The times., 1899-12-12
LOCAL Bills PRESENTED
Eight-HOHr Law May Be Applied to
Firemen and Police.
n Representative jenkins of Wisconsin
Introduces in the House Measure
Certain District EmpIoyes-Money
Asked for Memorial Bridge.

Among the measures introduced in Con-
gres yesterday concerning the District of
Columbia was a bill by Representative
jenkins of Wisconsin providing for the
application of the eight hour law to the
Washington police and fire departments.
The bill recites that eight hours shall con
stitute a full legal days service in the
District OF Columbia and that for this day,
full compensation shall be paid. No police
man, fireman, or officer in either depart
ment; no stauonkeeper, clerk, ambulance
driver, or patrol driver. shall be required
to work more than eight hours out of
twenty-four, without extra pay, except in
cases Of riot conGagation, the Inauguration
Of a President or other extraordinary
emergency. This act is not to have a retro
active effect.
Representative Jenkins also introduced
a bill providing that there shall be opened
in square POS, between Fourteenth and Fif-
teenth Streets a street which shall be con-
current with those streets in adjacent
squares known as Wallach Place and Caro-
line Street north
Senator Mcmillan introduced a bill
in the Senate for the transformation
of the inner basin of the Potomac fats
into a public bathing pool
The bill authorizes and instructs the
District Commissioners to complete as
soon as practicable, the work of trans
forming the inner basin of the Potomac
fats into a bathing pool, in accordance
with the plans approved by the Secretary
of War.
An appropriation of $4,000 from the
revenues of the District is asked 10 com
plete the work.
A bill carrying an appropriation OF 81,
100000, and providing for the construction
Of the proposed Memorial Bridge across
The Potomac River. between Washingtn
and Arlington, was introduced in the Sen
ate by Mr.. Daniel and referred TO the
Committee on the District of Columbia
A S5,0O0,000 building to be known as the
Patent Office OF the United States and
Hall of Inventions is provided for in
bill introduced in the Senate by Senator
Daniel. The building is to be located in
the area east of the Capitol, occupying a
position on the north side of East Capitol
Street. corresponding to the Congressional
Library on the south side Of that street.
The limit of the amount TO be paid for the
land is placed in the bill as $500, coo The
Public Buildings and Grounds.
The bill which has been introduced in
the Senate by Senator Mcmillan to abolish
the office of justice of the peace in the Dis
trict of Columbia, is causing some COM
ment among local lawyers. The Senator
yesterday received a communication from
Walton Harrison. in which hearty com
mendation is given to the measure. Mr..
Harrison points out some Of the reasons
why such a bill should pass. as follows:
The practices Of justices in this juris-
diction are infamous. As justices can issue
warrants returnable TO the Police Court
they can WELD a powerful weapon which
strikes at the liberties of the people. I'm
der color of mock trial they can conds-
cate money and property.
Nothing is more common than for a
plaintiff to sue and obtain judgment, and
then if judgment is not paid and nothing
can be found upon which to levy, to swear
out a warrant against the defendant for OBJ
tanning goods or money under false pre-
lenses, referring TO the alleged debt as
originally created. This forces the defend
ant to pay whether he owes or not, Abol-
ishes the Justices