether
the amendment TO said section is appi-
cable TO a tax sale made April IS, 1888,
and whether he may pay the tax for 1889
and have the benefit 81 the provision OF
section as Il originally stood
"A purchaser At The tax sale % 1889 &C
qUIred no vested continuing right under
iat-Saezinn- IN FesDeet to the payment OF
subsequently accruIng tssS-D---0ne- CT the
subjects Of that provision IN said section
was IN this way 10 obtain for the munich
pality the payment Of taxes against prop
erty sold at tax sale It WAS found by
experience that the provision VAS undesi-
rable and the Law was accordingly amend
ed Moreover It VIII be observed that the
provision imposed burden or the owner
or agent Of the property, and was designed
primarily as a benefit fer the purchaser at
the tax sale.
I am of the opinion thai the aTnend-
ulent took effect AZ OF its date CpOn all TAX
sales. whether made prior c. subsequent
thereto.
Charles HarbauEh. Secretary Of the
Brookland Citizens Association recently
called the etteatiea Of the Commission
ers 10 the condition OF the Sidewalk OF
Twelfth Street, BrGokiaRd, after ralus-
and asked that the matter be properly II
tended to. IF. EaToaugh stated that Il
was The VISA CT the association that the
proper officials sake such setioa IN the
matter as would render Jais walk PerIna-
ne11ly free from accommodations OF earth
He states that IS he understands the law
of March 2 1897. il les in the power CT
the Commissioner 70 take s;leh SteFs as
VIII Keep the yak IN qaestioR cl7an
throughout its entire length
n nenoTtfng upon the matter. the IS
SCISSOR made this statement: The law
nrcrides that property owners shall clean
OF dirt sand, gravel, OF other reuse
matter and makes no provision Scr the
proven ion CT this nuisance. L seams ID
me that i provides al Indirect penalty
in that up6p failuTe 10 remove the cause
of complaint the District Is authorized 10
remove the dirt. etc, and charge the cost
of the same to the abutting properly own
era
tfThe District being under . duty TO keep
The payements in a passable condition, il
is recommended that me at
fentiDl Of the property owners
fronting on Twelfth Street. between Empo-
ria Street and the City and Suburban car
line be called to the duty Of the District
IN this matter, and that as close inspec-
ton viii no doubt develop that It VIII be
necessary TO clean the paTements several
times during tie coming winter, unless the
property owners erect boards or otheTFlse
prevent the dirt from washing upon the
sidewalk, and recommending The advisa-
bility Of the same, that the accumulation
of costs may be saved them
Capt Lansing H. Beach the Engineer
Commissioner, IN passing upon the letter
of Mr. HarbaI.ph informed his associates
that the excavation OF the parking on this
portion OF the street mentioned has been
ordered to be done by the chain gang in
such manner as to lower the earth 10 side
walk grade. This Captain Beach believes
will prevent the washing OF dirt upon the
sidewalk to a very large extent, and as The
work is to be done at once he expressed The
hope that the effect would be immediate.
The Commissioners have sent to the Dis
tTict committees OF both houses Of Con-
gress the draft OF q bill. TO amend an
act 10 regulate gas works. approved June
IS. 1874" The Commissioners state that
the object al the bill is 10 make the work
ing hours OF the employees in the 1abUrato-
ry CT Ihe gas TGrkS the same as the hours
Of the officers and employees OF the District
Government The Commissioners also
state that they know no reason why this
should not be done. as they believe that no
public interest would suffer in consequence
Of this change. which is recommended by
the Inspector CT Gas and Meters who is
the immediate superior Of the employees IN
said service.
The bin n question provides that sec
ton 5 of the act to regulate gas works
approved June %. 1874. is hereby amend
cd By substituting the words mine O'Clock
IN the forenoon and four o'clock IN the