The Washington times., 1901-11-03
AFFAIRS OF The DISTRICT.
New Method of Street Cleaning
Inaugurated Last Night.

New Method of Street Cleaning
Inaugurated Last Night.
Thoroughfares in the Business Sec
fion Flushed with Water From
Fire NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ColIec-
sion of Taxes Proceeding slowly.
An important departure in the cleaning
of the streets in the business section was
inaugurated last night. when Pennsyl-
vania Avenue was flushed with water
from the Peace Monument to Fifteenth
Street. This mode of cleaning streets has
been under consideration for some time
by Warner Stutler, Superintendent of the
department. 1t was not. however, until
last nigh, that the initiative was taken
by order of the Commissioners.
1t has been frequently noted by drivers
in this city and elsewhere that streets
surfaced with sheet asphalt become coat
ed with an oily covering, which causes
horses to slip and sometimes to fall.
Last Thursday morning. horses attached
TO four different engines and trucks of
the Fire Department slipped and fell
while responding TO the alarm sounded
for the burning store Of Mayer * Petit.
This fact caused some little delay in
reaching the fire, and DIR. Robinson, the
District Veterinary. and Chief Dutton
strongly recommended the flushing Of
the streets as a prccaution against the
repetition of similar mishaps.
The trial made last night under Mr..
Suffers Supervision, and with the aid
of the Fire Department, was in the ma
ture of an experiment. 1t was assumed
that the flushing OF the asphalt pavement
by artificial means would have the same
effect as heavy rain in dissOlvlng the
oleaginous coating which forms in dry
weather. The effect of the experiment
will be closely investigated this morning
by competent inspectors, and report
made to the Commissioners.
If the results are satisfactory il is eN-
pected that other streets in the business
secuon viii be flushed in similar man
ner, and that the operation will be re-
peated at intervals in dry weather IN the
future.
This course is pursued in several cities
of the country with good results, and
Mr.. Stutler has called the attention Of
the Commissioners to the matter in his
annual reports for the past two or three
years. 1t IS said that the chief reason
why the plan has not been adopted has
beer a feeling on the part Of some OF the
District officials that the promiscuouS
flushing of the pavements would put too
great a strain upon the water supply,
especially until the Aqueduct tunnel and
the Howard University reservoir should
be in service.
1t was reported yesterday from the Of
fee Of the Collector of Taxes that the
payments of taxes are coming in very
slowly. Usually with the arrival Of the
first day Of November there is a rush
to the District Building to pay taxes and
TO avoid the penalty of 2 per cent
month, which is charged against unpaid
taxes beginning the first day of December.
The slow payments this year are attrib-
uted to the fact that the taxes were pay
able last year on the first day of May in
one instalIment. This was done for the
purpose Of giving the Assessor time to
Install a new system of keeping accounts,
and to Introduce the card system of ref
erence. The act referred to, however.
lapsed with last year, and the tax pay
ments for this year are under the origi-
nal law, which made taxes payable on
the first days of November and of May in
two installments.
H II. Darneille, the Assessor. stated
yesterday that the trouble seemed to be
that many people were under the impress
sion that the payment Of taxes in No
yember is optional, .and that the law al
lows the payment Of the Whole in May
next year. Such, he said, is not the
case According to the Interpretation OF
the law, authorized by the Attorney for
the District, taxes are payable in two in
stallments, in November and in May. as
formerly, and the penalties will begin on
the first days of December and of June as
heretofore. Mr.. Darneille called attention
to his reference to the matter in his an
nuai report. as follows:
Under the act approved June 6. 1900
public No. ls0, provision was made for
the payment of taxes in one instalment
in the month of May, 1901, which act also
provided that hereafter taxes may be
paid in two installments. namely, first
1nstailment for the tax year 190l-1902 in
the month Of November, 1901. and If not
paid in said month a penalty of per cent
on the first day Of December and d like
penalty on the first day of each succeed
ing month. The last installment is pay
able in May, 1902, and penalty of / per
cent attaches for non-payment on the
first day Of June. and like penalty on
the first day Of each succeeding month
until day OF sale. Taxpayers desiring to
pay the whole tax can do so in the month
of November 1901 "
Z. G. Davis, the Collector of Taxes, said
that his understanding Of the law is that
the special act which governed the oper-
ations of the Office last year is no longer
operative, and that the collection Of taxes
reverts to the regulations in vogue before
1t was enacted. He said that on Decem-
DtL Inc USUAL l'f-ildALltS IDI Il'fLi-ttstE
ment would begin He thought that it
must be that the people Of the District
are Iaboring under a misapprehension rel
ative to the matter, judging from the
slowness with which the revenue is com
ing in
The East End Suburban Citizens Asso-
citation, through its Secretary. j NJ
Wood. has sent q communication to the
Commissioners relating to the purchase
of certain lands in the northeastern sec
tion Of the city for park purposes. The
communication sets forth the action
taken by the association at its last meet
ing, and SAYS:
After mailing diIigent and exhaustive
enquiry into the subject the association
recommend that the Commissioners re-
quest the purchase By the Government
for park purposes Of the block of ground
bounded on the east by Eighteenth Street.
on the west by the Bladensburg Road. on
the north BY X Street and on the south
by the Benning Road il was also de-
cided 10 ask for the abandonment of all
projected streets, except Maryland Ave
nue., laid out in said tract. according 20
the permanent system OF highways. aud
to rrge the opening Of Maryland Avenu.
70 its full width through the Graceland
Cemetery tract
The problem that confronted the assn.-
caton vas yeNatioIs one. but the fol-
lowing points were agreed upon:
"Graceland Cemetery. 50 called stands
In the way of al street extension and
irT,urDE+pr-rrf Eagr9t4d s-;,.o..