Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-13
The Matter Considered by the Sen
ate District Committee.
TWOBILLS TO BEFAVORABLY REPORTED
Commissioners Objections to lndi-
viduaI Measures Not Valid.
OTHER LOCAL MATTER S

Gallinger, Hansbrough, Proctor. Pritchard,
Baker, Harris, Faulkner, Gibson ard Bacon.
The main subjects OF discussion We're the
street extension bills and the dollar gas
bill, and on both of these the committee as
sumed a favorable attitude.
Street Extension Matter.
The street extension matter came before
the committee in the form of the two bills
recently introduced, one extending North
Capitol street to the Soldiers Home and the
other extending 14th street to the Spring
road. In the regular course of business
these bills were referred to the District
Commissioners and by them reported ad-
yersely, with letter, which was printed the
other day in The Star. in which the Com
missionerS stated that they deemed it mad
visable at this time TO proceed with street
extensions while the highway.act was under
consideration in the courts. They charac-
teriZed the passage of individual bills for
street extension as being antasonistic to the
general and wise policy embodied in the
highway act. and they emphatlcally vetoed
the proposition that there should he indi-
vidual street extension legislation renjin =
the decision of the Court of Appeals and per-
haps of the Supreme Court on the constitu-
tionality of the highway act.
To this opinion Of the Commissioners sew
ersIl Senators at once took exception, and
Senators Faulkner and Gallinger expressed
themselves in interviews in The Star de-
tel mined to take issue with the Commits
si)ners on this line. Senator Faulkner.
whose interview was inadvertently printed
as coming from Mr.. Proctor. said that, in
his opinion, it looked ike an attempt on the
part of tie Commissioners to coerce Con-
greSS into passing an act curing the defects
of the highway act.
To BE Reported FnvOrably.
In committee this morning Mr. Proctor
called attention to the letter of the Com
mis- b..
make favorable report on the two bills,
notwithstanding the adverse opinion of the
Commissioners. He not alone in this
attitude. and the committee without dissent
directed that a favorable report be made on
these two measures. 1t was agreed that it
would be better to go ahead with the i'm
prcvement OF the main thoroughfares of the
city by their extension into the suburbs in
conformity with The city system of streets
than to wait for the slow process of law
The evident unconstitutionalityo OF the high
way act was accepted as u foregone conclu-
sion. and 1t was thought inadvisable to place
any dependence upon the possibility of the
upper court overriding the lover in this
matter, o.. upon Congress passing curative
act.
Provisions of the Bills.
These bills were introduced by Senator
Mcmillan on the I'd instant. The bill to ex-
tend North Capitol street to the Soldiers
and grade that street from L street to the.
nome, ard to condemn, according to chapter
IL of the Revised Statutes relating to the
District, for opening highways, such of the
lands of the ProSpec. Hill cemetery and of
Annie T. Barbour as may be necessary for
the extension of the street, and the amount
of money necessary to Pay the judgment of
condemn a ton and the cost of grading is
appropriated without specification by the
BILL but the cost of grading is not TO ex-
coed $4,000. One-half of this appropriation.
which is to be Immediately available on the
passage of the act, is to be paid out of the
revenues of the District
The other bill directs the Commissioners
to open and grade 14th street from Park
street to Spring road, and to condemn, in
the manner provided by law priCr to March
2. 1893, for the condemnation of land in the
District, such of the lands of the Mattingly
estate and of the estate of John T. Lehman
and Saunders and LipScomb, trustees, as
may be necessary for such extension. The
money necessary for this purpose is aPpro-
priated without specification under the
same conditions as in the other bill. The
grading is not to cost more than 5000.
The Dollar Gas Bill.
There was complete unanimity as far as
there were airy expressions of opinion in
favor of the dollar gas bill passed by the
House last Monday. There was a dispo-
sition to order a favorable report made
y,
out that the Washington Gaslight COMPANY
believes the provision as to the test of
purity and Illuminating to be impracticable
and obsolete and that they had asked for a
hearing on this particular point. In view of
this fact it was agreed that the bill should
be postponed until next Friday. when it
will be taken up for final disposition. mas
much as there was no opposition whatever
expressed, and there was a large ma
lOrity of the committee in open advocacy
q q 9 a
that the committee will next Friday unani
mously report the bill favorably to the SEN
ate, where ii Will be placed upon the calen-
dar, ready to be called up at any time for
final action.
The Gas Con,pany's Influence.
The gas company has, SO far as public
appearances go. withdrawn its opposition
to his measure, but it is asserted that much
influence is being exerted quietly by the
com oany and by it's collateral interests.
such as the Standard Oil Company and the
coal corporations that supply it with ma
terial, against the bill. and it remains to
be seen OF course, Just how far this will be
effective in preventing the passage of the
bill 1t is regarded as certain that no bill
will be passed this session chartering new
comr anies, and there is an Overwhelming
majority in Congress in favor of cheaper
gas There is no doubt that if the bill
should come before the Senate for a vote
nimity, and ii is presumed that the efforts
of the gaslight company are directed tow
ard preventing vote being taken.
Experts to be Heard.
Next Tuesday afternoon at o clock the
committee will grant a hearing to certain
New York experts, who have been sum-
moned by the company in its behalf to give
testimony in regard to the tests to be ap-
Piled to gas to determine its power and
purity The provisions of the bill regarding
this matter were drawn by Commissioner
Powell. who will be called before the COM
mittee to explain the reasons for providing
the tests that are now included in the bill
1t is the contention of the company that
the required standard of thirty-two candle
power is impracticable of attainment if
the tests now provided in the bill are insist
ed upon, as it is urged that these tests are
impracticable, and have long been discard
ed by gas companies.
The House bill, which is to be accepted
by the Senate committee fixes the price of
gas in the city of Washington at 81 per
1000, and in Georgetown at $1.25. The Sem
ate bill recently introduced by Mr.. McIil-
Ian placed fiat rate of 81 on all gas sold
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