Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-21
RAIL WAY REQ UIREMENTSCUT
Street Sprinkling Proposition May Be
in q New Bill
THE DEBATE RESUMED TODAY
Numerous Items Went Through With
out Opposition - Provision for
Water Meters Struck Out.

The House at 2:15 O'Clock this afternoon
passed the District appropriation bill There
are comparatively few changes in the meas
ure. The provision inserted by the COM
mittee requiring the Baltimore and Ohio
and the Anacostia and Potomac River Rail-
road companies to pay certain sums in con-
nection with the construction of the Ana
costa bridge; provision requiring local
street railways to sprinkle the streets on
which their tracks are located and the pro-
vision requiring the installation OF water
meters in private residences were the three
most important features which went out on
points Of order. So far as the street sprink-
ling proposition Is concerned. several mem
bers of the House District committee have
pledged themselves to get a bin through
that committee which In effect will be iden-
tical with the provision attempted to be
passed by the committee.
When the House got down to District of
Columbia business today after passing
resolution appropriattng $1,0V0000 add
tional for the San Francisco sufferers, and
resolution authorizing a congressional in
vestigation Of the ST EIizabeth's Insane
Asylum, squabble was begun over
paragraph In the appropriation bill provld-
ing Tor assistant messengers for the vari-
Gus District courts. An effort to increase
the number provided for failed
The various items of the bill appropriate
Ing under the following heads were passed
without objection: Courts and prisons
charitles and corrections home for the aged
anu lnfirm, reform school, reform school for
girls, transportation of prisoners medical
charities and board of children's guardians
Representative Grosvenor made @ point
OF order against the paragraph authoriz-
Ing the disbursing officer OF the District
TO advance to the agent of the board OF
children's guardians upon reuuisitions pre-
viousiy approved by the District auditor
sums sums OF money not exceeding $500 at one
time, to be used for expenses in placing
and visiting children or travelling on official
business for the board, to be accounted for
monthly on itemized vouchers to the Dis
trfct accounting officers.
In reply to a question by Chairman Gill
lett, Mr.. Grosyenor airily replied that he
had no objection to the provision. but made
a point Of order against 1t merely because
1t was new legislation The chair sus-
tanned the point of order
The items appropriating for the Indus
trial Home School and similar items were
passed without question. and on motion
OF Representative Barthoidt the amount ap-
propriated for the care and maintenance
OF children under a contract to be made
with the German Orphan Asylum by the
board Of charities was increased from
81, 900 to 81 200.
Chairman Gdllett, in charge of the bill
said he had no objection to this change
Provision for Water Meters.
The following items were passed and there
was no discussion until the appropriation
inserted by the committee directing the pur-
chase, installation and maintenance OF
water meters In private dwellings was
reached. AT the request of various men,
bers Chairman Gillett explained that the
appropriation of 100000 had been recon-
mended for the best of reasons. 1t had been
reported to the committee, he said. that
the per capita amount of consumption OF
water In the District was enormously in
excess of actual necessities and that the
District was confronted with the imminent
necessity Of either providing for an increase
In the supply of water by the construction
of an additional conduit from the falls OF
the Potomac at very large cost or by the
reduction of the amount of water used per
capita in the city.
The committee believed that the latter
remedy could be applied and made effec-
tive by the introduction of water meters
and the requirements Of payment for the
amount of water actually consumed by
residents. Washington now had a water
supply sufficient to provide for double or
there was so much waste here that even
this big supply was hardly adequate.
Therefore, he thought that the provision
which was, of course, subject to point of
order, IL any member cared to make 1t,
should be retained in the bill.
Representative Sims of Tennessee, men,
Der of the House District committee, made
a point Of order. He said that water should
be as free as air and that he feared for
the health of the city IL the provision
recommended by the committee were to go
into effect.
Representative Mann of Illinois made
speech along the same line.
Representative Keller Of Ohio raised
point of order that Representative Sims
point of order against the provision had
been made too late and he was sustained
by the chair.
A Curious Situation.
This brought forth an explanation by
Chairman Gillett, in charge of the bill, who
said that he had a previous arrangement
with Representative Sims by which. II the
latter did not snake his point of order i'm
mediately upon the reading of the para
graph that Mr.. Gillett would not object to
Its being made later on the ground that II
was too late.
After some considerable discussion of this
point the chair ruled that no cognizance
could be taken of privates agreements De-
tween members, and Mr.. Gillett said that
in order to keep faith with Mr Sims he
could do nothing else than move to strike
the provision from the bill, although he
was heartily in favor of it.
When vote was taken, the members OF
the committee supporting Mr.. Gillett In
his effort to keep faith with Mr.. Sims. the
provision was stricken from the bill.
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