Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-16
Senate Bill Before House
District Committee.
HEARING OF VIEW s
JOHN B. LARNER SPEAKS FOR
THE MEASURE.
The Commissioners "Anti-Ticket
Scalping" Bill Considered and
Laid on the Table.

The House committee on the District Of
Columbia gave a hearing this morning on
the Senate anti-smoke bill and on the Com
missioners' ticket scalpers'' measure. In
executive session later the committee killed
the latter bill by laying it on the table. No
action was taken on the smoke bill. An
other meeting was called for this afternoon,
when the cross-town railway bill will be
taken up.
To Amend the Smoke Law.
The committee met at half past ten
O clOck this morning, and Chairman Bah
cock announced that brief hearing would
be given on the bill now before the Sem
ate to amend the existing smoke law of
the District. This bill provides that dense
black smoke may be emitted at three min
ute intervals every hour. not to exceed sixty
minutes in any one day, or that in the
case of new fires the emission may con-
tinue for six minutes.
Mr.. Larner Favors the Bill.
The bill was supported by Mr.. John B.
Larner who spoke briefly in advocacy of
its passage. Mr.. Larner said that several
years ago, for some reason or other, a law
was enacted forbidding the emission of
dense black smoke from chimneys in the
District. Six months time was allowed for
smoke consumers. Mr.. Larner said that in
the time mentioned nearly all of the plants
in question had purchased these smoke
consumers which We're soon found to be
absolutely worthless. He charged that
those interested in the manufacture and
sale of smoke consumers were largely re-
sponsible for securing the enactment of the
original smoke law.
The only thing that had been discovered
which was in any way useful, he said, was
an automatic stoker, which by securing per-
feet combustion lessened the quantity of
smoke emitted.
What Has Been Developed.
Mr.. Larner said that during the test of
the law it had been demonstrated that the
quantity of smoke necessarily emitted
could be greatly reduced, and the law had
been advantageous to that extent. Now.
however, it was desired to amend the law
so that no injustice would be done. Under
a provision permitting the emission of
smoke for three minutes in each hour,
Mr.. Larner thought the public interests
would be served and the business interests
Of Washington greatly benefited Mr.. Lar
ner briefly reviewed the whole matter and
called the attention to the committee to
his more detailed testimony before the SEN
ate Distric committee
Commissioner Biddle's Opposition.
Engineer Commissioner Biddle spoke in
opposition to the three minute provision in
the bill. He called attention to the fact
that there were about two hundred estab-
Hshments in the city which would be af-
fected by the law, and remarked that under
the proposed amendment in the Senate bill
eight of them would be emitting black
smoke at the same time. The Commission
ers he said, felt that the Senate bill was
In the nature of step backward.
The Anti-Ticket Scalping Bill.
The "anti-ticket scalping" bill was then
taken up and Mr.. A. A Birney, represent
ing firm of ticket brokers. spoke in sup
port of the measure. The bill provides that
an annual tax of $50 shall be imposed on
all ticket brokers in the District, who shall
be prohibited from dealing in contract or
excursion tickets
Mr. Brneys principal argument in favor
of the bill was on that paragraph refusing
a ticket brokers' license to any person not
a bona-fde resident of the District for one
year. He called attention to the inaugural
ceremonies, March 4, and urged that the
bill be enacted into law as soon as possible
Mr.. F. Z. Lindenburger, representing the
ticket brokers of Washington, spoke in OPP
position to the measure. and 1t was appar-
ent from the first that the ma jority of the
committee with him.
Representative Wadsworth of New York
wanted to know why the railroads should
feel any difficulty about transporting 200
pounds of Representative WadsWorth Or 200
pounds of Representative Wiley on the same
ticket. Other members indicated that they
were of the same mind.
Mr.. James 7. Grimes, representing the
American Federation of Labor, also opposed
the bill.
MI