Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-03
TO STOP TRACK GAMBLING
SENATE DISTRICT COMMITTEE
WOULD PROHIBIT BETTING.
Consideration Of the Bill for Widen
ing Beuping Road-Houss Meas
i ure Needs Amendment.

The House bill for the widening of
Bennins. road, with the anti-raee track
gambling amendment attached, was pre-
sented this morning by the Carter sub
committee Of the Senate District COM
r1ittee to the full committee. with a re-
port of progress and a request for In
structions. The subcommittee was di-
rected to report the bill and such pend
ing amendments at the next regular meet
ing Of the committee. Several repre-
sentatives of the race track requested a
hearing on the amendment relating to
gambling. but the committee unanimously
decided not to grant the hearing.
SO far as could be learned the commit
tee was unanimously in favor Of the
Sims anti-gambling amendment. 1t is
understood that this was informally dis
cussed. but that no definite action was
sideration by the subcommittee of the
other provisions Of the bill.
Acquisition Of Land.
The bill for the widening Of Bennine
road Is substantially the Same as a Sen
ate bill upon which Senator Carter pre-
pared a report q short time ago. Upon
the presentation of this report a question
was raised as to the acquisition of the
title by the government to a strip of land
some thirty feet wide owned by the
Washington Railway and Electric COM
pany. which will be within the northerly
two-thirds of the Benning road as the bill
proposed to extend the same. The House
bill does not make any specific provision
for the acquisition Of title to this strip
and IT is question in the minds of th'
committee members whether the property
now being devoted to quasi-public pur-
pose is subject to condemnation for an
other public purpose. That question was
pending before the subcommittee WHEN
the House bill was referred to it.
AS to the Senate bill. the Senate COM
nlittee had previously agreed to an
amendment providing that all damages
should be assessed as benefits: that the
Jury should assess as benefits the full
amount of damages, together with the
cost Of the proceeding. and further that
the Washington Railway and Electric
Company should be required to operate
through cars to Oklahoma avenue, and
to place its tracks in the center Of Ben
ming road within ninety days after the
road shall have been widened according
to the provisions of the bill
Appropriation Agreed To.
An appropriation was agreed to that
the act might be carried into effect and
to pay the costs. TO be repaid to the
District from the assessments for bene-
fits. Under date of March 25 Commits
sioner Macfarland forwarded to the chair
man OF the Senate committee. Mr.. Gal
linger, a communication from Auditor
Tweedale Of the District calling atten-
ton to a defect in the House bill for the
widening of Benning road, in that this
bill. az it passed the House. failed to
make any appropriation to carry its pro-
visions into effect.
The auditor holds that the language OF
the bill as 1t passed the House does moi
make any appropriation or authorize the
payment Of money from any funds. The
language Of the bill is:
THAT there Is hereby authorized to bt
expended from the revenues Of the Dis
trict of Columbia
This language. the auditor holds. is no.
an appropriation of money. but merely
authority to pay without any appropria
ton to meet the payment.
The Senate committee still adheres a:
to the House bill. to the conclusion:
reached previously with reference to tn.
Senate bill on the same subject. anc
this morning directed the subconmitte,
to prepare an amendment in conformit,
with those suggested: and further, to pra
pare an amendment to the House bill
making appropriation of money necessar,
TO carry the same into effect in accord
ance with the recommendations OF tn.
auditor.
Senator Carter's subcominittee is ex
pected to confer with the street railwa,
officials with a view to acquiring tn,
thirty-foot strip of land owned by tn.
company within the exterior boundarie!
Of Benning road as it is proposed to b'
widened, and to prepare such amendment