The Washington herald., 1910-03-09
CHAMBER PONDERS
RETROCESSION ACT
Committee Submits a Report
on the Subject.
Law OF 1846 THOUGHT VALID
Plan Suggested by which District
Might Get Back Virginia Terri
torx-Body Adopfs Report on Cost
of LsvinE sn. HyssbSne40n-other
Matters Are Discussed.

Adoption Of reports rom the committee
on law and legislation relating to the ret
recession Of Alexandria County TO vir-
ginia. records of property in the office of
the recorder of deeds. the cost of
living in Washington, and a few minor
matters occupied the attention of the
Chamber OF Commerce last night at its
March meeting.
The report upon the retrocession OF
Alexandria County TO Virginia in 1916
and the question of its return TO the Dis
trict of Columbia was presented by A,
Leftwich Sinclair. chairman of the COM
mittee. He explained that the report
had been prepared by a subcommittee OF
which Charles Linkins is chairman. and
that the report had been written by him.
Il went into the history of the retroces-
sion in 1876 and set forth some of the
reasons which prompted the action of
Congress in ceding the Virginia side OF
the District back 10 the State Of Virginia.
1t discussed the feasibility of an effor.
TO get back the territory, and suggested
that If il was to be done the city of
Alexandra and the town of Fails Church
be exempted from the eession.
Thinks Plan Feasible,
The plan was thought feasible by the
committee and it was suggested that II
it was 20 be done the proper way would
be through a joint commission created
by Congress and the state of Virginia
to take up the question and report upon
it to their respective authorities.
The consututionality of the law of re-
PROCESSION was discussed at some length
and the arguments upon both sides of the
controversy stated. The committee
reached the conclusion that the law would
be declared constitutional by the Su-
preme Court Of the United States, as that
would be the natural and just view of
the matter
The report upon the record of property
In the Office of the recorder of deeds was
presented by z. Louis Willige. chairman
of the subcommittee which considered the
question, and recommended that the plan
Of recording property by numbered
squares be recommended and that the
plan Of indexing the property records in
the Office OF the recorded work out by
one of the title companies be also rec
commended.
High Cost of Living.
The report Of the findings of the COM
mittee which investigated the high cost
of living in Washington was also pre-
sented by Mr.. Willige, who is chairman
of that subcommittee. The report was
read. adopted. and the committee ten
dered vote of thanks for its work
The findings OF the committee were that
the causes of the high cost of produce is
in no wise traceable to local merchants
or conditions, hut are caused by condi-
tions at remote points of production and
distribution outside the District. The
committee recommended that remedial
legislation should be enacted by Congress
regulating the cold storage of particular
classes of. articles and possibly restrict
ing the operations of cold storage COM
panies to a purely warehouse business.
prohibiting them from having any pc
cuntary interest in the commodities
stored.
Invited to Attend Convention.
A Communication was read from the
principal of the Business High School,
inviting the members Of the Chamber OF
Commerce to attend the convention of
the Commercial Teachers Association
to be held in this city on March "a to
%. This convention was brought TO the
Capital through the Chamber of Com
merce's convention committee. An ex-
hibit of commercial and Office appliances