The Washington times., 1908-12-14
HOUSE DISCUSSES
DISTRICT GAS BILL
Measure to OYercapitalize
or Initiate Stock Has
Hearing,

The House at go o'cI5c this after
noon began debate on tht bill 10 re-
peai section 5 OF the g@. ac- of 1886
which makes II possible 1or the gas
companies Of the District 10 over capi-
talize and initiate their stock
The House late this afternoon passed
oil prohibiting the rDcration in he
District OF what is commonly known
as bucket shops The DfH provides q
penalty not exceeding SIC50 or imprison-
ment for one year for tie first oGense.
and Imprisonment for not more than
hye years for the second Onense.
For the first time since March . bills
amecung the District Of Columbia had
a regular showing before the House OF
Representatives today
So far the House has pas 5ed a bill I'm
posing 500 tax on CigP rette dealers
has laid aside for future debate a bin
providing for a disbu-sing officer for
St Elizabeth's Hospital
Sidetracks Gas Bill
Instead OF calling the gas bill as the
third 10 be considered by the House to-
day the bill provi6ing for free lectures
was called. and. although Of seeming
ly minor importance, precipitated n
warm general debate on the floor Of
the House
Representative Sims OF Tennessee was
especially violent IN his opposition 70 the
bill giving the B0Srd OF Education au-
thOrity 10 have course Of lectures il
the Public school buildings.
Representative Mann, who took a part
In the discussion OF all District matters
today, said that II Congress authorized
the board - give these free lectures it
would next be called upon 70 pay for
them, and he did not think the House
should cOuntenance such lectures as had
been given in the past under similar
provisions
On Bird Nests.
Il see the Board OF Education in the
past has had lecture on Bird Notes
How many of you members of Con
gress know or care anything about bird
Notes. asked Representative Sims OF
Tennessee. Your constituents are in
terested in other kinds OF notes In these
days OF taxation I see another lee
ture on Spanish architecture; another
on Round the Word in Forty Min
utes' and stiu another on "A Night In
Another World The whole proposition
is ridiculous and enough 10 put this
Congress TO shame.
After chis heated debate the House
took a vote on the measure. and by a
large majority killed the proposition OF
the enactment Of any general law for
free lectures on authority OF the Board
of Education.
The bill OF Mr.. OlCOtt Of New York
authorizing the Board OF Education to
provide a series Of free evening lectures
in some of the public school buildings
met with opposition on both sides Of the
House. Mr.. Gillett Of Massachusetts
declared that he did not want the Gov
ernment to go into the business Of pro-
VidinE evening entertainments for the
adults Of the District.
Mr. Foster Of Vermont, who spoke in
favor Of the bill, referred to the systems
of free lectures, in such large cities
as New York and Boston. and said that
Congress should provide for a public
lecture system in washington which
should be as ideal as saywhere in the
country
Mr. OIcott's re'l7rk that Congress
might as well abO.-sh the free library
as 10 prohibit free lectures brought from
Mr.. Tawney the comment that free IL
hra ries circulated everywhere while the
benefit OF free lectures was Tmlted 10
the size Of the hall in which the lecture
was held
Mr.. sims. Of Tennessee. a member of
The District Committee. opposed the bill
on the ground that there Wa absolute
~ no necessity for free lS-.-ureS in
Washington
There are more opportunities for
liberal educa ton in Washington" said
Mr. Sims. than in any other place in
the United States and to add to ne
by giving free lectures, OF
which there are already a sufffcif Mt
number, would be a useless waste of
money"
For the purpose OF Illustrating how
useless lectures in the past had .S.-an
Mr.. Sims read a list OF Lectures deIfv-
cred here in 1896, and among the subjects
discussed at that time was How TO
Feed Personalities 10 Young Men"