Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-01
DISTRICT IN CONGRESS
MUCH IMPORTANT LEGISLATION
ENACTED DURING YEAR.

Hearings on the prOpOStu Cppyt iSh' 49,
were held during the year and much prog
ress was made toward harmonizing all in
terests The bill at the end of the year
was in the hands of the joint committee
|of Congress appointed TO consider it. and
Ian effort will he made during the remain
ling days of the present session to have II
passed by both houses.
The nomination of Mr. Benjamin +.
Barnes to be postmaster of this city was
confirmed June "a.
The effort to pass bill in the Senate
authorizing the local railroad companies
to extend their tracks to the new union
station was defeated because of proposed
amendments to the bill providing for ad-
ditional taxation upon local pubic utllty
Corporations With these amendments the
bill was approved by the Senate committee
on the District of Columbia, but the
amendments were struck from the bill In
the Senate. As there is urgent need Tor
legislation providing for the extension OF
the tracks of the street ar-hnes, in order
to have that work done by the time the
station is ready for use. strong e1ort
will be made during the present session to
pass the bin without other provisions; ,
Mr. William PinCkney Whyte of Mary
land took his seat in the Senate by ap,
pointment of the governor of Maryland
TO fill the vacancy caused py me aea1 ~ VI
sas resigned his seat and was succeeded
by Senator A. w. Benson.
The COrnerSIOneS OF the anu
House of Representatives office buildings
were put in place. and 1t is understood
that they will be ready for use by the
opening of the next Congress. The tunnel
under Capitol Hill along the line or ISL
street east was completed and the hrst
train was run through October -; the
memorial bridge bin was passed by the
Senate January 10.
A Joint committee of Congress was APP
pointed to investigate the desirablllty OF
purchasing 100 acres along MASSACHUSETTS,
odd 20
Park, ten acres at the corner OF l6th
street and Florida avenue and the Carpen-
ter tract on Pennsylvania avenue extended.
The commission has not yet taken actlon'
hut the Senate has passed bills for these
purposes. ,..,,,,,,
has gone on under an appropriation OF
$500. 600 The Secretary OF the Interior
has secured plans for an assembly nan Tor
the Government Hospital for the Insane TO
cost sI5.0On under ANTICIPATION OF an
act Of Congress Congress appropriated
500 0O0 for a new reform school Con
gress appropriated 100000 toward the
construction of a building for the Inter
national Bureau of American Republics
to be located in this city. To continue
work on the Grant memorial, to be located
on any unoccupied portion portion ol stie and ID
streets an appropriation was made with
in the wear of 100000.
The establishment OF a 1uVenhe cour.
was authorized by act of Congress, ana
Vm H. De Lacy was appointed Judge. a
I'M providing for the reorganization OF the
public schools of this city was passed pS
Congress. In order that me co!Ipui Gl,
eAucation act might be made effective Con :
gress appropriated S2I.3t2 for the rent OF
necessary school rooms. For an extension
Of Mckinley Manual Training School sl',',-
600 was provided by an act of Congress,
and authority was given 10 purchase the loI
10 the south of the present bul ding l-and
aggregating 6T,944 square feet, bounded py
Harvard, Girard and 18th streets mas peen
high schools to supply the needs OIL Co.
noted by an eight-room building at Ana
lumbia Heights. School extension was pro
costa a four-room building at BrlghtWood
park and four-rOom building at Dean
wood Work of marking historic places IN
.he District of Columbia under an appro-
priation of $500 has been started by the
committee securing list OF important
nlaces 10 be marked from the Columbia
Historical Society.
Takoma has secured assurances or a hne
public library through gift of SiO,"D
from Mr. Carnegie and a tract OF land
from the citizens of that suburb. both or
which the town has been permitted to ac-
cept by act of Congress.
Considerable legislation OF interest ana
importance to residents of the District OF
Columbia was enacted by Congress during
the year just ended. Most of this legisla-
ton and some important measures or gen
eral scope originated in the House or Rep
resentatives The school law now on the
statute books, the compulsory education
i,in. the child labor bill. the tire-escape law
and a uniform plan of street opening and
extension were among the projects passed
upon favorably by the House.
January. The House passed the Philip
pine tariff bill and inaugural legislation;
discussed various street extension measures
without action.
February: The House discussed the form
of shed TO be used at the union station
and received report from the District
committee bringing the bill for whipping
he District of Columbia before
the House. few days later tins bill came
up and was showed under, the late Repre-
sentative Adams of Pennsylvania and few
Others being its only advocates. during
This month there a hearing before
the District committee on the bill to fur
Their preserve Sunday as day of rest in
the District OF Columbia, and Representa-
tive Morreu of Pennsylvania made a mum
Der of speeches severely criticising the ad-
ministration of affairs in the District. On
the I'D the Commissioners automobile reg
ulation bill. including certain amendments
suggested by Representative SIMS of Ten
nessee and others. WAS taken up. Hear
ings on the school bill and the bill 10 in
crease the salaries of members of the Met
ropolitan police force were also begun.
General discussion OF rate legislation ran
through this month. as well as pract cally
all others Of the session.
March: The automobile bill was passed.
the snow and ice law put through. the
most Office appropriation bill reported. the
rornDulsorY education bill reported, the po-
lice organization Dill passed anu Il utt SIptl
reached TO leave the smoke problem at the
uuAn station to he solved by the several
rdNroads concerned.
April The school bill was reported on
the 9Th the District of Columbia appropr-
alton bin seven days later and the measure
was passed on the 2Ist on the 23d the
sanitary building bill was passed after some
heated discussion and the school bill was
taken up. Representative keifcr introduced
a bill to change the form Of governme of
the District of Columbia. but no action was
had upon IL by the committee.
May: Hearings were had on the bill in
troduced by Representative Ames of Massa-
chusetts for the federal regulation of in
surance and the Olcott special committee
appointed TO investigate the ST. Elizabeth
Insane Asylum and the administration of
affairs of Superintendent White began to
take testimony.
June; The Commissioners forwarded to
the House their Endorsement of the Allen
amendment to the flre-escape law: the
House passed the general deficiency bill.
December: The recorder of deeds sent a
message to the House asking for the pas
sage OF bill to permit the copying of worn
records in his office: the legislative bill was
reported to the House without any OF the
radical provisions that caused such a stir
last year; Representative Morrell announc-
ed that he would offer a resolution for
the investigation OF the District of Co.