Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-28
Alleged to Have Been Tolerated at
the District Stables,
SANITARY LAWS ALSO IGNORED
Views Of Local Officials Regarding
Allegations Made by Citizens Of
Northwest Section.


| criticism for countenancing such a state OF
| affairs. which, IL practiced by any on, else
| 1t is said would call for immediate prosccu.
| ton.
| Inc two violations referred 10 occurred
| at the District stables. on L street between
| 10th and 18th streets, and at the property
yard Of the water department, which is TO tho
| rear or he stable in the same block. Tho
| violation at the stable yard. IL is alleged Is
| the construction OF half a dozen Franc
buildings used as accessories TO the main
stable In the property yard there is
| large pile OF stable refuse which is neither
| In PIT nor covered. and from which arises
| an Objectionable odor, and which is exposed
| to rain and Insects.
This insanitary condition is declared TO
be gross violation Of the health laws,
| especially since the Commissioners went
| 50 far as to secure special law govern
| Ing the sanitary conditions at stables, and
| that since It's enactment two years ago tho
| health inspectors have been particularly
| active in seeing II enforced. except at
places under the supervision of the Dts
| trict.
There is said to be some kind OF an I'M
written law for the health inspectors which
| permits them to side-step anything or
| place under the municipal governments i'm
| mediate supervision. 1t may be on account
| of this method OF enforcing regulations. II
| is claimed that this insanitary stable refuse
pile has been permitted to exist contrary
| to the intent of the law, 1t is asserted by
| those complaining about the Districts vio-
| lations.
DR.. Woodward's View.
| DR.. William C. Woodward. health officer
| Of the District, who IS ready to prosecute
violations of the health laws. and who was
| the instigator of the recent stable law,
when told Of the condition existing in the
property yard Of the water department eK-
pressed much surprise, and said 1t had
i l1aI
| such is the case the health laws are not
being complied with; but he concluded the
| interview by saying it might be a matter
for the corporation counsel TO decide wheth-
| er or not there is violation. in view OF the
| fact that the District government Is inc
| responsible party. ,., 4.
| spectors ever visited the Districts stable
! or property yard to determine whether the
laws were being recognized by the DIS
| tricts servants, he said such inspections
| had never been made to his knowledge. and
| that II is all his small force of inspectors
| can do to inspect private places
What Is regarded one or the most
| stringent building regulations is the one
which pertains to frame buildings IN
der no circumstances would the bulidins
| inspector issue a permit to a private IN
diyidual or corporation to construct a
frame building within the fire limits or
| the city, but this law, like those OF the
| health department. Is of an elastic nature.
and can be easily stretched for the con-
yenience of the District or national govern
| ments, and the erection Of these frame
| buildings in the locality mentioned are an
| example Of this stretching
Private Parties Barred.
Enowden Ashford. inspector Of buildings.
| admitted that such a condition would not
| be permitted from private parties, as franc
| buildings are a gross violation of the
| building law, in that they are a menace
| to public safety because Of their combusti-
bility and they are particularly prohibited
| in residential neighborhoods. such as that
where the District Is said to be violating
the laws.
Mr. Ashford did not have to be told OF
the existence of the frame buildings at the
| stable and property yards: He Is well
aware of them, he said, and was never in
favor Of their construction, but II Is claimed
| that they have been constructed because
| the District has not had sufficient funds to
build big brick modern stables. These
structures looked upon as temporary,
| even though some of them have been erect
| ed more than eight years. and a further
reason Is given for their existence and for
| the Commissioners failure to prosecute
| themselves. IN that the stables are to be
| abandoned, and the District expects to
move its horses to the commodiOus stable
| adjacent to the new pumping station.
Mr.. West Emphatic.
When asked about these two violations.
| Commissioner West said 1t was news to
| him. and he emphatically declared, when
he had been apprised as to the details,
| that he could see no reason why the Dis
| trict should not observe the law in letter
and spirit. He added that a matter OF
| fact the District government should set
| an example as far obedience of the law
i is concerned.
| LAS for the exemption of the District
| buildings and institutions from inspections
| and visits by the building and health In
| spectors," Commissioners West said. L
/ 70 Of INV
| places should not be visited by inspectors
| just regularly as private places, and
in the event Of violations they should be
reported just as quickly in the case OF
| private individuals. How are the Commits
| sioners going to know when they are vio-
| lating their own laws II they are not re-
ported?'
Commissioner West then cited an In
stance which occurred several years ago
when a stable refuse pile was permitted
to accumulate in the yard OF the second
precinct police station and was not COW
cred. and the residents In that neighbor-
hood sued the District for maintaining a
| nuisance, and won their case.
Expects to Comply With Law.
Commissioner mcfarland made the fol-
lowing statement when asked about the
conditions complained Of:
The District government expects to COM
ply with all laws and regulations, and even
II there was any question about their APP
plicability In any particular case the Dis
trict government would do what the law
required with respect to any OF its property.
In this particular case the sheds In ques-
ton were constructed at different times
Those constructed since the present building
regulation were adopted are In accordance
with those regulations, having the consent
of the property within ninety feet and
being used as wagon sheds. Those con-
structed before the present building regu-
lations conformed to the law OF that time.
but as it happens they are all to be torn
down upon the completion in the fall Of the
new water department stables. All the sheds
are inclosed by high brick wall, and do
not endanger any neighboring property. and
moreover, fire department station is sht
across the street. AS to the manure pit.
1t complies with the health department reg
uations with one two exceptions, which
are about to be remedied Attention was
not called to them before or they would
have been made right The health depart
ment inspectors act upon complaints in
such cases, since the force is too limited
to make original Investigations"
OCEAN STEAMSHIP MOVEMENTS.