The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-06-02
DISTRICT JARED
WELL In CONGRESS
Commissioners Are Pleased
by AppOrtiOnment.
WHAT SESSION DID FOR CITY
Tracks to Union Station, Abolition
OF Rrce-track Gambling, Tuber-
culOsis Registration, and ReguIa-
ton OF Private Hospitals Among
the Local Laws Enforced.

Although the session OF Congress which
has just come TO an end enacted little
legislation Of Importance affecting the
District, the Commissioners express salts
faction with what was accomplished. and
measures have been so advanced that
much more can be put through at the
next session.
Most Of the legislation was in the ap-
preparation bill. yet several important
measures desired in the District were put
through outside of that, notably the child
labor bill, and the bill extending the
street railways 20 the Union Station. a
crosstown line in the northeast being pro-
Vided for in the latter act.
Commissioner Alacfarland said yester-
day:
The principle Of public supervision Of
public utility corporations, so strongly
urged By the Commissioners. is recog-
nized in the Union Station trackage bill
and while It has been put in the hands
Of the Interstate Commerce Commission.
believe that eventually the supervision
will be put In the municipality. where it
belongs. since the operations Of the street
railways is almost wholly In the Dis
trict And 1 believe supervision will ulti-
mately be extended to all other public
utility corporations.
Gambling Finally stopped.
other important general legislation in
cludes the abolition Of race track and
other gambling throughout the District
provision for the registration Of tuber-
cuiosis cases. and also provision for the
regulation Of private hospitals.
The appropriations are as large as
could be expected, in view OF the insist
ence Of the Appropriations Committees in
cutting down all estimates this year. and
the failure TO treat the District appro-
priation bill, half OF which Is paid by the
District taxpayers, differently from the
general appropriation bills, and. above all
IN view Of the failure 10 adopt the bust
ness-like permanent separate financing
Of the Districts share Of the extraordl-
nary improvement appropriation The Dis
tricts income from its own citizens next
year will be $4,000. and the whole
amount Of the Commissioners estimates
could have been easily met If their recon-
mendatiOns had been followed
school building estimates, both for fire
protection and for new buildings for
which we strove earnestly. The whole
amount Of the Commissioners estimates
for school buildings IN all their phases.
about 100000. which Is practically the
difference between the Commissioners
estimates and the appropriations, from
1885 TO 1908, could have been appropriated
without difficulty, II handled, as the
Commissioners recommended as an ex-
traordinary appropriation, due to the in
adequacy OF former appropriations. and
necessary above any other item. But we
shall do the best we can with what has
been appropriated.
Things that Were Omitted.
There are some other regrettable re-
ductions and omissions. especially the re-
duction in the Fairgrounds appropriation
and the commission OF provision for super
vision, and the omission of the appropria-
ton for the investigation OF the titles in
the Anacostla Basin as a step toward the
Improvement of that region, so much
needed for the health and beauty Of the
Capital But I am very hopeful that we
shall obtain these at the next session Of
Congress.
There are gratifying increases In the
appropriation. especially for street light
ing, street cleaning. suburban sewers.
and a new fire-engine house southwest
Of Seventeenth street and Pennsylvania
avenue northwest, and additional fire ap-
paratus. We secured also the long-de-
sired permission to light the Conduit
read. and 70 provide service sewers IN
the Conduit road. An important appro-
priation is that OF $4,000 for preliminary
Investigations and surveys for increasing
the water supply. the first step toward
duplicating the aqueduct for future needs
and possible accidents. Another public
convenience station, to be placed in the
neghborhood OF the Public Library. is
among the improvements authorized.
Memorial for Mai. PEnfnnt.
"a thousand dollars IS provided for
transferring the remains Of Major TEn-
FAINT from the Digges farm. and providing
Il memorial stone. and l hope that the
remains will be transferred to Arlington
Cemetery. The appropriation Of $4,000
for the pedestal of the statue Of John
Witherspoon. a president Of Princeton
University and a signer Of the Declare
ton of Independence. which he did so
much 70 bring about, TO be erected on
the triangle in front OF the Church Of
the Covenant. especially interests those
OF us who are members OF the Wither-
spoon Memorial Association. and is OF
advantage 10 the whole city"