Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-27
REPEALS GAS LAW SECTION
Requires the Local Companies to
Keep Open Books.
REFoRMAToRY - woRKHoUsE
Makes Provision for Purchase of
Two One-Thousand-Acre Tracts.
Other Allowances.


yesterday Afternoon. and the report was
adopted by both branches. AS passed the
| bill repeats section 3 of the gas law for
the District, approved June 6, 1896, under
which the gas companies were empowered
to increase their capital stock, and re-
quires the gas companies to keep open
! books.
The amount of the bill as it passed the
House was s9,955O49. and the Senate
added 50 134. 1872. In conference $1,41O,726
of the Senate's addition was cut off. The
estimates were over sixteen millions.
The bill did not contain the gas pro-
vision when it passed the House. nor was
| it added in the Senate The conferees
fought it out all by themselves and de-
| cded to insert it. 1t has met with gen
eral approval in both branches of Con-
gress. especially in the House, which
| December. The Galiinger omnibus gas
bill. pending in the Senate. and the Sims
omnibus gas bill. pending in the House,
also contain the provision.
Another. gas provision which was In the
| District appropriation bill when it came
| from the House was stricken out by the
Senate and remained out. This named ~
| cents per 900 cubic feet as the maximum
price the District could pay for its gas.
No Increase for Commissioners.
| The Senate amendment increasing the
salaries Of the District Commissioners
from s. 600 to 5000 went out in confer
| ence.
| Another important provision in the bill
is for the purchase of two one-thousand-
| acre tracts of land, either in Maryland or
| Virginia. but widely separated. one tor
| the erection of a new reformatOry ana
[ the other for workhouse The sum Oh
| z - oVriot e6 and in
| So; so; Sc Of the SS5.ON appropriation for
| an administrative building for the work
I house for males is made available for the
new purpose. 1t is provided that no
money shall be expended for the actual
erection of the proposed new reformatory
and workhouse until it is actually appro-
prated by Congress for that purpose.
! The reformatory shall accommodate
/, COO persons and the workhouse 500. Inc
| bill also creates a commission, TO be COM
| posed of three persons, with one OF the
| District Commissioners as chairman, to
| consider and report on plans and estl-
mates for the buildings, and 10000 for
the employment of an architect is appro-
priated.
Credit Given Senator Gallinger.
| For the enactment of this provision Sen
| ator Gallinger. chairman of the District
committee and of the District subcom-
| mittee of the committee on appropria-
| tons is given the credit. He made an
! investigation Of the Jail and workhouse
| conditions here several years ago and be-
! came convinced that something should be
! done to improve the quarters. 1t was
! through him that the President was au-
! thorized last year to investigate the sub
! ject with the result that recommends
| ton for the new buildings provided for
| in the present bill was made Dy the conf
! mission.
Senator Tillman worked early and late
| to get a stricter vagrancy law for the
District, and succeeded. AS member
! of the conference committee he secured
| the insertion in the bill Of a section
which virtually creates new Eagraucy
| law 1t has been argued by Mr.. Tillman
| and other members of Congress that such
law would do more TO prevent attacks
| on women than a larger police force. The
| Senate amendment adding fifty men TO
| the police department was stricken out
! and the vagrancy provision inserted.
Definition Of Vagrant.
! The provision defines a vagrant as any
idle person who has no visible means of
support, living without lawful employ
ment; any idle person who lodges in gro
ceries, outhouses. market places or in the
open: any person who begs, either on the
streets or in buildings: any person who is
! physically able to work and will not, and
| who depends for livelihood upon widowed
! mother or minor children, any person
! known to be a pickpocket, thief or bur
| glar, or confidence man, either by his
! own confession or his conviction else
where, who is found lettering I'm public
! places and who has no visible means of
| support; any person who carries burglars
! tools.
When person is convicted of Iagrancy
| he must give bond CT not more than 500
! for good behavior or be sent to the work
! house for not more than a year. The
/ bond must be given for wear and is
! conditional on good behavior.
Money for Municipal Court.
The conferees cleared IN the middle
over the new Municipal Court created by
| Congress fer the District. The bill pro
I vides thar there shall be five justices Of
the peace in the District. each dra wing
a salary of $500 year: a clerk al
sl..W and an assistant 81 $1,000 and a
| janitor at $3.50 are provided. An allow
ance of $1S.9D is made for contingent
! expenses of the court.
| The playground controversy resulted in
d compromise. The Senate amendment
increasing the appropriation fer the
| maint enancc and equipment OF the public
Fairgrounds from leo /" SlJ6D was
stricken out and an amendment appro-
priating 5000 for the Improvement and
equipment of the Georgetown site for a
playground was agreed t..
| The amendment providing for the APP
pointment OF a municipal architect to
supervise all the plans for and construc-
! tion of all buildings belonging TO the Dis
| trict at a salary of $500. put in tie
bill in the Senate. was agreed to by the
| House. This architect il is provided.
| shall take much work which is now
placed upon the building inspector off
| that officials hands.
For Removing Snow and Ice.
The provision making available s:..D0
! for cleaning snow and ice from t.le streets
! and sidewalks also was agreed to. This
money is to he expended at the discretion
Of the commissioners, and sum not to
| exceed $4,000 is to he used in the plr-'
chase of necessary implements for the re-
! moval of the snow and ice.
/ Most of the Senate amendments affect
! ing the public schools went out in confer
ence The sum of SI!boOo for new
! ground and S35.WO for addition to the
| Mckinley Manual Training School We're
| allowed to remain III. was also $1,000
for the Petworth School and additional
sums for night schools and kindergarten
] supplies. The Senate amendment provid-
ing that no teacher shall! be eligible for
group b, class Is. who has not attained
the maximum of group \ was left in the
bill
/ One of the most important amendments
stricken out was that allowing 100000
for normal school building to be erected
on ground now available on Columbia
Heights.
n - kr-e4