The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-07
REFORM AT WASHINGTON
SUNDAY OBSERVANCE LAWS MAY BE
MADE MORE BLUE LIKE.
Golfers wondering whether They
Will Be Permitted to "Tee" and
"Drive" or the Links.
special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special 10 the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, May Some time ago
Senator Mcmillan, chairman of the Senate
District of Columbia committee, intro
duced a resolution looking towards drastic
reform in the matter OF observing Sunday
laws at the capital. Since then the same
measure has been introduced in the House,
and the information is given that il is to
be seriously pressed. The bill confines
Sunday business TO running restaurants,
selling drugs and not other articles in
drug stores, running street cars and a very
few other things. The golfers are trying TO
find out if it does not prohibit this ancient
and honorable game on the first day OF the
week.
AS il is, the Washington Sunday law is
not very hilarious. Liquor is not sold except
in hotels and there not over bars. There
are no make-believe hotels to avoid the ex-
else laws and many of the hotels close
their bars, and provide no other means for
obtaining wine or liquor. Restaurants con-
fine their liquor trade to real patrons. and a
drink with a celluloid sandwich is unknown
on Sunday. Barber shops and places of this
kind are generally closed. The newspapers
are sold before 10 o'clock, and. compared
with most American cities, the capital is
very quiet.
1t is hardly probable the situation is
sufficiently serious from a Sunday observ-
ance standpoint to warrant d reform era,
and IL there is none, the country may rest
assured that with the exception OF the
Canadian cities the capital has the most
rigid Sunday observance of any large city
in America. Philadelphia and PittsDurg are
the only cities approaching Washington in
this respect.
Many complaints have been received In
the last two years by the municipal au-
thorities against the large billboards that
are erected on vacant lots In the residential
portions of the city and covered with all
sorts of advertising, theatrical and bust
ness. Under the present law they are pow
erless TO act in the matter. Ii Is now pro-
posed by federal statute TO license bill
boards. Advertising or signs visible from
the street can only be placed on licensed
boards or dead walls. For the permits s. a
square yard is charged A board 800 feet
long and nine feet high would have TO pay
$500 a year. For many unsightly billboards
the price is prohibitive-
Secretary Root is bitterly disappointed
because there is 10 be no army reform this
year. When the session began the plan was
10 have the bill for the consolidation OF the
staff put through the Senate. and the bill
for federalizing the militia put through the
House, so that the two measures would
not get in the way of each other, and that
there would be no rivalry between commit
tees, which is often the secret OF failure OF
programmes excellent In themselves and
well appreciated by the people. In the
House there is a separate committee TO
handle bills affecting the militia, as dis
tinguished from bills affecting the United
States army. This committee took very
kindly 10 the scheme of militia reform.
No such progress was made with the stan
bill in the Senate. Senators never did like
il and General Miles was brought before
the committee TO kill II. He did this most
e~ffectually. General Dick, OF Ohio, has
charge OF the militia bill, but he now sees
but little hope of success while the stan
bill is tied up. The Senate is getting into a
state of mind over the Philippine debate
and il is not easy 10 get ii 10 consider new
business.