Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-01
BOARD IS GRAT|F|EO
Commissioners Pleased With
Results of Recent Session.
Mr.. MACFARLANO'S VIEWS
Speaks of Important Legislation
Enacted.
REGRETS CUT IN ESTIMATES
Points Out Numerous Reasons for
Thankfulness on the Part
of the District.

Notwithstanding the fact that fiHbuster-
ing in the House prevented some legis.a-
!! tton that was particularly desirable to the
.'citizens Of Washington. the results oo-
tanned in the way Of appropriations and
other legislation a, the recent session Of
Congress are gratifying to the board Of
| District Commissioners.
| AS matter of TACT, the Commissioners
excellent. and they have In mind certain
measures affecting the District OF Column
bia that were advanced and are sure of
/ enactment next session. Although most
of the Districts legislation was in the APP
| preparation bills, Commissioner Macfar-
| land regards the child labor bill and the
bill extending street railway tracks to
the Union station and providing for gov
ernmenral supervision Of street railways
/ and q crosstown line in the northeast as
! most notable.
! Mr.. Macfarland was particularly graft
+, fled at the pa ss;age of the child labor law.
! This bill was the last important Ynea sure
-: on the Commissioners list Of social egis-
iatiorf. and although the bill as passed did
not 80 as far the Commissioners orig
inally intended and thes bin has no provi-
sion for an appropriation for the salaries
OF inspectors to enforce the law, it takes
the District of the blacklist OF the very
few jurisdictions having no child labor
law.
Supervision Of Public Utilities.
In reviewing the legislation affecting
this city enacted in the recent session
Commissioner Mcfarland said:
'The principle OF public supervision of
public utility corporations. SO strongly
! urged by. the Commissioners. is recognized
in the Tuion station trackage bill, and
while il has been put i'll the hands of the
Interstate commerce commission. believe
that eventually the supervision will be
, put in the municipality, where 1t belongs.
since The operations of the street railway
are almost wholly in tie District, and
will be extended to all the other public
utility corporations.
'Other important general legislation In
cludes the abolition of race track and
other gambling throughout the District
Of Columbia: provision for the registra-
ton or tuberculosis cases and the free
examination of sputrm in suspected
cases; provision for tile regulation OF
The appropriations are as large as
could be expected in view of the insist
ences of the appropriations committees in
cutting down all estimates this year and
the failure to treat the District appropria-
ton bill. half Of which Is paid by the
District taxpayers, differently from the
general appropriation bills, and. above all
in view OF the failure to adopt the bust
ness-Itke permanent separate financing
of the Districts share of the ,eXtTaordin-
AIRY Improvement appropriation. The Dis
trict'S income from It's own citizens next
year will be s5,90AOnO. and the whole
amount of the Commissioners estimates
| could have been easily met II their rec
concentrations had been followed.
Cut on School Buildings.
"The most regrettable cut is i'll the
school building estimates. both for fire
protection and for new buildings. for
which We strove 80 earnestly. The
whole amount OF the Commissioners cs-
Inmates for school buildings in all their
phases. about 5000 600. which is prac-
tically the difference between the Com
tions from 1903 to 1903. could have been
appropriated without difficulty II handled
as the Commissioners recommended as
an extraordinary appropriation due 70
the tnadeluacy OF former appropriations
and necessary above any other item.
But shall do the best we can with
what has been appropriated. :
There are some other regrettable re-
auctions and omissions. especially the re-
and the omission Of provision for super
vision and th., omission Of the appro-
priation for the investigation Of the titles
in the Anaco6tia basin as a Sfep toward
the Improvement of that region much
needed for the health and beauty Of the
capital. But am very hopeful that we
shall obtain these at the next session OF
Congress-.
Street Lighting and Cleaning.