The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-26

| T.x sale Book Criticized - New
Poles Needed on Congress Heights.
Frank j. Wagner. until now foreman OF
| No Engine Company, WILL this morning
| at 8 O'Clock, enter upon his duties as
| Third Assistant Chief Engineer OF the
Fire Department. Mr.. Wagner was APP
pointed on March Acting Third Assist
ant Chief Engineer, the full promotion
not taking effect until July /, 1891, as pro-
vided for in the District Appropriation
| bill for the year 1902 Mr.. Wagner's s
quarters will be at chemical engine house
/ No. l, on d Street, near Twelfth.
Frank Wagner, as he is familiarly
known. has had a long service in the
! Fire Department and enjoys the con-
fidence and esteem of almost everyone
| with whom he has come in contact. He
! is popular with all, and ehis promotion
was entirely unsought on his part. A
| story is told that some friend suggested
to him when the appropriation I'LL was
passed creating the office that he owed
| it to himself to go and apply for the
position Wagner said: No. The Com
/ missioners know my record, and if they
/ think | am the man for it they will APP
| point me, and if not some one else will
| get it,
The appointment was made at the in
stance of Commissioner Macfarland. who
/ has supervision over the Fire Depart
ment and without an intimation from
| the foreman that lie would accept the
new post.
Mr.. Wagner assumes a responsible 70
sition. His district is bounded in a rough
way by X Street north, Seventh Street,
| the water front, and Fifteenth Street
Within this district are ali the theatres,
most of the big hotels, many churches and
). the business blocks. Fires here mean
I great destruction If they once gain head
way. 1t will be the duty of the new dis
! trict chief to keep close watch over this
area and to use all the resources at his
command in fighting fires when called
/ upon to do sc.
Thomas W. Gilmer has written to the
| Commissioners with reference to the an
! nual tax sale book, copy of which re-
| Gently came into his possession. Mr.. Gil
| mer first criticises the title of the book,
\ designating it as misleading in not stating
| all that the book is. 1t is called, he says.
"A List of Taxes Levied and in Arrears
| July l, 1900" Mr.. Gilmer maintains that
it is more than that. AS a matter of fact,
! he says, the list contains taxes Especial
assessments) which have become in ar
| rears or delinquent since July !, 1900 He
| also calls attention to the fact that the
| title is misleading.
| Mr.. Gilmer also thinks there are mis-
! spelled names in the list and that this
may lead to the sale of property which
/ the owners might reserve from sale by
paying the tax if their names appeared
| properly spelled in the book. Mr.. Gilmer
! also suggests that there is no reason for
separate indexes for city lots, county
! lots, and agricultural land.
Mr.. Gilmer states his belief that the
/ present methods of advertising the delin-
| quent tax list are not very effective. He
! thinks that there may be many persons
who do not know that their property Is
! delinquent, and he does not think that
| the publication of the list" will inform
J them of the fact. He believes that the
whole matter should be managed as
business house manages its Indebtedness.
He says that no house allowing credit
| permits its patrons to forget their debts.
In short, Mr.. Gilmer thinks that the de-
| linquent taxpayer ought TO be served with
bill for his Indebtedness. He thinks
this might operate to stop the sending Of
appeals to the Commissioners for relief
from the oppression of the tax sale
For some time past the Fire Depart
ment has been annoyed by the frequent
turning in of false alarms from the boxes
in the northeast section OF the city. Some
time ago an especially fragrant case of
the false ringing of the fire alarm occur
red, and the officials of the department
determined to call in the assistance of
the police in finding the man or boy guilty
of the offence, and in bringing him into
court In this case, the engines had made
one of the longest runs on the card and
there was no reason, except of wanton-
ness for calling out the engines.
The turning in of the false alarm was
officially reported to the Commissioners by
James a Sprjngmann, operator of the
central bureanT-and by them was re-
ferred to the Police Department, with or
Il. for ~ invaEtlUltl0n
licemen Curry and Hayden of the Ninth
precinct were detailed on the case and
went to work. In short time they OBJ
tanned the name of the guilty party ana
he was placed under arrest and taken TO
the Police Court. There the evidence was
sufficient against him to warrant the
judge in filming him SO 1t is thought by
the police that this man. John Kelly by
name is the one who has annoyed the
Fire Department in this way for months.
In making his report in accordance with
the facts, as above stated, Lieut.. John
c. Daley recommended that the police
men be commended for the manner in
which they had worked up the case
against Kelly and had brought him to
justice. This recommendation was repeat
ed by the Major and Superintendent when
he forwarded their report to the COM
missioners and the Commissioners yes
terday approved the recommendations.
Walter c. Allen, the Electrical En-
gneer, has forwarded a communication
TO the commissioners IN WHICH ne
mends the erection of certain poles in
Columbia Heights for the purpose of
establishing fire alarm boxes in that sec
ton. Mr.. Allen states that in order to
erect the three fire alarm boxes in Co.
lumbia Heights which he says it is the
intention of his department to establish
during the coming fiscal year, 1t will be
necessary to erect five poles. Mr.. Allen
states that he desires especially to call
attention to these poles, because of the
strong opposition on the part of the Co
lumbia Heights Citizens Association to
the raising of poles in that subdivision.
Mr. Allen informs the Commissioners
that in order 20 put the boxes in service
it is absolutely essential that these addi
tional poles should be erected. He states
that 1t is impossible for the department
TO run the necessary wires for the service
underground, the nearest point in the
underground system is at Fifteenth and
l. Streets northwest, and ne says it
would take more money than will be
available on the LIST Of July to tut the
wires underground.
For the reasons set forth Mr.. Allen
nd IA tsnleS no fol-