Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-29

representing the majority and minority. The
first three republican members OF that COM
mittee are the gentleman from wisconsin
CMr Babcock), who Is chairman the next
upon the committee Is the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr Samuel w. Smith,. and the
third upon the committee is the gentleman
from Maine CMr. Allen. So far as the re-
publican members are concerned.that IS.
the ranking MEMBERSHIP Speaker has gone
10 the remote sections of the country to
select them. How Is it with the democratic
members? The first upon the committee IS
the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. SIMS.
and the second upon the committee Is the
gentleman from Louisiana tMr. Meyer. Are
these gentlemen prepared to speak ex
cathedra for the people OF the city OF WASH
ington without consulting them? The peo-
pie OF Washington have no voice except
through the District Commissioners. They
were not given their representation IN TINS
case. and It was LETT to gentlemen wno na,
from remote sections of the United states
to suggest a measure of this sort foy the
guidance of the people of the city OF wash
ington.
But Two Requisites.
'There seem to be but two requisites
for membership upon the District commit
tee as laid down and followed by NE
Speaker The first is that the members
must come from the remotest sections OF
the country. and. secondly, they must ap-
solutely know nothing about what the PEG
nile of the city of Washington want. They
must be ignorant of what they are 10 ieSlS-
late upon. and then they must be so far
away that their own constituents VIII not
hold them responsible for what they 90
here grosser case OF want or repre-
sentaton cannot exist anywhere than pre-
walls under the practice of the House here
in this wlde-tire bill
Knox Express Company Objects.
I've certainly do protest against the en-
actment of any such legislation as that
contained in the four-inch tire bill, which
was passed yesterday by the House" said
Mr.. William S. Knox. president of the Geo.
W. Knox Express Company. today. when
the measure was before the District COM
mittee of the House We, in common Win
the other interests affected, appeared pe1ore
the committee and explained the hardship
which would be placed upon us by the arpi.
trary requirement that--practicaiy an o,
our delivery wagons should be equipped
with four-inch tires, and we were assureo
the bill would not coz ,e up at all
ITO properly understand what TINS naru-
shin means to the teaming interests OF the
District of Columbia" he continued. III
must be known that it is an absolute I'M
possibility for us to purchase wagons with
four-inch tires from the stock of any man.
ufacturer in the country. 1t would mean an
outlay of approximately s1,OOo.OOO on the
part of Washington merchants and express
men-and this outlay might better be speci-
fied as a dead loss Not only is it impOs-
sible to purchase wagons with four-inch
tires in the open market but all wagons
which own at the present time Wouid
have TO be fitted with broad tirewheeis. and
many vehicles would necessarily be con-
signed to the junk pile as whole, because
in many cases the rims of the wheels run
so close TO the wagon bodies that wider
wheels cannot be placed on the axles.
Mr. o
his firm would face, in event OF the four
inch tire" bill becoming a law. at lO.Oo0
He said the interests involved probably VIII
arrange Immediately for meeting to pre-
pare plans to combat the measure when 1t
comes up in the Senate.
Views Of Others.
Mr.. w H. Comedy, secretary-treasurer of
the Capital Fuel and Ice Company. 926 N
street. said the bill as passed would work
a decided hardship on the vehicle owners of
the District causing them to practically
have the running gear of their wagons re-
constructed at great expense. He did not
think the condition of the streets of this
city in the hottest summer weather illus
trated the necessity for such a drastic
measure as the Babcock wide tire bill.
In reply to an interrogatory b. Star re-
porter. II. ]. Grace coal dealer. 4th and f
streets northeast. regarded the act as an
unjust and unwarranted imposition upon
the business community.
Personally 1 think t is one of the most
foolish measures have ever seen presented
In Congress- declared Mr.. o. H. r john
son of Johnson Bros, coal dealers. I'm
spite of continuous inquiry, 1 have been un-
able to find single person who could ex-
plain the advantage TO accrue to the Dis
trict from the enactment of the 'four-inch
tire bill.
The engineers can't do it, and 1 doubt
whether the citizen laymen can even sur
mise wherein the benefit to the streets or
roads will come from wide trees.
so far our firm is concerned" he
continued. lit will not make much differ
ence except to our horses, and it will be
extremely difficult for them to draw load
ed wagons when the resistance is in
creased by wide tires
Others who voiced their opposition to the
burdensome bill We're: f. i. Alvord. Ar
thur c. Moses. G. w. Cissell, Home Ice
Company, HOge & Mcdowell, Chris Heur-
ich Brewing Company, j. o. Cation &
Sons and the National Capital Brewing
Company.