Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-30
MIR. SULLIVAN CAUsTIC.
Criticises District Commissioners
Methods.

In communication considered as
rather caustic in terms, Attorney George
+. Sullivan criticises the methods en-
ployed in the District offices for guarding
the public records. Mr.. Sullivan is attor-
ney for Margaret Handley, owner of lot
D. square 700, against whom a special as
sessment of 1854 was levied last Deem
Der Attorney Sullivan claims this as
sessment is illegal, but his appeal from
the decision of the authorities in the case
was denied by the Commissioners.
The attorney says he then decided to
appeal to the courts for relief and called
at the District building. and was proceed
ing to make a stenographic copy of the
documents relating to the case for use in
preparing his bill of complaint.
L was then informed declares the at
torney, that in all cases in which the
Commissioners We're likely to be sued
they denied to the public their privilege
of getting this full information for such
purpose until written application therefor
had been made to the Commissioners and
1t had been passed upon by them.
Il must confess, continues Mr.. Sulli-
van, Il was somewhat aStounded at a
public servant having the custody of
public records presuming to say to any
member of the public that he (the public
servant) had any other rights or duties
In the premises than simple obedience to
his masters 1.-THE public) in throwing
open for thorough inspection and exam
ination by them the public records, and
without pretending to say to his masters
that in order that they may not secure
full information he (the servanD will in
terfere and prevent any memoranda be-
ing made or copying being done"
The attorney says that he thereupon
made application in writing as directed,
and received in reply a copy of the fol-
lowing order of the Commissioners:
sNQ comics nf xyil ha filr oh
except upon written order of one of
the Commissioners. If such papers relate
to suits or accounts in which the District
is or may be interested, the applicant
therefor must file with his written appli-
cation an affidavit showing the necessity
of such copies and the specific informa-
ton desired.
This order provoked the following COM
ment from the attorney:
With all Difference. beg to say that 1
cannot conceive of any other reason for
citing this rule than to further obstruct
my client as much as possible in obtain
ing relief in the courts. This rule hasn't
any more to do with the question at hand
than would section of the sewer regu-
lations, or a treatise on the moon.
Mr.. Sullivan declares that he does not
ask any fayors, he simply demands, with
all Difference, his clients rights" He tells
the Commissioners that If they deny his
client her rights as one of the public he
will be obliged to look to the courts not
only for relief against the assessment.
but also against this latter denial of JUS
tice.'
Commissioner West has made the fol-
lowing recommendation on the communi-
cation: Il recommend that Mr.. Sullivan
be informed that all the records of the
Office are open to his inspection provided
he complies with the order of the Com
missioners, now in force, that an affidavit
be filed showing the necessity for copies
of the records and the specific informa-
tion desired, and that upon such compli-
ance the matter will be given prompt at
tentfon."