Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-31
THREE HEARINGS GIVEN
CITIZENS APPEAR BEFORE THE
COMMISSIONERS TODAY.

missioners this morning In the board room
at the District building At the first of
the series Rev. Daniel p. Duffy, represent
ing the Sulpician Fathers, asked the Com
mfssioners to make certain reports favor
able to the fathers on a bill or bills re-
ferred to them by Congress wit preference
to the proposed extension of Monroe street,
Brookland. The second hearing was brief,
consisting merely of the presentation of q
petition against the change of name OF
oregon avenue, Pierce place, etc. to Sam
son street. committee from Local No.
70 OF the Electrical wiremen's Union were
the protestants at the third hearing. the
COMMITTEES stating their objections to the
provisions of the proposed bill to license
electrical contractors in the District.
On behalf OF the Sulpician Fathers, Rev.
Duffy stated that the fathers purchased
considerable tract of land in Brookland
about four years ago, before the great ter
minal improvements of the capital were
contemplate ted. for the purposes of their IN
stitution. At that time. he said. the extern
Sion OF Monroe street was not even con-
sidered as possibility, while now 1t has
jects for Brookland the proposed street
extension bisecting the heretofore unbroken
stretch of the fathers property.
Rev. Mr., Duffy's request was that the
commissioners, without committing Con-
gress In any way, should report on the
bill or bills. the facts as he stated them,
and further to recommend that the fathers
be allowed 45 cents per foot for any and all
property condemned for Monroe street, ana
that they be relieved of assessment TOT
Dement'S.
The Commissioners stated that, while they
could not attempt TO fix the price OF lano
or arrange the matter of assessment for
benefits In advance of condemnation pro-
ceedings. they would bring the matter, as
requested, to the attention of Congress and
leave 1t to that law-making body whether
special exception should be made by pro-
vision In the Monroe street act in the case
o. the Sulpician Fathers property.
Against Change in Street Name.
The committee of residents of Oregon
avenue, Pierce place, ct al. in presenting
their petition Of protest against the change
Of name of the thoroughfare to Samson
street, said that they had noted the action
Of Congress in proposing to honor the name
of the late Gen Joseph Wheeler by desig-
mating the highway as Wheeler street.,
but they determined to leave the petition
with the Commissioners for presentation to
congress.
The property owners and residents MAKE
particular appeal for retaining the name
Oregon avenue. for the full. length or
the street Just before the hearing Engi-
neer Commissioner Biddle dictated the form
of reply to I. w. Tyrer, resident OF
Oregon avenue, the latter, besides having
signed the petition against the name SAM
son street, having written special pro-
test against the proposed Wheeler street"
Commissioner Bfddie characterized the
matter as one of no great Importance, biit
said that the Commissioners are not In
favor of calling the street an avenue, De-
cause 1t does not run in an oblaue direc-
ton. as do other avenues within the city
limits. Neither In width or length Is II
an avenue" he declared. 1T being simply
minor street with widths varying from
forty to sixty feet as 1t passes through the
FIVE blocks of its length, while avenues In
49,. .t,,, -ArtA raaf tn xx-t6
over, the name Oregon has been given
to thoroughfare In the District. outside
the city, OF dimensions and directions ful-
filling the requirements of an avenue"
The ELECTRICAL Wiremen.
In presenting the case of the Electrical
Wiremen's Union the committee stated that
trey wished to emphatically protest against
the bill to license electrical contractors
the measure prepared by the District cleo
trcal engineer, and based on the recon-
nendations of the recent report OF the ma
-tional board of fire underwriters. The rea-
sons stated In the protest were. first. that
there were at the present time about twelve
older workmen in the city who could not
secure employment under one of the con-
| tractors but who could do odd jobs on
their own account, and. second, that even
the best of workmen We're out of work
for about three months each year, and
this BILL by requiring that every man in
charge of a job of wiring should be equip
ped with a license. would make IT IN
possible for them to work Independently
and thus make 9 living during the dull sea
son. COMMISSIONER mcfarland asked If
the committee could present any reasons
more urgently for the good of the public
in furtherance of their protest, but the
Committee, except by arguing that any
work they might do Independently would
have to pass inspection and that the public
would thereby be as fully protected as
under the proposed license system practi-
cally stood pat The Commissioners took
the matter under consideration.