The times., 1901-05-30
AFFAIRS OF THE DISTRICT
A Contention Over Repair of Tracks
in B Street.
Statements of Attorneys ms to Cost
of Repairs Incident to Sewer Con-
struction "A Property Holder
FnyOrs Fourteenth Street Market.

A hearing of considerable interest was
granted by the Commissioners yesterday
to citizens interested in the long
standing contention as to repairs to
the tracks of the Capital Traction
Railway Company on B Street north
west, 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.
X. 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
complaint was made TO the Commits
sioners by the railroad company; that an
investigation was ordered by the Engineer
Department, and that length of 1855 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 blll Tor
the WORK amounting to Sl,774.Sl, which the
company paid and sent to the Commls-
sioners. There was some correspondence
over the bill and finally an itemized bliI
was rendered, in which it appeared that
to the actual cost OF the work was ADDED
about p 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 exorbitant, and the
hearing yesterday was for the purpose Of
getting at the facts and adjudicating the
contention before the Board of Commits
sioners
r. Ross Perry appeared for the Capital
Traction Company and NJ. J. Colbert for
Mr. Murphy. The matters in dispute were
argued at some length, and light was
thrown upon the discussion by d. e. Nc
Comb, Superintendent of Sewers, and ].
T. Petty, the Auditor. 1t was shown that
the usual practice Of the District for
many years had been to allow 10 per cent
addition to the cost for profit and loss.
Commissioner Macfarland announced at
the close of the hearing that the matter
would be carefully considered and their
decision reported at a later date.
Final action was taken yesterday by the
Commissioners relative to three applica-
tions to use one water and sewer connec-
tion for two houses, each being exceptions
to the usual practice in such matters.
One of these was the application of Rob-
inson Riley, who asked permission to use
this form of connection for premises 9lG
and 91S Liberty Street southwest. The
report of the Inspector of Plumbing was
to 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-five feet, and that there seemed no
would occupIy 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
T. Donovan, who made a request similar
to the above for premises 30 to 226 Thir-
teenth Street northeast. A similar report
was submitted by the Inspector of Plumb
ing, and he recommended that this case
be made exception to the general rule.
The third application was from w. G.
Crowley, of 1919 Twenty-ninth Street
northwest, who asked to be permitted to
use the double connection for premises 4l2
and 4l4 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 B. Ball. the Inspector of Plumb
ing, has forwarded to the Commissioners
a schedule of the proposals received for
the plumbing In the Old Mems Home, on
the Washington Asylum grounds. Eight
proposals were received ranging from ST.
9S3.72 to S1,oGS.
Mr.. Ball recommends that all the bids
be rejected on the ground that the appro-
priation for the work is but $500, and he
further recommends that plans and pro-
posals be prepared for a smaller building
with less expensive system of plumbing
and more condensed in it's arrangement.
M. B. Newm JI 2O2O Twelfth Street
northwest, has ea to the Commis-
sioners, submitting ccCfsts views favor
able to the establishment 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 mem
toned is desirable to afford comfort and