The times., 1901-04-02
AFFAIRS OF THI DISTRICT
A Statement Of the. t.fsw Requiring
the Measuring of Weed.

Provisions OF an oI;gfi,ancc az tie
Corporation OF syasbineton-Re-
fund OF Erroneous Payment of Tax
The Burning OF 9l6 street Cars.
! Andrew T. Duvall, Attorney for the
/ District. yesterday submitted to the Com
missioners his opinion upon the communi-
cation Of Robert Murphy relative to the
measuring Of the wood brought by him
| TO this port. The Attorney gives the fol-
! lowing statement of the case for the in
/ formation of the Commissioners:
"Mr. Murphy states that he is a whole
! sale dealer in wood in this city, that ne
cuts wood on his farm and buys from
! others in Maryland and Virginia, and
brings it here on his own vessels and
has it landed on his own wharf. He states
that it is sawed and split before any of
/ it is sold, that he pays to have it corded
and measured before it is brought here.
| and he, therefore, claims that he should
not be put to the needless expense or un-
| necessary delay of having the wood
measured
"An ordinance of the late corporation
of Washington provides for the appoint
ment of measurers of wood who shall
measure all wood landed or sold in the
[
land is subjected to the same regulation,
excepting such as may be sold by the
wagon, cart, dray, or sledge load Sec
tion 4 of the ordinance provides that all
wood brought to the city as aforesaid
for sale shall be of the following descrip-
tion, etc. II shall be set up, packed. and
corded under the direction of the District
wood corder and shall be measured by
him, etc. 1t provides further that wood
corders shall receive cents for every
cord of wood so examined and measured
by them, to be paid by the seller of such
wood.
The ordinance then provides in section
penalty for any person bringing or
sending fire wood to the city for sale
who shall sell and deliver the same be-
Tore 1t has been corded and measured as
aforesaid. The manifest object of this
ordinance was to protect the public in
the purchase of wood.
In the case submitted by Mr. Murphy
there is no sale of wood either by himself
or to any other person, and / am, there
fore, of the opinion that the provisions
Of the corporation ordinance are inappli-
cable. Its provisions however. require
him, under penalty, 10 haze the wood
measured before he sells it,
Messrs. Poe & Padgett, representing the
Monumental Saving and Loan Asso-
citation. of Baltimore, Md, have request
ed a refund of the tax for 1900, erroneous
~ paid on sub-lot 43, block %, Columbia
Heights, assessed in the name of John
Sweetman.
In his report upon the application e.
w. w. Griffin, Assistant Assessor, says:
"It appears that bill for lot 9, block g.
Avalon Heights. in name of John Sweet
man, was requested and bill for sub-Iot
43, block %, Columbia Heights, was rem
dered. The clerk who made the. bill
stated to Mr.. Poe at the time that the de-
scription of the property furnished by
him did not agree with that assessed in
being more desirous TO. pay on property
assessed to John Sweetman than the
property described by him, insisted on
having the bill for property assessed TO
said Sweetman, stating he would consult
Mr.. Padgett before payment Failing to
confer with Mr.. Padgett, Mr.. Poe
paid by check the bill on sublot 49, block
23 Columbia Heights, and afterwards as
certained he had paid on the wrong prop
erty.
1T is recommended that the erroneous
payment by Mr.. Padgett of tax for 1900,
on sub-lot 43, block %, Columbia Heights,
in the name of John Sweetman, be re-
funded"
1t is understood that the Commission
ers viii approve the foregoing report.
H. w Fuller, general manager of the
Metropolitan Railroad Company, has sent
a communication to the Commissioners
asking that his company be permitted to
burn a number of old cars now stored at
the Seventh Street loop
The application having been referred to
the Fire Marshal, William o. Drew, he
has now reported that he finds upon cx