The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-20
AFFAIRS or Thu DISTRICT
Work Of the Street Cleaning De-
partment Commended.

4 Request for the Cancellation of "a
Water Main Assessment Submitted
to the Commissioners without
Recommendation other Matters
NJ. Y Bailey. of the Pacific Building, has
written TO Warner StUtier, superintendent
Of Street Cleaning, commencing the work
Of the department and saying that there
ROW exists a great Improvement over ex-
perieEccs in the past In his letter, Mr.
Bailey says:
Il notice in the evening papers that you
are losing your optimism and are becon-
ing pessimistic discouraged, and down-in-
the-mouth generally. because of lack of
funds the streets were to go unswept for
three days. As 'Chimmie Fadden' would
say, Forget it Only four or five years
ago some of the streets which are now
swept clean every week day We're not
swept more than twice a week and were
not clean when the sweeping was done
You are giving a wonderfully clean city,
and if, after our past experience, We can
not stand without sweeping three days
out Of the Sl3. we deserve to go back to
the old system.
You deserve the thanks of the entire
community, and this small fraction VIII
in this manner contribute its mite"
E. II. Warner has returned to the Com
missioneTs 4 bill for a water main as
sessment against sub-Iots -. 10. and 10,
block 10, Takoma Park, and has request
ed that Is be Cancelled. Mr.. Warner states
/ that when the water main in question was
| laid there was an understanding on &C
| count of his consent being given that he
was not to be assessed for the laying Of
the main, because it was being put down
for the sole benefit OF the people Of Ia
kOma Park
H. II. DarneiIle. the Assessor, in report
ing upon the application. states that there
Is no record in his office OF the agreement
to which Mr. Warner refers. and Mr.
Darneile submits the matter to the
Board without recommendation
The Commissioners tydav acted upon
two applications Of the Chesapeake and
Potomac Telephone Company for pernlis-
sion 10 extend their lines, etc. One Of
these was request TO string two wires
from pole 10, corner Eighteenth Street and
Columbia Road northwest. to 1894 Gin
cinnati Street northwest. The other was
a request for a permit to string two wires
from cable pole on Carroll Avenue and
FeTmiilion street to the residence of Z.
r. Thomas on FeTmiIiOn Street.
In each case the applications have re
ceIved the approval Of the Electrical En-
gIheeeT, who stated that the issue Of the
permits would be according to law.
Daniel O'C. CaHaghan. Of Gl2 F Street
northwest, has forwarded to the Commits
sioners the request of Mrs. Mary E
Douglass. that she be allowed to pay wa
ter tax on parts Of lots is and rs square
93l, for the year 1882 without interest and
penalties H Il DaTneille, the Assessor,
in reporting upon the matter says:
in 1891, square 9S1- being lots number
ed 3 to a, inclusive, assessed in name
Of William Gait was sUbdivided into lots
70 to 40 inclusive. and on the margin OF
ledger for said year IS noted transferred
TO Mary E Douglass, part of sublot II5.
valued at Sl3. part Of sublot Il6, valued at
$242
The 1892 ledger shows parts OF sub
lots 1I5 and 1l6, square ISL. regularly as
Sessed TO Nary Z Douglass, with i'm
proVemeHts at $3.50 and the tax In
amount of SIS % unpaid
1t IS stated that Mrs. Duoglass pre-
scented receipt Of 1881 for suh!ot 20 SQUARE
SSl, and requested bill for 1892 on that
ground, her property at that time being
a part Of SubsgtS 1i5- and 116- She was
given bill on part Of sublot 1I6 in name
Of Watson J Newton who also owned
part Of sublot I15, and it is alleged the
clerk Informed her that said bill was her
property. While the Office has TO eyi-
dence of this statement, the presumption
is in her favor.
1T appears 70 me that the delinquency
Of this tax l9 to some extent attribute bic
to fault on part of the District official
bat as the property was correctly adver-
tised IN the delinquent tax list in 1892 and
in the name Of the owner. Mary E Doug
lass, the owner had sufficient notice, and
IN paying tax in the name Of Watson
j Newton she did not use the necessary
diligence to ascertain her mistake at the
time.
The facts in this case do not appear
to warrant the relief sought and I am
constrained 10 submit the matter with an