Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-01
on DISTRICT AFFAIRS
The House Devotes the Day
to Local Bills.
TO RENAME STREETS
MEASURE PASSED TO GIVE Az.
rHoRITY TO COMMISSIONERS.
Bonds on Contracts - Certificates tt
Dentists-Cleaning Sidewalks
Insanitary Buildings. -


portant and interesting measures one =.
tbe most notable being the bill Tor lhe
condemnation of insanitary buildings. DE-
signed to sound the death kneli OF INC
alley slums of the capital city. Hepre-
sentative Babcock, chairman OF the HOUSE
committee on the District Of Coiumoia'
called up the different measures ana eA
n,a,ned them when questions were askeo'
The Commissioners. under Dill passeu
TODAY. are given authority to cnange .he
names of streets in that section OF the LIS
trict outside the city boundaries. Ine new
hill, relating to snow and Ice on siaeWaihs
was also adopted r.-
lively little, political debate was p,e
cipitated by the bill, Fl. II. 4S44, 10 ie". ~
the property OF Vincenzo Geraroi' Al ',is
city. from the operation of the law, wn'I -,
forbids the holding of title to properly IA
the District Of Columbia by an Amen. rep
tentative Hepburn of Iowa raked the
democrats over the Goals for not hylHs ~
the defense of their anti.aiien Jaw. hne.
clared he knew 1t was "humoue anu uui
dust when it was adopted and ina. ~
S,as snectacular game of politics KEEP
resentatiye Vim. Alden smith saiu ~, y.
thought no foreigner should hold utie 70
nroperty in the capital city OF the nation a.
The little tempest sss. sG %r o Vincent Gerard
while he bought the property wnen TIVE
alien was now a naturaIized citizen. me
bill was passed
Dental Bill Passed.
The frs. bin considered was Senate Dill
o1o amending the laws relating TO the
practice of dentistry, embodyins the pa.a
granb providing for the issue OF certincates
to practice through reciprocal system US
tween the states and territories, WHEREBY
anv dentist with record Of five years OF
reputable practice in one state may W
censed in another state without Iurther GA
Mr.. Griegs of Georgia arose to propose
an amendment relating to students matuS-
ulating I'm colleges of the Dfstrfct OF Coiul
bia. but Chairman Babcock aeciinea 70
Weld and SO the Dill WIS passeu aS ~ So
from the committee.
Bonds on Contracts.
House bill 1860, In relation to bonds on
contracts with the District of Columbia
was briefly explained by Mr.. Baocock. ne
stated that under the organic act con-
tractors are required to give bonds equai IN
amount to the amount of the contract. This
ia regarded as unnecessary and an excess
siye enactment The bill proposes to give
the Commissioners discretion as to the
amount of bonds, the sum In no case pc
ing less than Is per cent OF the esumatea
cost of the work The Dill was passed..
House bill $685., transferring 1ur1sdlc-
ton from the chief Of engineers, u q. A.
to the Commissioners, over reservation 81.
was taken up, read and passed. rms reser.
walton is the triangle In front OF the ste oL
treated as an approach to the puiiaii's
from Pennsylvania avenue. (: $50
Cleaning Sidewalks. =.
House bill 1921, the proposed new law.
relating to the removal of snow and Ice
from the sidewalks, was also passed. The
requirements of the measure were recently
discussed at length before the House COM
mittee on the District of Columbia. A fine
of - and the costs are to be imposed In all
asses of failure to remove snow WITHIN the
first four hours of daylight after the cease
of the fall. A fund OF SDooo ID provloeo so
enable the Com nissioners to remove the
snow in front Of property where the owner
cannot be found. the cost to De assessed
against the land and collected as realty
taxes The levying of this assessment does
not relieve the owner or tenant from pros
ecution. .
The bill was amended so as to restrict its
provision to the fire limits of the city.
Apprehension of Insane Persons.
House bill $685. providing specifically for
the apprehension and temporary detention
of insane persons was passed after Mr..
Babcock had explained that the legislation
was demanded by the absence of any stat
ute on the subject In the past the local
authorities have had to depend upon COM
mon law practices to accomplish the ends
desired.
House bill 2s71 to incorporate the Mutual
Investment Fire Insurance Company of the
District of Columbia, was next called up.
Representative Hepburn OF Iowa Thought
the powers granted were too LIBERAL Rep
resantattye Powers of Massachusetts,. from
the District committee, explained that the
bill was drawn after old laws that have
been found entirely satisfactory. There was
no further objection and the Dill was
passed.
House bill 1886, extending the authority
of the harbormaster to regulate shipping in
the Georgetown channel and the Eastern
branch of the Potomac was passed without
discussion.
To Change Names Of Streets.
House bill 1924, granting authority to the
Commissioners to change the names of
streets and avenues in the District outside
the city of Washington, was also passed
without discussion. This bill provides:
THAT the Commissioners of the District
of Columbia be. and they are hereby, au-
thorized and directed to name or rename
streets, avenues, alleys, highways, and res
eryations in that part of the District of
Columbia lying outside OF the city of Wash
ington, under such system of naming as
they shall see fit to adopt, and such names
of the District of Columbia shall thereafter
be the official names of such Streets ave-
nues, alleys, highways and reservations.
That upon the abandonment of any
street. avenue, road. or highway. or part
thereof, under the provisions of An act to
provide a permanent system of highways
In that part of the District of Columbia
lying outside of Cities. approved March 2,
1898, and the amendment thereto, approved
June 2S. 1885, the title to the land con-
tanned in such abandoned portion shall re-
vert to the owners of the land abutting,
thereon"
To Abolish Insanitary Buildings.
When the bill H. R. 9293, creating COM
mission for the condemnation of insanitary
buildings In the District of Columbia. was
reached it drew forth quite discussion,
but was eventually passed. Mr.. Williams
Of Mississippi offered an amendment.
which was adopted. 1t adds the words '-or
unsafe after the word insanitary wher-
ever 1t appears in the bill. and adds the
word safe after the word sanitary wher-
ever the latter appears.
Mr. Perkins of New York spoke at some
length on the bill. He said he was In favor
of its general provisions, but he thought
foo liberal m the oyUnora If mort floco