The times., 1898-05-24

! Philippine Islands a months pay in ad-
vance.
! Chairman Babcock then demanded the
regular order and the first District bill
taken up was TO provide for the establish
ment of building lines on certain streets
in the District.
1t authorizes the Commissioners to es-
tabiish building lines on streets or parts
/ of streets less than ninety feet wide In
I the application of one-half the real estate
/ affected. or when the public health, com
4 fort or convenience requires il; jury
of twelve shall examine and appralse
I damages. Existing buildings whlch pro-
iect beyond the established lines may re-
main until the owners desire to rebuild
The bill was passed.
The Senate bill TO compel street rail-
way companies TO remove abandoned
! tracks was then taken up. 1t provides
that where tracks shall not have been
I regularly operated for three months the
company shall remove such tracks and
I put the streets in good condition Failure
to comply is made punishable by fines.
An amendment provides that after one
year il shall be unlawful for one street
I railway company to enter into reciprocal
/ trackage relations with another unless It's
motive power is the same. Instead of US
ing the other tracks the. company not
/ having modern motive power shall give
free transfers over the rapid transit line.
Mr.. Babcock said the object of the bill
was TO compel the removal Of abandoned
/ tracks and TO force companies TO adopt
rapid transit; that at the end of year
I the horse railways must either adopt
modern motive power or cease running
over the lines of companies having such
power The bill was passed.
The next bill taken up was the House
bill relative to the control Of wharf prop
erty and certain public spaces in the Dis
trict.
This bill gives the District commission
ers exclusive charge and control Of all
wharf property belonging TO the I'm ted
States or the District and empowers them
TO make all needful regulations for gov
ernment of the same. An amendment
excepting the arsenal and the flushing
reservoirs and leaving them under the
( Jurisdiction of the chief - engineers.
was adopted. Another amendment pro-
Yiding that no lease Of wharf property
for a period longer than ten years and
that all money derived from rents and
leases shall be paid into the United States
Treasury. one-haf for the District, was
also adopted.
Mr.. Babc0ck proposed an amendment
directing that the Botanical Garden shall
be kept open To the public the same as
other parks and that the fence a. ound
the Garden shall be removed within six
months. Mr. SuZer vigorously opposed
the amendment saying il would expose
The valuable plants and flowers of the
Garden to destruction. He said the coun-
try owed VIM. r. Smith 2 debt of graft
tude for the "wondrous work he had
achieved as superintendent Of the Gar
den: that he had distributed rare and
valuable plants and trees over every
section of this country.
The amendment was declared adopted
by a vote Of six TO six. whereupon Mr..
SulZer made the point of no quorum A
roll call was ordered and after some de-
lay a quorum was procured and the Bah
cock amendment adopted. The bill was
then passed.
The bill imposing a license tax of three
dollars per day. or twelve dollars per
week, on all merry-go-rounds, flying
horses, flying swings and like mechanical
4 devices was then passed.
The next bin taken up was that to in
corporate the East Washington Heights
Traction Railroad Company. with James
6. Berret, A. NJ. Bliss, 3. II. Warner. w
II. Rapley and numerous others named
as incorporators. The bill authorizes
them to construct and operate a single or
double track street railway. from the
circle at the western approach of the
Pennsylvania Avenue bridge, thence
across the Eastern Branch. on a bridge
or trestle to be built by the company,
along Pennsylvania Avenue to Branch
Avenue, TO the Bowen Road to Good
Hope: also from the intersection of
Branch Avenue and Bowen Road to the
District line; also the intersection of
Minnesota Avenue TO Harrison Street,
and also northward TO the Anacostia
road and along that road to East Wash
ington Park. II is to be a trolley road
and members of the committee stated
that there was absolutely no doubt of the
+s-,,, -, -
required that the road shall be COM
menced within one year and completed
within two years from the passage of the
act. but failure to comply with this pro-
vision shall work forfeiture only of that
section of the road that is not completed
within the required time.
Mr. Corliss offered an amendment pro-
viding for a general system of free trans
fers. Mr.. Babcock made the point of or
der against il that it was not germane.
He said the bill as il stood required the
proposed road and the Capital Traction
Company, with which it would connect
to exchange free transfers. so that pas
senger would get ride over the entire
length of both roads for a single fare.
The Chair (dr. Payne of New York; sus-
tained the point of order. whereupon Mr..
Williams OF Mississippi exclaimed: Tets
beat the bill" The point of no quorum
, | was made, but after the loss of about one
hour a quorum was rallied and the bill
passed.
The bill to require the Brightwood Rail-
: way Company, within one month, to va
. cate that part of its road lying on Kenyon
and Marshall Streets, between Seventh
and Fourteenth Streets. and remove its
tracks and poles therefrom and to equip
4 and operate its road with underground
l electric power within one year, was
: passed. After thirty days the road is
subject to a fine of SIS per day for every
day that any part of its track or any of
its poles remain on Kenyon or Marshall
r Streets.
Y Chairman Babcock next called up the
bill to regulate steam engineering and the
inspection of stationary steam engines
! and boilers in the District. 1t directs the
commissioners to appoint within thirty
t days after the approval of the act, per-
SON skilled in the mechanism and opera
ton of steam engines and boilers who
shall be styled inspector of stationary
steam engines and get a salary of Sl,50(
!. per annum, also one assistant at a salary
y y of $500 per annum. ana two examiners at
. $500 per year each. who shall inspect all
| steam boilers at least once every twelve