The evening times., 1896-12-16
ACTED UPON THREE BILLS
District Committee of the House
Announces Its Decisions.
OF METROPOLITAN
1t Will BE Favorably RepOrted-Dun-
bar Claim and the Inaugural Reso-
lutions VIII Also Be Returned
With ApprOval-Health Officer
Explains Need of Strict Laws.

The House District Committee, at its
meeting this morning, heard Dr. Woodward
on the question of penalties to enforce
health laws, and acted upon several i'm
portant matters.
In addition to the bill for drawback
certificates for claims On the Northern
Liberty Market removal, and for the
Massachusetts avenue bills, ON which ia
t-rorable action was Ia ken Saturday, 1t
was decided To report tomorrow with rec
ommendation to pass the Metropolitan
Railway extension, the claim OF Emmert,
Dunbar & Co, and the resolution for in
auguration.
There were present Chairman Babcock,
Messrs. Curtis, Harmer, Hulick, Shannon,
Huling, Odcli. Mines, Richardson, Meyer.
Meredith and Abbotu.
commissioner Truesdell. Drs. Woodward
and Kober, Major Harries, Col. bliss, DR..
Dunbar and other citizens were in the
room.
Dr. Woodward, In hts talk, read por-
tions of several bills from his office, rec
omme ended by the Commissioners, and al
ready published. He explained that while
there are some excellent health regUla-
tions, no punishment has been fixed in
several cases sufficient to secure enforce
ment.
He spoke OF isolation of persons with cen
tagious diseases and the nee, .ty to en-
force the law requiring vacciLation.
Mr.. 0dell called attention to a New
York decision in regard to vaccination. DIR.
Woodward said he had examined num-
ber of decisions on the subject.
Mr.. Udell said that the case as that of
man arrested FOR resisting vaccination.
He was tried and the case was carried to
the court of appeals, where it was DECIDED
that the law was contrary To the Consti-
| tuition.
DE-. Woodward said he thought he had
| seen this. He would be glad, however, to
| give il further attention. since IL had been
called to his notice. Mr.. odell said he
would undoubtedly find the case exactly as
| stated.
a number of persons were present to
| know about the East Washington Heights
| Street Railway bill. Mr.. Babcock remarked
| at this point that there could be no hear
| ing upon this sub iect, and it was arranged
| that they should have the railway sub
| committee, Mr. Harmer, chairman, to Con
slider their wishes at time to be named
| hereafter. This is the road backed by
| Col Archibald Bliss
DR.. Woodward then continued to read
! the bill. He called attention to the need
brought out by the action OF a colored
! huckSter recently, who refused to remain
| at home and who must have been confined
under the present law at the Washington
I Hospital.
"This would have been a bad thing for
him and for the asylum, added the health
officer.
He read then the section which had been
| added TO cover such ease. II provides
for confinement at the Jail or at such other
place rs the health office may direct.
LACK OF CEMETERY LAW.
DR.. Woodward pointed out the lack Of a
cemetery law. He said there was prac-
ucally nothing to govern cemeteries. The
especial need Of some control was brought
out by the proposal to locate a cemetery
Just above a populous suburb
An object lesson showing carele essncss
was found when it was proposed to ex-
hume an infant. No record was found OF
when or where bodies Were buried nor OF
any removals from this cemetery, and there
was no law to require these things.
The bill further seeks to regulate crema-
tories. At present there Is nothing to pro-
tect adjacent property owners. A regula-
tion is inserted also to control the use OF out
door closets.
Commissioner Truesdell proposed that
the committee hear DR. kober, who made
a report last year on typhoid fever, but Mr.
Babcock said il would be better to hear him
at a time when stenographer could take
what was said for future use. The bill,
with others, was referred to subcommittee.
Mr.. Babcock took up the resolutions re-
lating to the inaugural ceremonies. That
giving steam railroads the additional use
of streets under permit from the Commits
missioners, according TO a statement by
Mr.. Truesdell, is exactly the same as ord-
narily-adopted. Favorable report WAS d-
rected.
The resolution gang the Secretary of
War the right to issue permits for stands
on public grounds for seeing the inaugural
mr. " 10 ha tt,a .ttta. :
four years ago.
II was asked if the Secretary could grant
the privilege to private parties. Mr.
Truesdell explained that it was usual for
the matter to be put into the hands of
the executive committee. who let the privi-
lege and used the money to help pay ex-
penses- Favorable report was agreed To-
Mr.. Babcock read the bill proposing to ex-
tend the Metropolitan street road up the
hill from Connecticut avenue and Boundary
along Columbia road to Eighteenth street.
METROPOLITAN EXTENSION.
Mr.. Truesdell was called upon to tell
whether any public expense would be con-
nccted with the extension, and answered
in the negative. The street, Columbia road
had been originally widened at the ex-
pense of the property owners, and they
were now asking that the street car line
be put on it.
"As l understand" said Chairman Bah
COCK, ''tnlS extension is upon the demand
Of the citizens, not because the company
wants it. The former president of the
road, Mr.. Phillips, told me last year that
he didn't care to have the bill passed, and
there was no effort for it till the citizens
along the line came in to demand it."
He then called on Maj George Harries,
who was present, to state the present wishes
of the company. Maj. Harries said they
were willing to build the extension but did
not desire To do SO. 1t would not be pay
ing extension.
Mr.. Truesdell, answering a question,
said the length of the extension would be
about 200 feet. 1t would not interfere
with any public interest, SO far as he knew
Senator Chandler was present. He said,
when called on by Mr. Babcock that he
didn't know there was committee meet
ing. He would call attention to the bill
now before the Senate and likely to pass
this week, to buy from the Great Falls
Power Company all rights remaining to
it at Great Falls. He called attention to it
because of his duty to a deceased friend
who owned most of the rights. This friend
was the late General Benjamin F. Butler,
and his friendship made it proper for him
to appear there in behalf OF General But
ler's Children. There was nothing Sc
cret about the matter. 1t had happened as
often that the government had failed to
get all it wanted when it bought water
rights at the Falls. 1t now proposed to
take the whole river