Evening star., 1902-05-09
LOCAL LEGISLATION
ACTION TAKEN BY SENATE DIS
TRICT COMMITTEE.
Favorable Reports on Bill to Condemn
Insanitary Buildings and String
ing of Overhead Wires.

The Senate committee on the District OF
Columbia held meeting today and Or
dered favorable reports on bills for the
condemnation of insanitary buildings,
height of buildings and in relation to the
stringing of overhead wires.
To Remove Overhead Wires.
The bill for the removal of overhead tele-
phone wires in the District provides that
within the area bounded by B street north
from North Capitol to LIST street west, 1st
street west from B to Maryland avenue,
Maryland avenue from list to Sd street, Sd
from Maryland to Missouri avenue, Mis-
souri, avenue from Sd to 9th, 9th from Mis-
souri, avenue to b street, along prolonga-
ton line of street to the Potomac river,
thence along the Potomac to Rock creek.
along Rock creek to point where ontario
avenue intersects the eastern line of the
Geological Park, thence along the eastern
line of the park to Kenesaw avenue and
along Kenesaw avenue to 10Th street ex-
tended, along 10th street extended to Park
street, thence to 14th street and along
Mount Pleasant avenue to Sherman ave-
nue. thence to Florida avenue, to North
Capitol street, to street.
No overhead telephone wire shall be
strung or maintained in the streets of the
District after one year from the passage
of this act. Hereafter no telephone pole
shall be erected within the building lines
OF any paved street in the District. and
whenever any street shall be ordered to
be paved all telephone wires on or along
that street shall be placed in underground
conduits. All existing telephone poles sit
uated within the building lines of paved
streets insiae of the area described above
shall be removed within five years from
the passage of this act, and the service
shall be by means of conduits. In every
conduit constructed or maintained in ac-
cordance with the provisions of this act a
fIioia pf,ar of n p
three) shall be reserved for the free use of
the police and fire alarm telegraph and tele-
phone service of the District of Columbia.
The Commissioners are directed to grant
such permits, under such regulations as
they may prescribe, to carry out the provi-
sions of this act; and they are author
lied to grant permits to any corporation
now operating a telephone system in the
District to make the house connections
necessary to provide telephones to subscrb-
ers; to repair, enlarge and extend existing
telephone conduits and to construct addi-
tional conduts wherever necessary in the
District of Columbia. All plans for such
conduit construction shall be approved by
the Commissioners before the issue of per-
mits, and the height and location of dis
tributing poles in alleys shall be subject to
the approval Of the Commissioners.
The proper authorities of the United States
are authorized to grant permits to any cor
poration now operating a telephone system
in the District to construct through the
duits necessary for telephone service.
Insanitary Buildings to Be Condemned
The committee also ordered a favorable
report on Senate bill 500, to create a board
for the condemnation Of insanitary build
ings in the District, with an amendment
which will allow to owners of buildings to
be condemned appeal in the courts Of
the District from the decision Of the board.
A r1N- hi anrt ok nrlo
Senate bill 56I1, to regulate the height of
buildings in the District.
Senator Mcmillan. chairman of the Senate
committee on the District of Columbia, has
received communication from a committee
of the Washington Real Estate Exchange
saying it is the unanimous sentiment of the
ing it is the unanimous sentiment of the
exchange that a tax of $500 per annum on
real estate agents or brokers. as had been
suggested, would be excessive. They now
pay $50 for real estate and $50 for doing
an insurance business. They thought no
further tax should be levied on them in
the personal tax. bill.