Evening star., 1904-04-14
ON MANY LOCAL BILLS
Favorable Action by House
District Committee.
THE CROSS-TOWN LINE
MEMBERS WILL INSPECT ROUTE
OF PROPOSED ROAD.
Regulation of Electrical Wiring - In
corporation of Washington Sanitary
Housing Company.
THE CROSS-TOWN LINE

The House committee on the District of
Columbia this morning acted upon num-
Der of bills of local interest Saturday has
been set apart as District day in the House
and the committee was anxious to prepare
as many bills possible for favorable
action, especially in view of the fact that
this will be the last District day of the
session. By unanimous consent local meas
ures may be called up at any time during
the closing days. but the House calendar
is SO crowded 1t is not expected any inn
portant legislation will be attempted.
The committee, however has determined
to grant a hearing next Tuesday morning
at 1870 o'clock to persons interested In
the application of the Great Falls and
Old Dominion Railway Company for
charter and the privilege of building a
cross-town line. The opponents as well as
the advocates of the measure will be heard.
In order to familiarize themselves more
thoroughly with the situation the commit
tee will on Saturday morning make trip
over the proposed route of the new line.
Meeting at the Riggs House at $50 o'clock
the members of the committee will take
carriages and be driven over the streets
in which it is proposed TO lay tracks.
To Regulate Electric Wiring.
After having had the matter under con-
sideration for several weeks the committee
this morning finally determined upon a
favorable report for Senate bill 3, to reg
ulate electrical wiring in the District of
Columbia. The bill has been so amended.
however to bear but little resemblance
to the original draft. As favorably report
ed today the bill simply provides for the
inspection of all electrical construction in
the District. For this work the bill pro-
vides a force of one electrical engineer and
two inspectors, who shall also perform
clerical duties. The original bill provided
for an elaborate board which should cx-
anime all persons who proposed engaging
in electrical construction. The committee
determined that az the prime reason for
the measure was the public safety, that
system of inspection by competent persons
meets the necessary requirements. The
bill will have the effect of placing tho
present electrical engineer q the District
on a new basis. That officer has heretofore
been per diem employe. paid from the
various funds distributed under the SUPER
vision of the electrical department. He
will now become an annual employe. Other
wise no important changes will occur In
the department.
Holders Of Local Scrip.
The committee authorized a favorable re-
port on House bill 3S47, for the relief OF
certain holders and owners of District Of
Columbia tax scrip. This bill, covers lot
of scrip which has been lost or stored away
and which the owners now desire the Dis
trict to pay. The bill provides for the pay
ment of what are considered just claims
against the local government.
favorable report was also authorized o.
Senate bill 4130. authorizing the perform
ance of the marriage ceremony by Quakers
or Friends.
To Extend 23d Street.
House bill s453, for the extension OF 23d
street from 8 street to California avenue.
was ordered favorably reported. This bill
requires that the whole amount awarded as
damages shall be assessed as benefits
against the adjoining property. 1t is further
provided that the cost of the condemnation
proceedings shall be included In the dement's.
so that no cost will fall upon the District
The District will be called upon to ad-
vance the money awarded as damages. for
the bill provides that the benefits may be
paid in two annual installments, with 10
per cent interest. These requirements are
in line with the conditions agreed to by
the promoters of the bill.
To Sell Canal Bonds
The committee amended and ordered IA
vorably reported House bill S6s7, prepared
by the Commissioners. and authorizing
them to sell certain Chesapeake and Ohio
canal bonds now belonging to the District
of Columbia The Commissioners explained
that these bonds long thought valueless.
have recently found market. The amend
approval of the Commissioners. 1t provides
that the sale shall be a public one. with
opportunity for competitive bids. The orig
inal bill prescribed no method of sale.
To Confirm Title.
A favorable report was authorized on
House bill 1922, to confirm title to lots 2.
g. and in square 979 The parties own
ing these lots have been paying taxes on
them for the past one hundred years. 1t
original deed, and so the title has re-
mained clouded. The bill relieves the
owners by confirming their title to the
land.
Sanitary Housing.
The committee authorized favorable re-
port on House bill 1865. to incorporate the
Washington Sanitary Housing Company.
the purposes of which are declared to be
the acquiring of land and the building Of
sanitary houses for the poor to replace the
insanitary houses now occupied by them.
especially in the alleys, and to rent such
houses at so low rate that dilapidated and
insanitary houses will be abandoned by
their tenants, better houses being Obtained
at the same or lower figure. The in
corporators of the company set forth in the
bill are the following:
Henry Y. Satterlee, Teunis 8. Hamlin.
John NJ Harlan, S. Walter Woodward,
Rrainard H. Warner, John Joy Edison, Max
imilian G. Seckendorff, Wallace Radcliffe,
Clement Brown John w. Foster. George
NJ Sternberg, Henry b. Brown, David =.
Brewer. Crosby s. Noyes George NJ Kober.
Charles c. Glover Charles j. Bell. Henry
F. Blount Charles b. Purvis, Francis j.
Grimke Frederick A. Miller, ]. w. Pinchot,
Mary L. d. Maefarland. Elizabeth ]. Som
ers, Herbert Wadsworth, George Truesdell.
John F. wilkins, Simon Wolf, Henry A
Willard. ]. Henry Small, jr., Augustus s.
Worthington, Emily Tuckerman, Thomas
W. Smith, Clare G. Addison, John b. Larn-
er, Bernard t. Janney, Tallmadge A. Lam
bert. Charles F. Weller, G. Lloyd Magruder,
Charles E. Foster, E. Francis Riggs. Alex
ander Graham Bell. Samuel R. Bond, Caleb
c. willard and George II. Harr1es.
American Cross Of Honor.
favorable report was also authorized
on House bill 1877. to incorporate the
American Cross of Honor. This bill pro-
vides:
.-That H. A. George Of Charlottesville. Va:
Richard Stocking of Trenton. N. j.; John J.
Delaney Of New York city n. x.l AudyeW<