The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-05-29
AFFAIRS OF THE DISTRICT
The B Street Controversy Heard
by the Commissioners.


northwest, incident to the construction Of
the sewer in that street The history of
the matter brought out at the hearing,
briefly stated. was to the effect that J
IL Murphy was the contractor who built
the sewer; that the tracks of the railway
company settled and got out of alignment
owing to the presence of the sewer; that
a complaint was made to the Commits
sioners by the railroad company; that an
investigation was ordered by the Engineer
Department. and that a length of 1S5 feet
of the double track was found to be dis
turbed.
The contractor was notified and re-
qUeSted to make the necessary repairs
This he failed to do, and the CAPITAL Trac-
ton Company was authorized to have the
repairs made at a reasonable cost Sax
ton & Co was employed. and in course Of
time presented to the company bill for
the work amounting to $1,77IS7. which the
company paid and sent to the Commits
sioners- There was some correspondence
over the bill and finally an itemized bill
was rendered, in which it appeared that
to the actual cost of the work was added
about = per cent for the wear and tear
Of the working plant of the contractor,
and 10 per cent for contractors profits.
These items were thought by the con-
tractor for the sewer and by the officials
Of the District to be exorbitaut, and the
hearing today was for the purpose of get
ting at the facts and adjudicating the
contention before the Board Of Commits
sioners.
R Ross Perry appeared for the Capital
Traction Company and N J Colbert for
Mr. Murphy The matters in dispute were
argued at some length, and light was
-I-- hy-T n
Comb. Superintendent of Sewers. and J.
T Petty. the Auditor 1t was shown that
the usual practice of the District for
many years had been to allow u per cent
addition to the cost for profit and loss
Commissioner Mcfarland announced at
the close of the hearing that the matter
would be carefully considered and their
decision reported at a later date
NJ b Newman. Of 300 Twelfth Street
northwest has written to the Commits
sioEers, submitting certain views favor
able TO the establishment of the proposed
market house on Fourteenth Street. near
V Street Mr. Newman states that he is
the owner OF lot !, square 273 and that he
firmly believes that the location men
toned is desirable to afford comfort and
relief TO a large and weIl-popuIated neigh
borhood within a radius of at least six
squares Continuing. Mr.. Newman says:
Ninth Streets, has been. IS now, and al
ways VIII be. a business street. and for
anyone 10 use the argument that by grant
ing the permit to build market house
on il VIII depTeciates property in the i'm
medite neighb0rhoOd, is sheer nonsense
Eut-cven If this were the case. 4 few
OF the N0peTty holders would feel them
selves injured, while large majority
would be the gamers If the theory ad-
vznced that this ma ket would prove in
furious to property values. why would not
the operating of Il grocery store, a dry
goods store. or any other business have
the same effect on surrounding property.
The same applies TO SchoO,hOUses and
churches. and in order to satisfy the
grunblerS your honorable body would
nave 30 smut up all these establishments.
as We'll IS to prevent the opening of new
ones
Mr.. Newman asks that favorable con-
sideratiOn be given to the reqaest of the
market company for the permit to build
the market house
Final action was taken today by the
Commissioners relative to three appIIca-
tons to use one water and sewer c0nnec-
ton for two houses. each being exceptions
to the usual practice in such matters.
One Of these was the application Of Rob
iHsOn Riley. who asked permission to use
this form Of connection for premises 9I6
and SIS Liberty Street southwest. The
report OF the Inspector of Plumbing was
10 the effect that the premises in question
were improved by TWO old frame struc-
lures not permanent in character He
stated that the total frontage was TWEEN
ty-tive feet and that there seemed no
doubt that permanent improvements
would occuply the ground within a reas-
Onably short time These conditions. the
Inspector thought, would justify the
granting Of the application
Another application was from Hannah
7. Donovan, who made a request similar
TO the above for premises go to 226 Thir-
teenth Street northeast. 4 similar report
was submitted by the Inspector Of PLUMP
ing, and he recommended that this case
be made an exception to the general rule.
The third application was from ". G.
Crowley, Of 1913 Twenty-ninth Street
northwest, who asked TO be permitted to
use the double connection for premises sI2
and IL Eighteenth Street northwest In
this case also the Inspector of Plumbing
recommended the approval Of the request
The action Of the Commissioners on all
three applications was guided by the rec
concentrations Of the Inspector
Charles 2. Ball, the Inspector Of Plumb
ing, has forWa rfed to the Commissioners
q schedule Of the proposals received for
the plumbing il the Old Mems Home. on
the Washington Asylum grounds. Eight
proposals were received ranging from 81
9S272 to S1,GeS.
ME Ball recommends that all the bids
be rejected on the ground that the appro-
priatiGn for the work is but 81 300 and he
further recommends that plans and pro.
pDsalS be prepared for a smaller building
with d less expensive system of plumbing
and more condensed in its arrangement