Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-07
House Committee Holds First
Meeting of the Session.
AGAINST new LEGISLATION
Decided Opposition Unless Regular
Meeting Days Are Supplemented.
THIRTY.F1vE CALENDAR BILLS
Chairman Smith Indicates Purpose to
Secure Special Day at an
Early Date.

The House committee on the District of
Columbia held its first meeting OF the ses-
sion today.
The conference, for that is what il
really was, as no new business OF any
sort was discussed. was called by Chair
man Smith. in order that the members
might talk over ways and means of Sc
curing action at this session on the thirty
eight local measures now on the calendar
and which it is desired to get out OF the
way before adjournment.
Decided opposition developed at the
meeting Of the committee today toward
any program involving the reporting OF
new legislation unless definite assurances
can be obtained from the organization
leaders in the House that the paucity of
regular District days will be supplement-
ed by special days. set aside solely for
the consideration of local business. or by
evening sessions devoted to the same pur-
pose
The principal objection to evening ses-
sions seems to lie in the fact that the
opponents of any measure that might be
scheduled for consideration would be sure
| to show up, while 1t is not by any means
SO certain that the friends of those meas
passively in the affirmative would do so.
Only Four Regular Days.
| Representative Samuel ". Smith of
| Michigan, the committee chairman, point
ed out to his colleagues that there is
| strong probability that there will be only
four regular district days at this ses-
sion. This, at glance, Is a convincing
| argument for special days or evening
sessions, he said, for consideration O.
District legislation alone.
There are eleven bills on the House cal
endar, nineteen on the union calendar.
four on the private calendar and four re-
ported to be tabled. The bills ON the
shark bill, the Coudrey gas company bond
| issue resolution, the Nye personal prop
erty assessment bill, the Olcott measure
creating a national board of sanitary in
spectors, the Pearre measure for the
| compulsory support Of illegitimate chill
dren and the Cary bill to reduce the price
of gas to the consumer.
On the union calendar there are the
Olcott bill for the retirement OF SUPER
animated school teachers on pension.
measure of great interest locally: the
| Smith bill. enlbodying the provisions OF
the Judson funding plan for District
| and numerous street extension bills af-
fecting all quarters of the city.
Another effort will be made In the
near future by Chairman Smith to Sc
cure a special District day at an early
date. He tried to get unanimous con-
sent for this purpose yesterday. but
failed through the objections raised by
Representatives Tawney of Minnesota
and Mann Of Illinois.
Presidents Massage Pleases.
Mr.. Smith told a Star reporter this
hat hn
pleased with that portion of the Presi-
dents message dealing with the Dis
trict of Columbia. He has long been
enthusiastically in favor of a public
service commission; in fact, he was an
advocate of this proposition before it
had become generally discussed. and
believes that the modification of the
original plan to secure the recession
nv Virginia of it's original contribution
| Of land for the District of Columbia
can be worked out without undue dif-
fculty.
! Last year, if you will remember, said
| Mr.. Smith, in talking over the District
| portion of the Presidents message TO-DAY
| Il introduced two bills affecting the pup
| lie utilities of the District. One OF these
| hills proposed to clothe the District Com
missioners with the powers OF public
| service commission; the other proposed
| to create a separate commission OF three
| members for the purpose. The enact
| ment of either one of these bills into
| law would have accomplished the desired
| result But 1 am inclined to agree with
| President Taft that there is need OF CEN
| tralization, with it's ensuing economy, In
| the District of Columbia, and that conse-
ouently it would be better on both counts
| to confer on the Commissioners. by the
necessary legislation, the power to make
| rules and regulations governing the con-
| duct of the gas. electric light and power
L 0f 41.4 N.atS m
ICapital.
Expects Early Action.
so far as the requirement by the Dis
trict of a small amount Of land on the
Virginia side of the Potomac. SO that the
park system of the District may be
planned in it's entirety and carried out
logically and comprehensvely, 1 do not
think any serious objections will be
raised, such as marked the proposal to
| ACQUIRE the entire original tract coded
by Virginia, and I would not be sur
prised to see some action on this propo-
sition within the next three months.
| II think that eventually We will have
a director Of education at the head of
the public school system of the District
IL think however. 1t is an open question
as to whether the people of the District
are in favor at this time of abolishing
| the board Of education and centralizing
all the school authority in single head.
This is a question which the average per-
son interested in the subject desires
plenty of time to consider
In view Of the pressure being brought
to bear upon the District committee and
upon Congress, just now, for the early
enactment of the Olcott school teachers
retirement bill. in order to secure
favorable consideration of the measure
| it is probable that it will be necessary for
the sponsors of the proposition to accept
an amendment providing for the with
drawal Of all aid by the federal govern
ment, making the pension plan entirely
| contributory. So much opposition to the
measure is threatened. unless this
amendment is accepted, that it is con-
| sdered extremely doubtful If favorable
| action could be had upon it in the House,
| even after extended consideration.