Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-20
PLANS FOX TIE YEAR
BUSINESS MEMS ASSOCIATION
HEARS COMMITTEE REPORTS.
Laudation Of Stars Greater Washing
ton Special-Permanent Meeting
Place to Be Provided.


Place to Be Provided.
At a preliminary meeting of the Business
Mems Association. held last night at 18th
and F streets northwest plans for the en-
suing year were discussed and arrange
ments for the annual meeting, which is to
be held the third Thursday In Novem-
ber were talked over. Provision is made
in the laws of this association for a pre-
lirninary meeting a month before the an
nual meeting. and President Oyster, who
presided stated that last nights gathering
was in obedience to that rule In his open
ing address he strongly urged the men,
bers to continue in their activity regarding
the booming of the National Capital
Ross p Andrews. in an interesting ad-
dress. lauded The Stars Greater Washing
ton Special He said it was the greatest
venture ever taken in his time to advertise
Washington, and he was satisfied it worked
wonders on it's southern trip and the mer-
chants of the capital will soon begin to
reap the benefits.
lone of the good things this train did"
said Mr.. Andrews. was to let the south
ernerS know that we are out for bus ness;
that we are out for wholesale as we'll as
retail business. and that we are as reason
able as any other city in the United States"
AS chairman of the committee on munci-
pal and national laws Of Congress, Mr.
Charles Linkins submitted a report which
touched upon the legislation in which the
business men are interested.
Mr.. Linkin's Report.
It read as follows:
The committee had under consideration
the so-called Kitchen bill. known in the
House as H. R. No. 1855, and in the
Senate as 8. No. 4,O31, and after considera-
ton reported adversely upon it, which re-
port was unanimously approved by the
association. This bill had for it's main
objects the increasing of the number Of
Commissioners OF the District to seven,
and secondly, the election Of a delegate
to Congress by the board Of Commits
sioners.
Your committee had under consideration
the bills before both branches of Con-
gress known H. r. 14,SO6 and S. No. A.
676. The purpose Of these bills was the
amendment of section 1850 correcting the
conflicting legislation between section 1179
and section 11S0 Of the code. The change
recommended by this legislation makes
usury in the case Of express contracts the
charging of a greater rate Of interest than
10 per cent per annum. These bills further
contain a section known as section 11SOa,
which provides that hereafter the exactng
of usurious interest shall be misdemean-
or. Your committee had several meetings
at which 1t had under consideration these
bills and reported favorably on the change
making legal the charging in express con-
tracts Of interest at 10 per cent per an
mum.
Opposed One Provision.
Your committee opposed, however, section
11SOa making the charge of usurious interest
a misdemeanor Your committee had a
hearing before the subcommittee on the
District of Columbia Of Congress, and the
agreed to report to their
respective branches favorably the conten-
tons Of your committee. This legislation
has passed both branches of the legisIa-
ture. and is now the law.
Boys and girls reform school-The oues-
ton of the advisability of the change Of
and control of the above and
similar institutions from the Department
of Justice to the District Commissioners
or the board of charities acting through
the District Commissioners was brought
to the attention of your committee for
consideration and report. This change was
sought by placing a rider" on the appro-
priation bill Upon certain grounds set
forth in previous report of this committee
such a change was deemed unwise and the
association Endorsed the committees report
upon the same, and your committee now
reports that Congress for many reasons
deemed it unwise to take from the Depart
of these institutions.
Hearing on Bill Requested.
In the matter of the resolution protest
ing against the practice of the District
Commissioners in recommending bills to
Congress without giving the citizens inter-
ested an opportunity to be heard" your
committee proposes that a committee. of
three be appointed by the president of this
association to wait upon the Commissioners
and bring to their attention the general SUBJ
stance Of the resolution, and ask the Com
mssioners If there can be formulated a
practice with regard to bills referred to
them which will give parties interested the
chance to be heard before the Commission
ers make their report. This committee
should be appointed at once.
Regarding Party Walls.
The report on the resolution seeking to
make operative the old building regulation
permitting party walls in buildings not
more than thirty-five feet high nor more
than twenty-five feet wide to have a mini
mum thickness of nine inches" and a
resolution with regard to the regulation re-
Quiring baths to be placed in houses here
after constructed having but four or Ave
rooms" was discussed.
W. w. Bowie submitted report relative
to the chain fire escape. He stated that
1t was not the object Of the association to
indorse any particular fire escape, as had
been requested.
Colonel McElroy talked to the members
Of the association upon the subject of
Washington as gateway to the SOUTH He
explained how this city should be benefited
commercially because Of its advantageous
situation.
The meeting was concluded with the
adoption of a resolution presented by John
Fleming, which directed the board Of direc-
tors of the association to make provision
for permanent meeting place and that the
meeting of the association will in the flu
ture be held monthly. After this George
Compton, a commission merchant, was
elected a member of the association.
Kissing the Book.
From the London Pail Mall Gazette.