Evening star., 1905-11-10
OWE RENT TO DISTRICT
OIL COMPANIES TO PAY FOR USE
OF STREETS.

Papers that apparently were placed in the
files Of the office of the auditor Of the Dis
trict of Columbia, and there as good as
lost, almost ten years ago, have just been
brought to light and. with their resusoita-
tion comes evidence that there has been
lost to the District each year the sum of
S2T5 which should have been paid as rental
for the use of public space by the Standard
Oh Company and each other individuals.
companies or corporations as have had the
unrestricted use of certain pipe lines which
still underlay the streets in South Wash
ington.
Commissioner mcfarland, who took inia-
tive In the matter, promptly referred the
whole question to Auditor Garrison for re-
port. The latter unearthed an act of Con-
gress, approved May 15 1896. giving to one
Rene c. Baughman the right TO lay pipes
for the transmission of petroleum and its
products beneath the streets Rene Z.
Baughman, 1t was discovered. was then the
agent of the Standard Oil Company, and
in the permit subsequently issued by the
Commissioners, October H. 1885, Baugh-
man given permission to place pipes
through Half. K and . streets southeast,
from Half and K streets to the Eastern
branch. He was required to deposit the
sum of 500 with the collector OF taxes as a
guarantee that the surface of the streets
would be properly restored, and $1o6.O1 was
afterward returned to the Standard OIL
Company. Still later Baughman was re-
uuired to deposit bond of 81 900 as a guar
antee that the rental would be paid as
specified each year.
Two Hundred Dollars Rent.
One paragraph of the order of the Com
missioners named $500 as the rent of public
space utilized by the pipe line for the first
year. which ended June 80. 1897. but the
corporation counsel. In his report, states
that there is no mention of the rent having
been specified by the Commissioners IN any
other year. nor is there evidence OF any rent
being collected from the oil company since
the first year.
When the question Of pipe lines was be-
ing considered 1t was also discovered that
Nicolai Bros. were. by authority of the act
Of Congress approved May 80, 1885. given
permission to lay pipe line under streets
in South Washington. and they had the use
of public space for some time before they
sold out to the Standard Oil Company. For
the year ended June 30. 1897, Nicolai Bros.
were to pay rental of $75. but there has
been found no record that either they or
their successors in the business-the Stand
ard OIL Company-paid such sum. The cor
poration counsel gives II as his opinion that
all parts of this amount are not barred
by the statute of limitations may be recoy<
cred from Nicolai Bros, or from the Stand
ard OIL Company.
In considering the question of establish
ing rental for the future, Assessor H H.
DarneilIe stated to the Commissioners as fol-
lows: "A rental commensurate with the
value OF the franchises In question would
be 20 per cent of the true value OF the thor
oughfare occupied by the right OF way
D. e. McComb. superintendent OF sewers
has prepared plats showing the portions OF
streets occupied by the pipe lines in ques-.
ton, and these maps will be used In deter
mining the values Of the thoroughfares and
the rental.