The Washington times., 1904-01-22
Committee Hears a Dis
cuSSion Upon Its
Defects.
WORSE THAN NEW JERSEY
Several Matters Considered
and Rapid Progress Made
on the District Bill.

The hearing granted by the House
District Committee TO the District Com
missioners on local bills was continued
this morning Members of the commit
tee manifested much interest in the leg
islative matters affecting the District.
and interrogated the Commissioners upon
various subjects
Mr. Babcock said his attention had
been called TO what appeared to be the
TACT that the corporation law OF the
District Of Columbia are more liberal
than those OF New Jersey He said ne
thought the matter of the corporation
law In the District of Columbia should
be investigated. and If necessary that
some amendments be made
Mr.. Macfarland said that corporations
with millions Of dollars had been formed
here because of the liberalty Of the law
and the absence of fees.
Mr.. West said the Corporation Counsel
was now engaged in Craving up amend
ments TO the code in respect to corpora
uons seeking charters in this jurisdic-
ton. which was expected to yield a rev.
enue TO the District.
Taking up another subject, Mr.. Mac
farland said that the bill regulating
electric light wires in the District had
been favorably acted upon by the Sem
ate committee. II was. he declared.
satisfactory 10 the Commissioners and
those interested. and he hoped for fs-
yorable consideration by the House
committee. A long discussion then en-
sued on the bill authorizing the laying
Of water mains and service sewers and
the levying Of assessments therefor.
Owners Should Pay.
Several OF the members of the COM
mittee thought that owners Of abutting
property should be made to pay the
cost IN its entirety of the construction
Of pipes and sewers mentioned
Colonel Biddle explained the position
OF the Commissioners and cited several
instances showing how the law would
operate No action was taken on the
bill. a decision being reached that II
should go over for a time.
Mr.. West then took up the bill to au-
thorize the Commissioners TO sell the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal bonds which
the District now holds He said the
bonds had been in the Treasury for
perhaps half century and the amount
Of interest accrued was as large as the
principal. The Commissioners had
thought that these bonds were worth
nothing. They were al present yielding
NO revenue TO the District Recently.
however. one broker had offered q cents
on the dollar for them and another had
written 10 the Commissioners inquiring
what they would be sold for.
Mr. West said he thought ii would
be good administration II the Commis-
sioners could sell the bonds and get
I
however that the disposition of them
be by public rather than by private
sale. At the suggestion of Mr.. Bah
cock, 1t was argued that the Commits
sioners should have the Corporation
Counsel draft bin providing for sale
OF the bonds at public sale after adver-
tising for bids.
Replatting of Land.
Mr.. West explained the provisions of
the bill TO provide for replatting of
land In the county outside of the city
limits for the purposes of assessment
and taxation. Upon this property there
is. Mr. West said. a great deal of ar
rearage and considerable loss to the tax
revenues by reason of the defective de-
scriptions of property. Under a new
plating the amount of taxes, he said.
would be increased. There are now
many Implications in numbers and sub
divisions which causes great confusion.
He said the cost for a new series of
plat books would be about $4,000 one
half to 6e borne by the District of Co
lumbia and one-half by the Government
Mr.. Campbell of Kansas thought the
expense ought to be borne by the prop
erty owners. inasmuch, ne argued. as 1t
would be TO their benefit.
Mr.. West thought the District would
be the greater beneficiary.
Colonel Biddle explained the provis-
ions Of the bill to enable the Commits
sioners to change the names OF streets
outside of the city limits. He said it
was necessary by reason Of the duplica-
ton of names. In regard TO the question
TO whom the land in abandoned streets
should revert, Colonel Biddle said 1t was
the opinion of the Commissioners that
the land should 20 to the owner of the
abutting prope rty, rather than the origi-
nal owner The committee thought like
wise and ordered favorable report on
the bill.
Detention of Insane.
The measure concerning the appre>
hension and detention OF insane persons
was explained and a favorable report
was ordered upon II with certain minor
amendments.
In regard to House bill 1863 respecting
bonds In Government contracts. Colonel
BIddle said that the organic law requires
contractor to give a bond equal in
amount to the contract to carry out its
provisions. There was no necessity. he
said for imposing such a hardship.
The present bill fixes the amount Of
the bond at Is per cent of the contract,
which. he thought was sufficient. Mr.
(Continued on sscond Pagsl