Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-04
DECLINED TO SIGN IT
PRESIDENT "POCKET VETOES'
THE SMOKE BILL.

President Roosevelt today declined to sign
the bill amending the smoke law of the Dis
| trict and the work Of the two houses of
Congress becomes void with respect to this
measure leaving the existing statute still
the law. The President was appealed to by
General Harries and others to sign the law.
and 1t Is understood that the Attorney Gen.
eral was not unfavorable to It,
Deaf to All Entreaties.
The President was deaf to all entreaties,
however giving as his reason for refusing
his signature that the bill had come to him
in the last hour of Congress and he had not
had an opportunity to examine 1t. The point
was made to the President that the measure
was in nature tentative, as 1t was an ex-
pertinent for one year, and that 1t was COM
mended by the press of the District and by
the business men.
For half an hour while the President was
at the Capitol efforts were made to induce
him to relent. one or two senators, including
Chairman Gallinger of the District commit
tee, taking up the case with him. The Dis
trict Commissioners were present In the
Capitol but did not enter the Presidents
room and did not take any part In the eff
forts to obtain his signature to the bill.
General Harris was much disappointed
at the failure of the bill to become law,
and said he felt sure that rigid enforce
hardship to many business firms in this
city.
The Commissioner Views.
Commissioner West, when seen by a Star
reporter after announcement was made OF
the Presidents decision to withhold his sig
nature, said:
IT shah insist upon absolute enforcement
Of the law as 1t stands on the statute books.
This is the position I have always taken.
and it was only because the present smoke
law was not enforced that suggested an
amendment AS a matter of fact. the Com
missioners. before I came into office, amend
ed the law by adopting one-minute pro-
vision. My desire was to legalize this &C
ton of the Commissioners, but, as the law
Is to remain unchanged, I am In favor Of
enforcement, impartial and vigorous"
Commissioner Macfarland said to Star
reporter that the Commissioners had not
seen the smoke bill that had been passed
by the Senate and the House, and did not
know except from rumor what its provis-
ions are. He stated that the bill could not
although 1t had been referred to as such.
The fact is, Mr.. mcfarland said. the
Commissioners had written to Mr.. John B.
Larner, who had represented a desire on
the part of certain business men to have a
test Of a compromise proposition for
smoke law. The Commissioners replied to
Mr.. Larner simply that they would be
willing to approve an experimental amend
ment to the existing law which would pre-
serve the essentials Of the existing law ex-
cept as to the one point, which was to
allow q two-minute emission twice I'm hour.
with twenty minutes in any one day. This
was to be tried until March l next. with
the understanding that If it should not
prove satisfactory they would return to
the present law unless some other amend
ment should be suggested.
The Commissioners were not informed,
Mr.. mcfarland said, whether the law as
passed by Congress and today submitted
| To fto the old a M Uyh ian,
the time of the experiment should cease.
March next