The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-12
AFFAIRS OF THE DISTRICT
A Protest Against the License Tax
on Automobiles.

Contention That the Sum Charged Is
Too Small when Compared with
the HucE RHte-PIumbinG ReEuIn-
tiOns waived in Special Cases.
". z Thomas. Of 3l2 Thirteenth Street
northwest has written to the Commission
ers protesting against the charge of 81
per annum as a license fee to motor We
/ hicles- He states that the charge Of such
/ a figure would amount to a great injus-
tice to the hackmen- As an owner of
horses and carriages. Mr.. Thomas says he
/ is obliged to pay S. for one-horse We
hicle and 80 a weary for a two-horse We
/ hicIe- Moreover, he can charge only 75c
per hour for the first and only 81 an hour
for the latter.
The electric company, he says can
charge any price it chooses and still pay
less to the District for the privilege OF
/ operating on the Streets Furthermore
the motor vehicles stand in front Of hotels
ana VIII take up passengers whether they
are guests Of the hotel or not which, Mr.
Thomas declares, IS in direct violation Of
The Jaw as passed upon by the Court Of
Appeals He states that if the driver of
public hack drawn by horses stops in
'front.' Of hotel, If only for a few minutes.
he Will be quickly taken TO the station
/ house and from there to the court and be
fined for it
MI Thomas says he and other owners
! and drivers of vehicles have tried to have
/ their rates raised. Some time ago he said
he saw in the papers that the request
had received the approval of the Hack
/ Inspector, the Superintendent of Police.
! and the Commissioners, but that he said
| was as far as the matter ever went
Mr. Thomas hopes that the 81 fee for
the motor hacks will not be allowed to
| become a law. unless there is cores
pondtng decrease in the licenses of the
vehicles drawn by horses
Mcssrs. Middaugh & Shannon, of 500 F
Street northwest. recently requested that
the plumbing regulations be waived in so
far as they apply to the exposure of
three-inch stacks in premises to II r
Street and other buildings formerly owned
by them. The point at issue is that the
stacks in the houses in question are ex-
posed and have been condemned by the
Plumbing Department Messrs- NIiddaugh
& Shannon say that the houses IN ques-
ticn have passed from their hands to
other owners Continuing they say:
Should the Plumbing Department in
sist upon these stacks being exposed and
the water turned off said premises until
this could be accomplished it would work
a great hardship upon the owners, as the
houses were purchased by them in a com
pIeted condition and without their knovvI-
edge Of any plumbing regulation which
had not been complied with.
You are, therefore, earnestly request
ed to waive the regulation in so far as it
applies to the exposing OF the three-fnch
stacks in these cases It viii be our pur-
pose to see that his regulation is complied
with in future operations
Charles B. Ball. the Inspector of Plumb
ing, in reporting upon the application at
the request Of the Commissioners submits
the following statement:
The stacks are pIasteTed in so that &C
cess cannot be had TO the joints iE the
first and second stories. In most cases
the position Of the stack can be seen in
the basement and the joints are exposed
during that portion Of the run.
THE attention Of the plumber has been
called to certain minor defects of slight
importance. and it IS expected that he
Will Immediately meet the requirements
Of the Office in these regards.
In general it may be said that the
character Of the work. both in its design
and construction is above the average
found in houses of5thfs class An inves-
tigatiOn made showed that the statements
respecting the transfer of the houses are
true, and that in almost every. case the
house is now occupied by its ney- owner.
while ] do not think that the builders
making this application are entitled to
much consideration. On account of the
fact that they We're well aware of the
requirements made by the office (which
could have been met without serious in
convenience during the cOnst -uction of
the bTEIiIIuU4 dn feel willing
insist upon changes which would involve
the new owners N much Inconvenience.
and subject the premises to some peTma-
nent DETACHMENT.
7 therefore recommend that the re-
qJiTement that the 3-inch stacks be
either exposed or Cased with a removable
casing, so that each joint thereof may be
FasIIy accessible he waived in the pres
ent cases but with a distinct statement
that this is done through q desire to re-
IeEe the purchasers Of inconvenience in
the case. and viii not be considered d ba-
sis for further recommendations of the
Il is understood that the action of the
Commissioners viii be based upon the
foregoing report
Major Sylvester has forwarded to the
Commissioners the papers in the case Of
Policeman J J Mccarthy. charged with
neglect of duty, and found guilty before
the Trial Board Major Sylvester rec
ommends that the findings of the Trial
Board be approved and that Policeman
Mccarthy be fined so, 20 be paid in four
monthly instaIIments- and that he also
be warned that such failure on his part
in the future will result in a recommended
ton for removal from the force This
recommendation, it is understood, will be
approved
E. F. Parker. Of 312 Street northwest,