Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-08
THANKS TO CONGRES S
Board of Trade Expresses Its Appreciation
Of Recent Legislation.
Directors of Board Adept Resolutions
Question of License Laws Consid-
ered-Letter Of Comm DESIGNERS.

A meeting of the directors of the board
OF trade was held yesterday afternoon in
the rooms of the board 1410 G street north
west. The president, Mr.. Theodore w.
Noyes, was in the chair. The main pur-
pose of the meeting at this time was to ex-
press appreciation of the interest displayed
by both houses of Congress during the ses-
sion Just closed in the affairs of the Dis
trfct, as shown by the number of measures
Of District interest which had been enact
ed into ws.sSpecial reference was made
to the fact that practically all the bills
considered by the board and recommended
for passage to Congress had become laws.
AS expressing in part the appreciation of
the board of trade, series of resolutions
was adopted.
The Expression.
The resolutions are as follows:
whereas, the board of trade, through its
appropriate committees acting in accord
ance with the directions of the said board.
has urged upon Congress at it's present ses-
sion the passage of legislation amendatory
OF the highway act, for the increase and
purification of the Districts water supply.
for carrying into effect the comprehensive
system of sewage disposal, for the MAIN
tenance of the free public library for the
reclamation of the Anacostia flats and for
the development of manual training as
part OF the Districts public educational
system and the erection of ADEQUATE man
ual training schools.
And whereas, Congress has responded
wholly or in part to the arguments and APP
peals or its District constituents on ali
these subjects, and has radically and bene-
hclally amended the highway act, and has
provided for the completion of the aque-
duct TUNNEL and for preliminary investi-
CATIONS pointing toward filtration of the
fotonac water, and has taken significant
steps, involving considerable expenditure,
in the direction of the comprehensive sys-
tenn OF sewage disposal, and has provided
Tor the maintenance of the free public Ii
brary, and has authorized the surveys pre-
urinary to the reclamation of the Ana
costia mats, and has authorized the cree
tlon IN Washington of a large and credit
able manual training school
Therefore, be it resolved That the di-
rectors of the board of trade extend the
hearty thanks of the board and of the COM
munlty to their legislators who have SO
assigned to them by the Constitution and
especially to the District committee of the
two houses, and to the subcommittee of the
appropriations committees in charge of the
District appropriation bill, whose patient
and intelligent labors for the promotion of
the capitals welfare are warmly and CRATE
fully appreciated.
1t was directed that copies of this reso-
luton be sent to the president of the Sen
ate, the Speaker of the House. chairmen OF
the Senate ard House District committees
and chairmen of the subcommittee of the
Senate and House appropriations commit
tees.
District license laws.
A letter was received from the District
Commissioners transmitting Il letter, dated
June -: 1893, addressed to the Commission
ers by Senator Mcmillan, chairman of the
Senate District committee, the subject Of
the license laws of the District. and asking
that the board of trade give its views on
this subject. The letter was referred to
the committee on taxation and assessment
Senator McMilan's letter is as follows:
Il am in receipt of your letter of June
IS lnciosing communication from the
office of the assessor of the District in re-
gard to the failure of real estate agents to
take out licenses and showing the reasons
therefor 1t is quite evident from the let
ter that the law is Systematically evaded by
the people whom 1t was designed to reach
and is practically Ineffective so that it is
an injustice to the conscientious agents
who pay their license fee.
In this connection | desire TO call the at
tention of the Commissioners to the whole
subject of license fees in the District Of
Columbia, and would suggest that the Com
missioners give their consideration to the
matter of legislation to amend the license
laws to make them correspond with those
or other cities. Is there any reason WHY
real estate agents should pay any license
should not the license on carriages be linn
tied to 50, and should not drivers be Iicens-
eel at a moderate sum simply for the pur-
pose of regulation? 1t seems to me that
the license on business should be simply for
the purpose of regulation when necessary
ana not to derive revenue These are
questions which | commend to the earnest
consideration of the Commissioners"