Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-16
DISTRICT IN CONGRESS
A Lively Meeting of the Senate Committee
Today.
The Race Track and Liquor License
Amendment Approved.

There was quite lively meeting of the
Senate District committee this morning.
lasting nearly two hours. Most Of the
time was taken up in discussion of the
bills amending the race track and liquor
license laws Of the District. The matter
Of the mile limit as applied to pool selling
was discussed thoroughly in connection
with the Blackburn bill and the Com
missioners' substitute therefor, the latter
having been adopted by the committee at
its last meeting and reported to the Sem
ate on Tuesday by Mr.. Gibson. Although
the bill is ont Of the hands of the COM
mittee and is now on the calendar of the
Senate considerable time was spent in a
consideration of the amendment that may
be necessary to be made to the existing
laws in order to permit both the Benning
and Ivy City tracks to have the benefit
Of pool selling privileges at the fall and
spring meetings.
VIII Show No Discrimination.
A delegation of gentlemen interested in
horse racing, including Capt Sam. Don
aldson, Mr.. Joe Blackburn, jr., and Mr..
Havenner, appeared in the interest of the
Benning track. They were promptly told
by Chairman Harris that the committee
would not consent to the passage of any
amendment to the law which would grant
the pool selling privilege to one Jockey
club or race track while denying II to the
other. 1t was the policy of the committee.
he said, and also of the District Commits
sioners, to grant equal privileges to both
associations and II the law was to he
amended at all IT should be amended in
such a way that the Ivy City track would
be included in its provisions as we'll as the
Benning track. Their hearing was quite
brief.
Ser ator Gaiiinger renewed his opposition
to any project looking to the amendment
of existing laws as tending to break down
the now effective system prevailing against
gambling in the District. He sent out for
a copy of The Star Of yesterday, and read
therefrom the interview with District At
torney Birney, in which the latter declared
that proposed amendments, either of the
House or of the Senate. will prove a menace
to the best interests of the District.
ghe aascock Liquor Law.
The subcommittee. consisting of Senators
Gibson, Hansbrough and Faulkner. having
charge of House bill 3I40, known as the
Babcock amendemnt to the District liquor
laws, reported in favor of the bin, and il
was taken up and discussed by the full
committee. 1t was pointed out that the
amendment may possibly affect the large
hotel interests now established near st.
Matthew'S Church, and an amendment was
adopted definitely excluding such hotels
from the restrictive provisions of the act of
1si3, while carefully including saloons with
in the provisions of the act. A favorable
report on the bill thus amended was order
ed by the committee.
Senator Proctor was directed TO make a
favorable report on Senate bill $40, TO regu-
late water main assessments in the Dis
trict, introduced by Senator Harris on the
21st of September last. This bill provides
that hereafter assessments levied for laying
water mains in the District shall be at the
rate OF Sl.25 per linear foot against all
lands fronting upon the street. road or alley
in which the main is laid. No lot is to be
taxed twice, and corner lots shall be taxed
only on their front. with depth OF not ex-
ceeding 100 feet, while any excess of the
other front over 100 feet shall be subject to
the rate thus established.