Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-24

days District day session bills to provide
for the registration of all cases Of tu-
berculosis In the District: to regulate the
establishment and maintenance Of private
hospitals and asylums in the District
to amend an act to extend Meridian place
northwest; to extend 9th street northwest
from Barry place to Euclid street: to ex-
tend Girard street northwest from its pres
ent terminus to 18th street northwest; to
extend New York avenue from its present
terminus. ne ar 4th street northeast. to the
Blade nsburg road; to extend the time
limit for the completion Of the lines OF the
East Washington Heights Traction Rail-
road Company twelve months; to allow
firemen injured in the course Of duty to
be treated at the expense of the fire.
mems pension fund. and to license all
drivers for vehicles for hire and tax them
81 year.
Commissioners Much Gratided.
The members of the board of Commits
sioners this morning expressed gratifica-
ton over the success Of Representative
Sims yesterday: The Commissioners pro-
pose to make every effort to secure the
bills approval in the Senate.
Commissioner Mcfarland. who has been
persistently fighting the gamblers at Ben
ming for some time said today:
Il am exceedingly glad that the House
adopted the Sims amendment and trust
the Senate may adopt it soon enough to
stop the gambling at Benning during the
present race meeting. I still think that it
could have been broken up by vigorous
action under the present law. but in view
of the difference of opinion about the law,
amendment Of 1t seems more necessary
than ever The Commissioners recon-
mended legislation as the most certain
method of stamping out this evil, just as
Gov. Hughes did in New York. and in
this as in their other efforts in this mat
ter have met with similar opposition and
Misrepresentation. For example, the sug-
gestion has been made that it was not
respectful to the law and the courts to
make vigorous effort to break up the op-
erations of the gamblers at Benning, in
view of a court decision that a particular
case based on certain evidence and on an
indictment drawn In a certain way could
not be maintained There was nothing in
the decision to show that a case with a
better indictment and different evidence
would not be upheld by the same court.
No court has ever suggested that the
present law Is void for unconstitutionality
or any other reason. AS a matter of fact.
| the police are preparing to file fnfOrma-
lions on evidence collected under the very
same law which 1t has been claimed
would not permit US to make arrests. My
idea Is that the best way to show re-
spect to the law is to enforce 1t. How
ever. the prompt passage Of the Sims
amendment will stop the gambling at
Benning. and every good citizen should
advocate 1t earnestly"
Commissioner West said: 1.-The passage
Of the Sims bill In the House meets with
my hearty approval. and l hope that 1t
can be taken up promptly in the Senate
| and enacted into law. Under the law
passed in 1891 bookmaking and pool SELL
ing were legalzed in tho territory occu-
pied by the race track. and the law has
been upheld by the courts. Under these
circumstances the way to abolish race
track gambling in the District of Column
bia Is to repeal this law. The action of
| the House is. to my mind. a step In the
| right direction. and I do not believe that
the Senate will fail to act when that