Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-31
OPPOSE BABCOCK BILL
COMMERCIAL MEN OF CITY EN-
TER PROTEST.

The business men Of this city are thor
oughly aroused over the possibility Of Rep
resentative Babcocks bill becoming law,
which will require wagons of a certain
weight in the District to have four-inch
tires. Additional emphasis was given to the
protests against the pending measure at a
meeting of representative citizens in the
Board of Trade rooms in The Star building
yesterday afternoon. Many of the leading
commercial houses Of the city were repre-
sented and 1t was decided unanimously to
engage counsel to assist committee, COM
prised of Messrs. L. E. Smoot, w. S. Knox,
John L. Newbold, A.'C. Moses, and the pres
idents of the Board Of Trade, Business
Mems Association and the Jobbers and Ship
pers' Association, to wait upon the Senate
District committee and secure delay of
consideration of what Is regarded as arbi-
trary legislation until 1t shall have been re-
ferred to the District Commissioners for
their opinion.
the meeting and Mr.. H. F. Mooney acted as
secretary. Mr.. Jno. L. Newbold gave a
succinct statement of the situation and de-
| clared that unless prompt action is taken
the business men of Washington will be
made the victims of the most radical piece
of legislation that had been yet inflicted
| upon a people without representation in
Congress. He added. further, that 1t will
be practically confscation of property and
that 1t is a shame such a measure as House
bill 1887 should carry with it a PROPOSE
ton to foist upon a helpless community a
fad measure which win cause the already
overtaxed people to expend large sums Of
| their money in order that an experiment in
| good roads may be tried here.
Chairman Knox declared that the pro-
| posed law would entail loss of over
| 81 100000 to commercial interests in the
| District. Many wagons now in use are so
made that the wide tire could not be put
. r,,x,
| wagons are brought in from other cities to
! relieve the hauling demands, and under the
| new law this could not be done, thereby
| causing great delay in delivery Of goods.
Other Speakers.
Among those who spoke on the subject
were Messrs. j. E. Hoge, +. p. May, C..
| Heurich w. Hamilton Smith, A. c. Moses,
j. L. Newbold and H. F. Mooney, Many
points were brought out by l. speakers
! and among the arguments which the COM
mittee will most likely use is the statement
| of the asphalt companies themselves that
vehicles having tires of various widths are
| better enabled to preserve The life of the
| pavement than if all the tires were uni
| form.
! The following were among the firms rep
resented at the meeting: Geo. W. Knox
Express Company, p. H. Sheehy Company
| VIM. James & Son, Golden & Co.. Anderson
| Drug and Storage Company, 8. D. Waters
! & Son. Wm. Gait & Co., F. Hendrickson &
| Co., Merchants Transfer and Storage Com
pany, G. Heurich, Albert Cary, Blue Line
| Transfer Company, F. P. May & Co. Co
! lumbia Ice Company, American Ice Com
/ pany. o. c. Spicers Grove Lime and Coal
| Company, Chorch & Stephenson, Thos. r.
Riley. Clarendon Smith, Ernest M. Mer-
| rick, Moses & Sons. l. f. Smoot, Hoge &
| Mcdowell Cmpany, Raeburn-Garner Coal
| Company and j. A. Whitfield Company.
fund was raised to deeray expenses Of
| counsel. and systematic appeal to the
| Senate District committee will be made at
| once 1t is expected that the Objectionable
measure will come up for consideration by
| the Senate committee tomorrow, which ac-
| counts largely for the expeditions action of
/ he hiIS