The Washington times., 1905-01-29
MEASURES SWAMP
LOCAL COMMITTEE
District Body Has Much to
Do in Little Time.
ACTION ON CROSSTOWN LINE
Report Expected at once-Changes in
Incorporation Law and Other
Matters.
ACTION ON CROsSTOWN LINE

The House Committee on the District
of Columbia will meet in executive ses-
sion tomorrow morning to resume con-
sideration of the bill authorizing the
Old Dominion and Great Falls Railway
Company to construct and operate a
crosstown railway in Washington
1t developed yesterday afternoon that
in its meeting last Thursday the COM
mittee considered the amendment OF
Representative Davis to the bill provld-
ing that the Capital Traction Company
be given the privilege OF building the
crosstown road, and that the road
mentioned be compelled to put in the
new tracks and to operate on them the
necessary cars. No decision on the
matter was reached, however. and it is
probable that it will be further consid-
cred tomorrow.
Great efforts will be made by the
committee to dispose of the crosstown
bill this week, as it is recognized that
1t is important to give time to other
District legislation now pending before
the House and the committee.
Sixty-four Measures.
During the present session. sixty-four
bills and resolutions affecting the Dis
trict have been introduced in the House.
and during the present Congress the
total of such measures has reached the
nesghborhood of $50. Some Of these of
course, were introduced by request"
ana viii never be acted on
Others fer various reasons, notably
the opinion that they are not of suffi-
-cient Importance or because they have
been crowded out by pressing legislation,
will not be considered.
The two measures to which the great
est time and attention have been de-
voted by the committee this session are
the crosstown bill, and the actual and
proposed legislation affecting the incor-
poration of large business concerns in
the District.
Much Roadway has been made by the
committee III its trea tment of the incor-
porat:on legislation. A bill has been IA
yorabiy reported by the committee and
passed by the House. making the mini
mum charge for Incorporating concerns
IN the District SIS. Heretofore the
charge has been about 81 for each con-
Germ thus Incorporated
Garfeld's Plans.
Moreover. as the result OF a hearing
given To Commissioner of Corporations
Garfield, the committee has announced
lis llittIiiOfl Oh 0dNIl1S CIaTuetQ
up comprehensive corporation law for
the District, which shall serve as a
standard of corporation law for all the
States and Territories of the Union
This, OF course, will take long time
IN the framing, SO that it has been prac-
tically decided that the next Congress
viii have to enact the model law
The thing accomplished this year was
the passage of the bill doing away with
the rfdicuiousiy small fee char ged for
issuing articles OF incorporation.
The passage by the House this pas
week of the District appropria ton bill
was the greatest work Congress has tt
do yearly affecting the District
Besides this, it has passed numerou:
resolutions and bills defining the limit.
Of certain squares in the District, al
lowing business concerns to chang,
their names, appropriating 5000 for tn,
removal of snow and ice from the
streets. and authorizing certain change.
in the permanent system of highways
Crosstown Line
Before and Immediately after, the
Christmas holidays the House gave
much attention and many flights OF
eloquence TO the various propositions fol
the inaugural ball arrangements, the
result DtiLS al agreement Win Inc
things asked by the inaugural com
mittee.
Much of the time of the District com
mittee has been taken up By the hear
ings granted almost every week to tn,
people ii favor Of, or opposed to, the n
Street crosstown railway. Consequent
ly, the committee has been pretty wei
occupied, and has held many extra ses
sfons
Only Two More Days.
The result is that there are now pend
ing before the committee. in one stag
or another of legislation, a great man,
local bills. and of this about a dozel
are OF prime importance TO Washing
ton and the District at large.
Owing to the rule that District legis
lation Can be brought up on the foo
of the House only every other Monday
and that last Monday was District day
in the House, there will be only TIVE
more District days before the close o.
the present Congress. These will fai
on February and 90
There are left for this Congress onl.
tuenty-nine working days at best, ant
in these will fall only five more regulai
meeting days for the House Distric
Committee
It is easily seen from this that some o.
the District bills will fail TO receive con
sideration during the present session o
Congress The program of the Distric
Commissioners VIII be to urge passag,
of those measures which they think o
most importance, ard the House com
noittee will doubtless be largely infiuenc
ed by tb.sir recommendations in the mat
ter
Education Laws.
Among the measures now before IN
committee, which viii be strenuousl,
urged for passage by the local authori
ties, are:
The compulsory education law; chill
labor law; the bill 10 change the lunac
proceedings in the District; authorizing
the Commissioners to establish buildin