Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-30
House Committee Gives Hearings and
Orders Several Reports.
TAX BILL UNANIMOUSLY FAVORED
Street Railway Tracks to Be Al
lowed on Aqueduct Bridge.
9TH Err LIE G S l. A T [ O n

The House District committee held
| meeting today to act upon pending local
| bills MIR. Mudd presiding.
The first measure called up was the bill
authorizing the Great Falls and Old Do
minion Railway Company, to improve, al
the companys own cost. the Aqueduct
bridge so as to permit the laying Of street
railway tracks on the bridge, to be used by
that Company or any other street railway
company the Commissioners specify, steam
cars being expressly excluded.
Mr. Jewell of the Great Falls company
appeared before the committee in behalf OF
the bill. He said the railway company was
prepared to pay to the collector OF taxes
the cash to cover the cost of the improve
ments before the work was commenced.
The substitute bill prepared by the Com
missioners required the company to i'm
mediately deposit 81 900 in the nature of a
forfeit The additional sum of $4,000 to
cover the cost of the Improvement is TO be
deposited within a stipulated time, failing
which the original $1,000 is to be forfeited
to the city.
Mr. Jewell said the company had the
money now ready to put 1t up, and would
go ahead with the work. 1t was not to be
a monopoly however, and any other COM
pany could use the tracks after the bridge
is ready.
Mr.. Latimer Of the committee said he
thought the plan a worthy one. There
were already two railways at the other end
of the bridge, with one at this end, and yet
the public is required to walk across the
bridge He thought that this vacancy
should be covered and easy access furnished
to Arlington and the Virginia shore
The bill Oh. r., 1850 to widen the Ana
costa road was referred to the subcom-
mittee on street railways for report.
Judge Scott Favors Salary Bill.
Judge Scott of the Police Court was given
a hearing on the bill to increase the sal
aries of the Police Court judges. He said
the courts are virtually United States
courts and undertake jury trials. The cases
come from the broadest field of any In the
United States. The law of Maryland, the
common law. the levy court the old legis-
lature and .he acts of Congress cover the
cases coming before these courts.
The best lawyers in the city, he said, ap-
pear at times in cases before the courts
and the judges are expected to be learned
in the laws of the land The Senate had
reported the bill by a very complime nta1y
report and the Commissioners had recon-
nended favorable action.
Reports Decided Upon.
At this point the committee went into
executive session and acted upon the fol-
lowing bills:
A favorable report was ordered on the
bill authorizing the Great Falls and Old
Dominion railway to improve the Aqueduct
bridge at its own cost.
Favorable reports were 2rdered on nills
to relieve Geo. w. King and Casper Barber
from the operation of the act relating 10
alien ownership of lands.
Also a favorable report on the bill rec
commended by the Attorney General. re-
lating to the Potomac flats suits. This bill
has been published in The Star.
Also a favorable report on the bill regu-
lating the hours of service in the gas abb
tl,1 i1iytfr
In the District government offices.
An adverse report was made on the Dill
for the relief of Esther H. Keyser.
The Tax Bill.
A unanimous favorable report was ordered
on the Commissioners tax bill, which pro-
vides as follows:
That hereafter beginning with the fiscal
year commencing July l, 1901. the whole
tax on real and personal property in the
District of Columbia shall be payable in
the month of May of each year; provided,
however, that and after the 1st of No
yember Of each year the tax may be paid
in two equal installments, the first in No
vember and the second in May, but that no
penalty shall accrue for delinquency until
the following June, as hereinafter provided,
and If the whole or any part Of the tax
upon real and personal property shall not
be paid before the first day of June In
each year, the same shall thereafter be In
arrears and delinquent, and there shall then
be added to be collected with the tax, a
penalty of I per cent per month upon the
amount thereof, and a like penalty on the
first day Of each succeeding month until
payment of tax and penalty, and the whole
together shall constitute the delinquent
tax, to be dealt with in the manner now
provided by law. All laws or parts Of
laws inconsistent with this act are hereby
repealed.
Also favorable report on the bill to
waive and release all claims Of the United
States by way of escheat to the real es-
tate in the District of Columbia, of which
Patrick Kavanagh or his sons. died. seized.