Evening star., 1898-12-12
A DIS T RICT DAY
Matters of Local Interest Occupy the
House.
WATER POWER At GREAT FALLS
Bill for the Government to ACQUIRE
Land There.
AN ANIMATED DIS CUSSION

AioNSS AiiaS iiibi ililE MI DahtOth was rec
oenized by the Speaker to propose legisla-
ton recommended by the District of CO.
lumbia committee. Mr.. Babcock called up
the bill ITO acquire by oondemua ton land
and water rights at the Great Falls of the
Potomac"
Preceding the consideration Of this meas
ure Mr.. Babcock yielded TO Mr. Grout. who
reported the District of Columbia appro-
priation bin, giving notice that ne would
call it Up for consideration tomorrow
Provisions OF the bill
The bill. amended by the committee,
provides: That the Secretary Of War is
hereby directed. for the purposes herein
after mentioned. 20 obtain title for the
United States, by right of eminent domain,
as herein provided. to lands upon each side
OF the Potomac river at the Great Falls not
now owned by the United States extending
from point at or near the government
dain TO a point at oI near where DirilCult
run enters the Potomac river, and extend
ing back from the waters of the rIv.r upon
each side not more than one-half mie to-
sether with the title to Conns Island and to
other Islands i'm the river between the
points named, including water and other
rights and privileges appertaining 10 said
lands and islands or otherwise ex,sting bo-
tween said boundaries: PROVIDED. That the
canal and ianus and water rights of the
chesapeake and ONO Canal Company. on
the Maryland SIDE Of the river only are
hereby excepted from the ousration - me-
act.
Pre- vision is made for survey of LANDS and
Tor condemnation proceedings ana for the
purpose OF paying the costs and expenses
incurred IN carrying out the provisions of
this act. including court costs FURY and
witnesses fees, special counsel engineer
Ing and other expenses, the sum oi sl.o1.
or SO much thereof as may be necessary Is
hereby appropriated"
After The reaung of the bill it was laid
aside temporarily, on motion Of Mr. Bah
cock, on account of the absence of Mr..
King, who Is in charge of the measure.
TypewritinE Machines.
The bill authorizing the use OF typewrit-
ing machines in the recording of deeds in
the District OF Columbia was then called
up. The bill provides that the recorder of
deeds OF the District OF Columbia be, ana
he is hereby, authorized ana empowered to
purchase and use in his Office. for. the re-
cording Of deeds and oiner Instruments of
writing required py law TO be recorded in
said office, type~riting machines. the ex-
pense OF purchasing and main, ,atnlng said
machines 10 he paid out OF the receipts or
fees of said office on the approval of the
Justices OF the Supreme Court of the Dis
trlct of Columbia, or one of them, and all
deeds and otner instruments OF writing re-
quired by law To b. recorded in sad Office
which shall be recorded by typcwriting mH-
chimes are hereby declared to be legally
recorded.
Section >. That all acts and parts of acts
inconsistent with the provisions OF this act
be- and the same are hereby, repealed.
The Report Read.
Mr.. Clark of Missouri Insisted on the
reading of the report.
The report explains that the object Of
the bill is to allow the recording OF deeds
and other Instruments of writing by the re
corder of the District of Columbia with
book typewriting machines. instead of by
the slow, and often-umes i.iesibie methods
of pen subscriptions, If M desires to do So.
The book typewriter, il is c3almed writes
one-th1rd more TO the line than can be
written with a pen, and writes twIce as
many lines to the page, and, III r-fors, in
sures a saving of 30 per cent in books and
an equal saving i'm vault room. H ~ an
established fact that the typewriter rs
much more rapid than the pen aud that
typewritng is much more legible. and
therefore much easier TO read.
A copy Of the petition to the recorder OF
deeds Of the District Of Columbia. signed
by the leading real estate brokers and titIe
insurance companies, and lawyers. inciud-
ing the district attorney, praying tn. sub
stttution of typewrting for pen work in
keeping the records Of his office is given
Mr.. Babcock explained TO the House that
this bill passed the Senate on the 18th Of
last June, and the members Of the House
committee believed that the hill should
now be passed by the House The commit
tee, he said, was satisfied that the use of
typewriters would greatly facilitate the
work of recording deeds and that the
records made by the typewriter would be
as lasting by the best ink used in pen
and-ink work.
MIR. DOckery's Amendments.
Mr.. Dockery said that he was earnestly
in favor of the bill, but he wanted to strike
out the provision for the purchase Of the
machines out of the fees of the recorder
of deeds office, and to substitute for IT
provision that the machines he appropri-
ated for in the District appropriation bill.
Mr.. Babcock accepted this amendment and
1t was adopted. The bill was passed, after
being amended by the substitution Of the
word entitled for the word required"
to be recorded, etc.
Inspection of Flour.
Mr.. Babcock then called up the bill regu-
lating the inspection OF flour in the Dis
trict The committee report on this bill
says:
This bill is substantially existing law.
but two new points being covered When
the law was passed by the legislative as
semby in 1871 flour was packed in barrels
and half barrels. but not i'm sacks. Now a
very large amount Of the -four that comes
to the District is packed in either iute or
paper sacks and thus escapes Inspection
Merchants who buy -four, on appealing to
the inspector for a certificate as to the
proper weight and purity, find that there
Is no law Whlch permits him to inspect
-four in sacks. In one lot of -four received
into the District of Columbia a short time
since the underweight amounted to five
barrels, all OF which, OF course, came out
OF the purchasers in the District. who paid
for more flour than they received"
Point of Order.
During the course of the reading of the
bill Mr.. Dingley reserved a point of order,
based on the possibility of a conflict be-
tween this bill and the provision In the
var revenue for tax mixed -four Mr..
Curtis, who had charge of the bill. said he
could see no conflict. Mr.. Tawney sug-
gested that as this bill had been reported
before the enactment of the war revenue
bill. It should be recommitted to the COM
mittee with the view of considering IL in
with the revenue law. Mr.. Cur
tis, In view of this suggestion, withdrew
the bill temporarily. and ne and Mr.
retired TO make an examinat ton Of
the provisions OF the bill.
The Great Falls Bill Again.
f9afxA 1alr L.. H.