Evening star., 1904-03-19
HEARINGS RESUMED
House Amendment to the District Bill
Considered-1Iessrs Bethel and
HemphiIl Heard.

The subcommittee of the Senate approprt-
ations committee, which is considering the
District bill. resumed hearings this morn
ing. ~.
President Bethel of the Chesapeake and
Potomac Telephone Company and Mr.. J.
]. Hemphill, formerly counsel for the Tele-
phone Subscribers Association. were both
heard at length by the subcommittee. Presi-
dent Bethel went over the telephone situa-
tion in the District and made statement
favoring a non-concurrence to the amend
ment to the District bill passed by the
House of Representatives in relation to
telephone rates In the District of Columbia.
He claimed that the service would be i'm
proved and also that the House PROPOSE
tion was an unreasonable one for the COM
pany.
Mr. Hemphill outlined the telephone situ-
alton in the District, comparing telephone
rates in this and other cities, favoring the
retention of the House provision In the biil.
The hearing given to the representatives
of the telephone company and Mr.: Hemp
hill. representing the subscribers to the tel
ephone in the District, lasted over two
hours. Mr.. Hemphill practically went over
sci for the Telephone Subscribers Associ-
alton in prosecuting their cases before the
courts here.
Former Senator Blair of New Hampshire
dppedTeu WIFI MI w. lldkt VI tHS
Hart Farm School, favoring an appropria-
ton for that institution for the care OF
colored boys from the District. He went
over the work that the Hart Farm School
has done in reforming cOlored boys 1t has
gathered from the District, stating that
although it's work had been done under
disadvantages, it had been done more
cheaply than had similar work Carried on
in the District under local institutions. He
favored an appropriation which would re-
imburse the institution for past expenses,
would relieve 1t from its present indebt-
edness and insure its continuance.
The bill for the Georgetown Park having
already passed the Senate and that of Sena-
tor Gallinger providing for the Mount
Pleasant Park having been recommended
by the Commissioners. suggestion was made
be desirable to have those items inserted
in the District bill before the Senate.
Commissioners Pleased.
Senate committee on appropriations on the
District Of Columbia appropriation bill for
the next fiscal year. The work of going over
the bill as it came from the House with the
Senate committee was finished more quickly
and more satisfactorily to the Commission
ers than ever before.
The Commissioners, it Is stated, were
given full opportunity to present their ar
guments, and dwelt especially upon the ar
rangement of the District finances, the
proper construction of the. District build
ing. the high-pressure fire protection water
service the municipal hospital tuberculo-
sis department. 7th street repaving and
other important matters.
Mr.. Macfarland, president of the board,
said today:
1.-The conferences were most satisfactory.
Our arguments had an appreciative and
sympathetic reception. The District isevery
fortunate In having it's appropriation bill
before such men as compose this subcom-
mittee. ~
Chairman's Shoemaker's Statement:
At yesterdays hearing of the subcommit-
tee Mr.. Louis P. Shoemaker, president of
the Brightwood Citizens Association, not
only advocated the grading and regulating
OF Albemarle street, as stated in yester-
days Star, but also called the commuters
attention to the great public necessity for
opening 18th, 14th and 10Th streets north
OF the city; to the dangerous and crowded
condition of Brightwood avenue and the
Old Piney Branch road, and to the fact
that not single highway had been opened
to the north of the city from Piney Branch
and the adjacent territory Of Mount Pleas
ant for the accommodation of the Bright
wood and Takoma section. He particularly
urged the appropriation of 10000 for the
construction of bridge over Piney Branch
along the line of 10th street