Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-04
LOCAL LEGISLATION
ACTION TAKEN TODAY By HOUSE
DISTRICT COMMITTEE.
Two Bills to Be Favorably Reported on,
but Both Greatly Amended
and Rewritten.

Columbia met today and acted upon a Huih-
Der of local measures recently introduced
The committee authorized favorable re-
port on but two bills, and these were so
amended and rewritten as to but slightly.
resemble the original draft.
One of the important features of the meet
ing was the decision of the committee to
grant a hearing next Thursday morning at
1890 o'clock on the subject of House bill
1924, to transfer to the Secretary of the
Interior such supervision of the Government
Hospital for the Insane, Freedmen's Hos
pital and Asylum and the Washington Hos
pital for Foundlings as may have been
conferred upon the board of charities of the
District of Columbia, under the act ap-
proved June G, 1900, creating the board.
The hearing was decided upon In COM
pliance with a request from the secretary
of the Interior, who stated that his reasons
for urging the proposed legislation were
contained in a report made last year. Sec
rotary Hitchcock declared that the heads
of the institutions affected should be heard
as to the advantages to be gained by the
proposed change of supervision 1t Is prob
able also that members Of the board of
charities will be given an opportunity to
speak IL they so desire. The discussion
promises to be interesting.
Laid on the Table.
The committee decided to lay on the
tdDle House D1llS $3.50 ana SuZO. Inc ldtteT
is a bill for the relief of the estate of the
late John JacOby. who held certain sewer
contracts with the District Of Columbia.
While work was in progress Jacoby died.
His administrators claimed the contract
was fhereupon annulled. -;
The Commissioners, however, held other
wise, and called upon the estate to COM
plete the work. The bill proposed to re-
heve the estate from further liability in
connection with the work, and to direct the
payment in fun for the portion of the
sewer completed at the time of Jacoby's
demise. The Commissioners made an ad-
verse report on the measure, which was
afterward the subject of hearing before
the judiciary subcommittee of the District
committee. 1t was upon the report of this
subcommittee that the action to put the
matter on the table was taken.
The bill. $500, which was also ordered to
lie on the table. provided for the amend-
ment of the act relating to tax sales, APP
proved May 13. 1892 This bill was sub
mitted by the Commissioners and proposed
that certificates of taxes should be an abb
sclute bar to the collection of all taxes
omitted therefrom. The present law pro-
videS that such certificates shall be effec-
tive only in cases of transfers of property
based Immediately thereon. There have
been many complications to subsequent
purchasers who have relied upon these Ger
tfcates only to find their protection fc.i-
tious in after years when some forgotten
tax comes TO the surface.
To Report Substitute.
The committee decided to report a sub
stitute bill for H. r. 5067, which proposes
to prevent the fraudulent sale of mer-
chandise in the District of Columbia. The
substitute bill will contain all the provi-
sions of the original, but in better language.
1t will be based on the laws of Minnesota
and New York. The bill is designed to pre-
vent the sale of goods by any merchant,
wi he 9 n Or
him credit for the merchandise, for the
purpose of going out of business. 1t pro-
vides for the notification of such creditors
and the manner in which sales may be
made under the conditions of credit and in
debtedness mentioned In the measure. As
redrawn the bill will not only refer to
creditors for the particular merchandise in
stock, but all bona fde creditors
The committee considered House bill
1922. providing for the consecutive num-
bering Of all blocks and lots in subdivisions
outside the city for the purposes of taxa
ton and assessment Commissioner West,
having supervision of the tax department
of the local government, appeared before
the committee and argued for favorable
report on the measure. If adopted, tile
blocks and lots of the county subdivisions
will be numbered in the same manner as
the city property. 1t will relieve the tax
and other records of such additional desig-
nations as Columbia Heights, Mount
Pleasant etc. No action was taken by
the committee this morning.
Tax Law Amendments.
The committee, after making a number of
amendments. authorized favorable report
on the remnants of House bill 5000, the onl-
nibus bill prepared by the Commissioners
for. the purpose of correcting and amend
ing various provisions of the existing tax
laws, particularly the law relating to per-
sonal property
The committee retained the provisions of
A. I,a$ h. . al
peals shall sit each year from the first Mon
day in February until the second Monday
in March, both inclusive. The board now
sits from November 10 to December Is.
The second section of the bill, eXempting
from taxation all art galleries of sufficient
size and merit to be of general public in
terest, which open to the public at
least two hours day two days of each
week was stricken out This paragraph
affected several private galleries. The Cor
coran gallery is already exempt.
The Commissioners also struck out the
section giving the Commissioners authority
to remit penalty and interest general
and special taxes when In their judgment
the request for such remission should be
for causes deemed equita BILE and just The
Commissioners explained there were many
meritorious cases along this line not coming
within the scope of existing law. The COM
mittee thought the present provisions of
the statutes sufficient.
The committee also struck out the para
graph which proposed:
THAT hereafter. beginning with the fiscal
year commencing July /. 1904, Incorporated
savings banks paying interest to their de-
posters, shall, through their president or
cashier make affidavit to the board of per-
sonal tax appraisers on or before the 1st
day of August in each year, as to the
amount of their gross earnings, less the
amount paid as interest to their depositors
for the preceding year ending June 30. and
shall pay thereon to the collector of taxes
of the District of Columbia per centum
per annum."
The proposed reduction of the tax on the
gross earnings of building associations
from to III per cent was changed to 2 per
cent
The proposed exemption of articles of
personal adornment' from the personal tax
was stricken out. leaving In the list libra
ries school books, wearing apparel and
family portraits.
The committee retained the tax of $40
year on bowling alleys, and the provision
that the collector of taxes may designate
| the place of sale of articles distrained for
delinquent personal taxes.
STEAMER DISABLED.
Boat of Norfolk and Washington Line