Evening star., 1904-03-24
TO PAY WHOLE COST
DISTRICT COMMITTEE OPPOSES
HALF-AND-HALFP PLAN.
This Mornings Decision Regarding the
Expense Of Opening Streets
and Avenues

The meeting Of the House District COM
mittee this morning was one of the most
important and most largely attended of
the session. Fourteen of the seventeen
members of the committee were present
The committee agreed to report favorably
substitute measure for House bill 4OS5
This bill is designed to prevent persons
from removing from the District of Co
lumbia any merchandise bought on the in
stailment plan when payments still remain
due The original bill provided the heavy
penalty of fine not exceeding $1,000 or
imprisonment not exceeding five years The
substitute bill which will be reported by
the committee, provides fine not exceed
ing 500 or Imprisonment not exceeding
ninety days.
. The COMMITTEES itt voted to lay on the table
Senate bill 2794 This bill provided that a
certificate Of taxes issued by the assessor
should be an absolute bar for all time
against the collection of any item of taxes
omitted from the certificate. The bill pass
ed the Senate recently.
A favorable report was authorized on
Senate resolution 8, to enlarge the scope of
the highway act SO as to include the Beatty
and Hawkins subdivision of Georgetown.
A favorable report was also authorized on
Senate bill 1893, for the abandonment Of
w street northeast.
Street Extension.
The committee took up and acted upon a
number of Senate and House bills for the
opening or extension Of streets and avenues.
Most Of these bills differed in the methods
to be followed in condemning the land and
assessing damages. The committee thought
it advisable that a model bill should be
prepared and that all street extension pro-
Jects should be based upon the provisions
of this measure 1t was agreed that the
act for the extension of Columbia road
was model measure and that all subse-
quent bills should be drawn up in con-
formity with that law.
Some of the measures which came from
the Senate with the favorable action of
that body provided that the United States
should pay one-half of the cost Of OPEN
ing the thoroughfares. The District Com
arrangement for some years past, and
when the Senate acted favorably upon that
basis the local authorities thought they
had finally convinced Congress.
Whole Cost for District.
The District committee of the House.
however, decided today that the District
should pay the whole cost of all street ex-
tensions and openings. The committee
claims that only on this basis can the
measure be favorably acted upon in the
House.
So changed as to conform to the Colum-
bia road act the committee agreed to re-
port favorably the following measures:
Senate 1921, for the widening Of street.
Senate 2710, for the opening of connecting
highways on the east and west sides Of the
Zoo Park
Senate 2134, to connect Euclid place with
Erie street.
Senate 127. for the joining of Kalorama
avenue.
Senate 1863, for the extension of Albe-
marie street.
H. r. 2542 for the extension of T street
H. r. 96IO. for the extension of Wyoming
avenue to 23d street west.
Each one of these bills will be made COM
plete in itself and will not refer to any
former acts.