Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-14
DISTRICT BILLS DEBATED
Proposition to Establish Free Lee.
ture Course Defeated.
TO ABOLISH BUCKET SHOPS
Passage of the Bill After Proposed
Amendment Had Been Ruled
Out on a Point Of Order,


as board of aldermen of the District of
District measures.
The most important action taken by the
House up to the time The Stars report
closed was the passage Of a bill fixing
an annual tax of $1OO on all dealers In
cigarettes and cigarette papers This
proposition was offered by Representative
Mann Of Illinois as an amendment to the
committee bill, called up by the chairman
Smith, imposing tax of $l2 a year on
all dealers handling manufactured to-
bacco products
Mr.. Mann criticised the committee for
placing the same tax on cigarettes, or
coffin nails" as he described them, and
'ther manufactured products. His amend
nent was adopted by practically a unan-
mous vote.
The House killed the bill providing for
free lectures in the District by a decided
and after a long discussion
participated in by Representative Olcott,
In charge Of the bill, and other members
Of the District committee, supported by
Parsons Of New York,
Golden of New York and
several others. and opposed on the floor
by Representatives Simms OF Tennessee
Mann Of Illinois and half dozen more.
Other District business was being dis
cussed when The Stars report closed
District Business Delayed.
Chairman Smith Of the House District
was on the alert when the
House of Representatives met at noon to.
day, and after the reading of the journal
had been finished he jumped to his feet
and endeavored to get the Speakers eye
TO call UP the first of the District meas
ures But Serene Payne, the majority
leader. was ahead of him with a motion
to lay on the table the democratic ap-
peal from the decision of the chair pend.
Ing since Saturday. There was roll call
on this motion, which resulted in the ap-
peal being smothered by vote of ITO to
90.
So it was fifteen minutes of ] O'Clock
before Mr.. Smith was recognized to move
that the House go into committee OF
the whole House on the state of the
Union to consider bills on that calendar
The Speaker called Representative Town
send of Michigan to the chair.
Mr.. Smith then called up House bill
1906. providing for the payment of an
annual license tax of Sl2 by dealers ir
District of Columbia.
After the clerk had read the unani-
mously favorable report of the committee
On the measure, Representative Mann OF
Illinois, the great objector," asked why
a higher tax had not been inforced on the
sale of cigarettes.
Think of It. he said. Here is a pro-
posal to charge an additional dollar a
month for the privilege OF selling coffin
nails
Mr.. Mann moved to strike the "ciga-
rette privilege" out of the bill. and viva
voce vote left some douot as TO the re-
suit Mr.. Mann eXplai ined that he wanted
to offer an amendment fixing a much
higher rate for the sale of cigarettes.
Heavy Tax on Cigarette Dealers.
On suggestion of Champ Clark he in
corporated an amendment with the pre-
vious motion providing tax of 500 a
year on cigarette dealers.
On the suggestion OF a member Mr.
Mann included cigarette papers in the
SlGO year list.
Then the vote was taken and the Bill
passed. Representative Longworth OF
Ohio laughingly registering the only neg
alive vote as he waved his hand at the
In the press gallery.
Mr.. Smith then called up House bill
l2S1. providing for a disbursing officer
for the Government Hospital for the In
sane. across the river. Representative
Oicott of New York, who had the bill In
charge, explained that 1t merely provided
for this disbursing officer in question
with no additional expense entailed, the
creation of the position being designed to
assist materially the proper administra-
ton of the affairs of the hospital
Representative Johnson of South Caro-
lima wanted to know who had been dis
Olcott explained that this was a part OF
the superintendents job. The bill was
passed.
Proposed Free Lectures.
The House then took up the Olcott bill
authorizing the board of education to
maintain a course of series of free even
Ing lectures. some of them to be held
In some of the public school buildings.
Mr.. Mann wanted to know how much
money the free lectures would cost and
suggested that the bill was nothing but
"a peS on which to hang Il future appro-
prfat1On. In reply to a statement by
Mr. Olcott that only small amount of
money would be needed for the lectures.
MIR. Mann Sarcastically rejoined that
once lie had voted for an appropriation of
$4,000 for rural free delivery and had
seen that appropriation grow to $40 OOo,-
100 a year. He didn't like indeterminate
where money was concerned.
Anyhow" cried Mr. Mann, '.how far is
This thing of pleasing the people going
20 go: We are as bad as the old Romans
With their feasts and fights, etc, for the
benefit of the people,
Mr. Olcott suggested that other cities
had free lecture courses.
Yes" cried Mr.. Mann. ''and those cities
pay their own bills. Here the people of
the United States nave to pay half the
bills at least
Representative Goulden of New York
pleaded for the lecture course. and Of
'ered while the House laughed. TO deliver
l lecture free himself If the bill passed.
k=p. esenta;iye Gillett Of Massachusetts,
said the matter had been threshed out by
the appropriations committee several
years ago, and that committee had de-
cided the lectures were not necessarily
along, the line of education, but were a
means of gratifying the tastes of the peo-
pie who attended. 1t was not in the
province OF Congress to 80 into the busi-
ness of entertaining the people Of the
District OF Columbia.
Representative Foster OF Vermont an
nounced himself heartily in favor OF the
The free lectures. he
thought. constituted step toward ideal
school system conditions. When the Dis