Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-13
STREET EXTENSION
The Matter Considered by the Sen
ate District Committee.
TW0RITINTl RppAVOpipIV prp0pFrn
IWOBILLS TO BEFAVORABLY REPORTED
Commissioners Objections to Indi-
vidual Measures Not Valid.
9TH Err LOCAL MATT Err S

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 1ith street to the Spring
road. In the regular course of business
these bills were referred to the District
Commissioners and by them reported Gd-
verSely, with letter. whicn 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 fol
street extension as being antagonistic to the
general and wise policy embodied in the
highway act. and they emphaucally vetoed
the proposition that there should I've indi-
vidual street extension legislation pending
the decision of the Court of Appeals and per
haps of the Supreme Court on the constitG-
t:onality of the hiShuay act.
To this opinion Of the Commissioners sew
eral Senators at once took exception, and
Senators Faulkner and Gailinger expressed
themselves in interviews III The Star as de-
tel mined 20 take issue with the Commits
sioners 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
gress into passing an act curing the defects
of the highway act.
TO BE Reported FavOrably.
In committee this morning Mr.. Proctor
called attention to the letter of the Com
missicners, and urged that the committee
make favorable report on the two bills,
notwithstanding the adverse opinion of the
Commissioners. He was 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 unconstitution Atty OF the high
way act was accepted as d foregone conclu-
sion. and il was thought inaGvisei to place
any dependence upon the possibility of the
upper court overrulinS the lover in this
matter, o.. upon Congress passing a 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
Home directs the Commissioners to open
and grade that street from T 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 Prospect Hill cemetery and of
Annie E. Earbour as may be necessary for
the extension of the street, and the amour t
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-
Ceed $4,000. One-half of this appropr;a ton,
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 &nd grade 18th street from Park
street to Spring road. and to condemn, in
the manner provided by law pricr to March
2, 1899. 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-
pridted without specification under the
same conditions as in the other bill The
grading Is not to COST more than $1,000.
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 q dispo-
sition to order a favorable report made
upon this measure today, but it was pointed
out that the Washington Gaslight Company
believes the provision to the test of
purity and illuminating to be impracticabie
and obsolete and that they had asked for q
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. Inas-
much as there was no opposition whatever
expressed. and as there was a large ma
iority of the committee iii open advocacy
of the measure. it is a practical certainty
that the committee will next Friday unani-
mouSiv report the bill favorab!y to the Sen
ate. where it viii be placed upon the caIen-
dar. ready to be called up at any time for
final action.
The Gas Cor,pnny's Influence.
The gas company has. so far as public
appearances go, withdrawn it's 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 1t 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
conn 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 vote
it would be passed with practical una
nimty, and it is presumed that the efforts
of the gasiight company directed tow
ard preventing vote being taken.
Experts to De Heard.
Next Tuesday afternoon at o'clock the
committee will grant a hearing to certain
New York experts, who have been sum-
monei by the company in its behalf to give
testimony in regard to the tests to be ap-
Piled to gas to determine it's 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
LOCO, and in Georgetown at $1.25 The Sem
ate bill recently introduced by Mr.. McMil-
Ian placed a fiat rate of 81 on all gas sold
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