Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-09

Inc House OI REPRESENTATIVES,. MEETING
as the board OF aldermen OF the District of
Columbia. tackled a line OF seventeen bills
affecting the District at today's session.
Things went merriiy for while. but snag
was struck when the Olcott measure pre-
scrt5lng a uniform procedure in case of
etreet opening and extensions was reached
and the discussion of this bill was still
going on when The Stars report closed.
Several bills were passed prior to this,
however
Bills Passed.
The first bill called up was a Senate
measure imposing a charge for tuition
nonresident pupils In the public schools
Of the District. The object OF the bill.
explained by Mr.. Morrell, was to extend
exemption from payment for the tuition of
pupils who do not reside in the District
of Columbia to nonresident pupils who.
during such tuteiage, pay taxes levied by
the government Of the District OF, Columbia
and to nonresident pupils who are chill
dren OF parents VINO pay such taxes. The
ELI was passed without discussion
The House then passed without argu-'
ment Senate bill 416S 10 correct a typo
graphical error in. the bill in- connection
with the public parks in the District 49," -'
The House then passed the House bin irr
relation to contracts with the District. This
measure provides that In all cases where
material involving not more than $500 Il
shall not be necessary for them to require
q bond with the contract 1t is further pro-
vlded. however, that no work capable of
execution under d single contract nor any
purchase where the total expenditure IS
greater than $500 shall be subdivided in
order 20 lessen the sum. The amendments
recommended by the committee were in
tended 10 obviate the necessity of requiring
bond on contracts of 500 or under. but
II Will still be necessary for the execution
Of formal written contract as Is required
AT present The measure was passed.
Discussion on st. Elizabeth's
The Senate bill amending section 92T Of
the District code relating TO insane Crimi-
mails created great deal OF discussion The
bin itself came in for very small part of
the attention OF members. but the opoor-
tunity was improved by Representative
Sulzer Of New York and others to score the
administration of affairs at St Eliza berh's
Asylum. MIR Sulzer declared that II what
he had been told was true the conditions at
mat institution were positively disgraceflI
He had heard he said, horrible tales of
cruelty and excessive punishment and all
that sort of thing. and he thought the
whole Institution should be carefully Ia
vestigated by Congress- II this were done
he was sure that remarkable conditions
would be discovered and that 1t would De
found that grating had been going IN over
there for a long while. '
The bill itself provides Chat when any
person tried upon an indictment Is ac-t
quilted on the sole ground that he was In
sane at the time of its commission, that
fact shall be set forth by the jury In their
verdict and whenever a person Is indicted
and before trial or after a verdict of guilty
and prima facie evidence Is submitted that
the accused is insane the court may ap-
point a jury and have the sanity OF the
accused inquired into. 1t Is provided that
confinement in an insane asylum shall fol-
low a verdict of Insanity. The bill was
2Sssed.
substitute for the bill to prevent the
giving of false fire alarms in the District
was then taken up. The substitute provides
that any person turning IN false alarm
OF fire shall be deemed guilty OF a misde-
meanor and punished by not more than $1o0
fine and not more than six months impris-
onment, one or both. Representative Camp
bell of Kansas. in explaining the bill TO
the House. said that such a measure was
necessary In the District. owing to the num-
Der of false alarms turned In. The bill
before the House, he said. would. If en-
acted into law. constitute specific statute
on this subject and provide a penalty which
ne believed would discourage the practice
OF turning In false alarms OF fire. The bill
was then passed without discussion.
The Half-and- Hhalf Principle.
The next measure called up by Mr.. Bah
cock was the Olcctt bill to establish
regular form of proceedings for the con-
demnation of land for streets. Mr.. Olcott
explained his bill. He said that early IN the
present session a subcommittee was ap-
pointed 70 frame oill relative to the pro-
cedure advisable 10 be followed in proceed
-iugs for the condemnation of land taken
tor the purposes of extending or widening
streets This was deemed necessary he
said, because no fixed procedure existed
IN the District code, the result being that
every bill that was passed for the opening,
widening or strengthening of streets. ave-
uues roads or highways in the District con-
aimed provisions as to the exact procedure
70 be taken in each particular case the re-
suit OF this being that the special act had
afterward TO be carefully considered to see
that method OF procedure laid down was
exactly followed.
The confusion arising from this Mr. OIL
colt pointed out, is manifest and II was
deemed advisable in consequence OF this
that one general act should be passed to
Simplify the procedure and TO make every
proceeding for any subsequent street OMEN
ings Follow one general method of pro-
cedure. The bill that was finally introduced
on March y OF this year. he said, was the
result OF a very considerable esrnottr+ Of
discussion In the subcommittee and was
afterward considered by the entire District
committee The proposed measure was
merely In the nature Of an amendment TO the
District code through the adding of a num-
br OF sections. The bill as presented today
he said. had the sanction of the CORPORATION
counsel of the District, that official hav-
ing been consulted frequently in connection
with the matter.
The experience Of the corporation counsel
In the various proceedings for the conden.-
nation of land had greatly assisted the
committee. Mr.. Olcott said. in preparing
the present bill.
The feature OF the measure is a provision
which makes the United States and the
District Of Columbia bear equal shares of
any excess Of the total amount of the as
sessments for damages over those for bene-
hts. This provision. which created a great
deal OF discussion and was firmly opposed
by some members Of the House. reads as
follows:
sessments for benefits This provision
II the total amount OF the damages
awarded by the jury and the costs and ex-
peuses or the proceeding be IN excess OF
90 the total amount of the assessment for
benefits. such excess shall be borne and
paid equally by the United States and the
District OF Columbia
Mr.. Olcott explained that this provision
had been inserted by the committee fol-
lowing the same rule obtains In regard
10 the expenses OF the District OF Colum-
oia, lie said that in the opinion OF ma
lority Of the committee no opening widen
ing. extension or strengthening OF any
street. avenue. road or highway could he
mad wit hOut n