Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-23


| Will pass intact, so far as its essential
features are concerned. These are increases
| In the pay of teachers. the abolition OF
| half-day schools above the second grade,
| The provision that the members of the
beard OF education shall serve without COM
| pensation, and the increase In the board to
| nine, with three-year terms instead of seven
years.
Three Bills Promptly Passed.
The first bin taken up by the House was
| the measure. which has already passed the
! Senate. providing for the incorporation Of
| the Edes Home. The incorporators namef
are George L. Nicholson, A. X Paris, r.
| Douglas Simms. Robert d. Weaver Archi-
| bald Greenees. Edward F. LOCKER and
| George A. King. all residents of Washing
ton. The bill was passed without discus
sion
| The House then passed In the same way
the Senate bill to incorporate the American
| Cross of Honor within the District of Co.
iumDla. Inc lncorporators named are II. A.
| George of Charlottesville. Va; Richard
Stocking of Trenton, N. j.; John ID. Delaney
| OF New York; Andrew NJ. Taylor of Rom
oout, N y; Eugene I.ongstreet of New Jer-
sey and Thomas III. Herndon of Washing
| ton. d. C. The general purpose OF the pro-
! posed organization stated to be the
| bringing of Its members into closer rela-
tfens of frater,fal fellowship and to cause to
I
and heroic deeds of those persons upon
whom the United States government has
bestowed the life-saving medal of honor.
The bill introdgeeds by Representative
Kline to prevent the unauthorized wearing
or use of badges. title of officers insignia,
ritual or ceremony of the Benevolent ana
Protective Order of Elks was passed with
out discussion. Violations of this law are
punishable as misdemeanor by a fine OF
20 or thirty days Imprisonment, .or both.
To Clear Up the Slums.
The House then took up the Senate bii
to create board for the condemnation OF
insanitary buildings In the District of Co
lUmbia. number of minor committee
amendments were agreed to, but otherwise
the measure was passed practically as 1t
came from the other end of the Capitol.
There was little or discussion of any
OF its provisions after members had been
assured that owners of insanitary build
iEgs which We're demolished would be re-
inibursed, and, furthermore would have
their day in court If they did not feel sat
isffed with the original award
Representative Morrell, in briefly explain
ing the measure to the House. said that II
was designed to promote the public health.
To accomplish this end he said it aimed
to remove conditions that were universally
admitted to diminish the stamina of those
who came under their influence and that
are all but universally admitted to favor
the development and spread Of infectious
diseases. These conditions were dampness
defective ventilation and insufficient light
in the dwelling. just in proportion as these
conditions injured the individual, they in
jurei also the community, which, in the end,
nothing but an aggregation of indi-
viduals.
."T'he hurt done by darkness, dampness
and foul air in the home,'' he said, "and by
resulting uncleanliness reacts with peculiar
force on the community and on the race
since it Is the mother and children who suf-
fer above all others. Men and working
tfIy
hours at least find relief from bad condt-
lions existing in the home. But mothers
and children find so such respite. What the
physical outlook is for a child or for race
made up of children developed on and
reared among such conditions as have been
described before the committee and In the
public press as existing In some OF the
homes in this District can be readily appre-
ciated, even without technical knowledge OF
such matters
After Mr. Morrell had gone into some de-
tails OF the bill it was taken up ard passed
with but little difficulty.
To Quiet Title to Land.
The House then took up the bill authoriz-
ing the REIMBURSEMENT by the United States
of certain pieces OF land in the District
known as lot in block 1 of Meridian Hill
and lots 20 and II in the subdivision of the
south grounds of Columbian University.
Representative Babcock explained that
the land had been occupied by succeeding
owners Cor over a hundred years and that
the bill was simply for the purpose OF quiet
ing the title and removing the present cloud
He said that this was one OF those cases
where private persons had paid taxes on
property for a long time. but had no per-
feet title to it. The government, he said.
had no claim the property and the bill
simply made that clear.
REPRESENTATIVE Fitzgerald of New York
opposed the measure on the ground that too
little was known about ii and that the rea-
sons given In the report from the District
committee made by Representative Taylor
of Ohio did not give sufficient good reasons
to persuade him that 1t was all right The
discussion of this matter seemed TO interes.
time was fooled away In academic discus
sion.
The School Salaries Bill.
The House in committee of the whole.
with Representative Littlefield of Maine In
the chair, then took up the school bill.
Representative MorreII OF Pennsylvania ex-
planned the measure. Mr.. Morreirs ex-
planation was practically the report of the
subcommittee of which he was chairman
and which drew the binl. The report was
published practically]1n full in The Star
last Friday.
AIR MorreIi tod the House that his COM
mittee had considered In addition five bills
affecting the local educational system, and
had given each one OF the the most care
ful consideration. Twenty hearings had
been given. and every one who desired 10
be heard had an opportunity to explain his
or her Views to the committee.
The bill as reported was believed to bo
the best measure possible for the District
at this time At FIRST the members OF taa
committee had believed that radical bill
was necessary, but as the hearings went
on and the testimony poured In they were
convinced that few changes were nocas-