Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-01-01

1
the practice OF medicine in the District.
Iney LOOK action upon a large number of
| biiis and Joint resolutions proposed in Con-
gress, including those relating to the aboli-
! ton OF grade crossings, to which reference
Will be found in another part of this review.
| DISTRICT LEGISLATION.
| The year has been unusually fruitful in
District legislation in Congress, and num-
Der OF very important laws relating to the
| District have been enacted. Congress was
IN session from the beginning of the year
| until June and again in the early part of
december. The partial reorganization of
the senate a short time after Congress
| convened caused but little interruption in
| the course OF District legislation, as Chair
| man Mcmillan, who took charge of the
| work, In place of Mr.. Harris had a wide
experience in such matters, having served
| In that capacity in a previous Congress
| On the House side, Chairman Babcock had
| committee of hard workers to aid him
| ana the committee accomplished good re-
SUITS Inc session closed last June with
total OF ~ acts added to the local statute
DOCKS. This Is one of the best records
| ever achieved.
Some of the most important acts which
passed were these:
To regulate the price Of gas in the Dis
| trict of Columbia.
! To establish and provide for the main
tenance OF free public library in the
n.
70 incorporate the POSTGRADUATE School
OF Medicine In the District of Columbia
10 amend the act relating to the punish
! fire boards.
Extending the time within which the
Maryland and Washington Railway Com
pany shall be required to complete the
building Of its road within the District
of Columbia
To incorporate in the District of Column
bia the Supreme Council of the Thirty
tnlrd Degree Of Scottish Rite Masonry for
| the southern Jurisdiction of the United
| States.
To incorporate the convention of the
Protestant Episcopal Church Of the diocese
of Washington.
To amend section of the act for the
| appointment of a seaier and an assistant
sealer Of weights and measures.
10 authorize reassessments for improve
of Columbia.
To provide for the Incorporation and reg
ulation Of medical and dental colleges in
the District OF Columbia.
To regulate marriages in the District of
Columbia.
To regulate the business of storage in
the District of Columbia.
To establish certain harbor regulat ions
for the District of Columbia.
Requiring bills of sale, conditional sales,
mortgages or deeds of trust of chattels in
the District Of Columbia TO be recorded.
Relating to The testimony of physicians
IN the courts Of the District of Columbia.
| Received by the President May IS, and be-
came law without his approval.
To amend the act Incorporating the Capi-
tai Railway Company.
To amend section 416 of the Revised Stat
utes relating to the District of Columbia
relating to the disposal of the property of
persons dying interstate within the District
Defining the standard shape and size for
lumbia. .
To amend the laws of the District as to
married women and make bo
| natural guar dams Of their minor children
To incorporate the National University.
To regulate the practice of medicine and
surgery, to license physicians and surgeons
| and to punish persons violating the pro-
visions thereof In the District of Columbia
To authorize the Baltimore and Wash
ington Iran9it Company to enter the Dis
trict of Columbia.
To extend the routes of the lexington
and Belt railway companies and to require
the substitution thereon of rapid transit.
To extend the time for making an assess
ment of real estate in the District Of Co
lumbia.
To amend the charter of the Washington
and Great Falls Electric Railway Company.
STEAM RAILROADS.
The last year has marked considerable
progress in the history Of the effort of the
people Of Washington to abolish grade
crossings within the city limits, though no
legislation affecting the steam railroads
has yet been secured. There has been a
continued effort on the part of the board
| Of trade and citizens associations to bring
the railroad problem to a conclusion. Ear
ly in the year joint committee appointed
by the Washington board of trade and the
Northeast Washington Citizens Associa-
ton, waited upon the Commissioners, and
| a consultation was held regarding the best
means of procedure In order to influence
the steam railroad companies to abolish
their crossings at grade. The Commission
ers advised the introduction in Congress of
a nill providing that after the year 1900 no
steam railroad should be permitted to
maintain grade crossing in the city of
Washington. and on February / a bill to
this erect was introduced in the Senate by
sentative Babcock While this bill never
became law, it was the forerunner of an
eHort looking to an agreement between the
rallroad companies. Congress. the Commits
sioners and the citizens of Northeast and
south Washington on plan for the eleva-
ton or depression Of the railroad tracks.
About month after the bill to abolish
railroad crossings had been laid before
Congress Mr.. Mcmillan, chairman Of the
committee on the District of Columbia, in
troduced In the Senate bills to abolish
! grade crossings on both the Pennsylvania
and the Baltimore and Ohio railroads.
and 1t was understood that these bills
were acceptable to the companies. Inn
mediately after their introduction these
OlAS were referred TO the commissioners
Major Powell, the Engineer Commissioner
did not approve either plan in it's entirety,
and he Lad conferences with officials Of
both roads without coming to any agree
| ment. When Congress assembled both of
these measures were still with the Com
| missioners. hut lust before Christmas thew
reported on the Baltimore and Ohio hill
rec ommending that it be amended so that
the main line and Metropolitan branch Of
the road should be Joined Just north of
the Deaf Mute Institution, and both come
| into the city over the line of Delaware ave
nue. Instead of causing two viaducts to
be built to come together Just above G
street northeast. Major Powell also rec
ommends that The depot of the company be
located square east Of its present site, SO
that the eleva ted tracks would come to the
depot on level with the street. This
recommendatfen favors locating the depot
North Capitol street All parties inter
ested In the bin are agreed on the viaduct
plan for the elevation of the tracks. and
It seems reasonable for the people of
Northeast Washington to hope that before
Congress adtoprns this bill will be acted
upon. az II
The bill to regulate the manner in which
the Pennsylvania 9oad shah enter the civ