The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-12-06
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cations 70 Congress referred TO the i'm
portance of acquiring for the District Of
Columbia At least a part OF the terri
tory on the other side Of the Potomac N
virginia which was originally granted
81 the District by the state Of Virginia
and then was retrOceded by act Of Con
1T is very evident from conferences
that 1 have had with the Senator'S ana
Representatives from Virginia tlat
there is no hope Of a regranting By the
state o. the land thus given back; ana
I am frank TO say that in so far as the
tract includes the town OF AlexanCfla
and land remote from the Potomac
river tTgyre would be no particular ad-
,-e-+aSs in bringing that within ma
tiOnaI control But the land when heS
along the Potomac river above the ran
road bridge and across the Potomac. N
Guiding Arlington Cemetery, Fort Mle
r6a Csove-uuent experiment farm. the
Village OF RossIyn, and the Palisades OF
the Potomac. reaching to where the old
District line intersects the river; IS 49, 81
snarseIv settled and could be admirably
utilized for increasing the system OF Ihe
parks of Washington
.sTf has been suggested to me by the
same Virginia Senators and RepreseIl a a
tfves that II the Government We're -
ACQUIRE for Government park the lsIlo
above described. which is not OF NeIy
great value, the present law OF N4IelLla
eraI Jurisdiction over il, and If that were
not Complete enough, the Legislature or
Virginia would in all probability 50 en-
large the jurisdiction as 10 enaDle Con-
e-ress 10 include It within the control OF
the government of the District OF Co
I1nbia and actually make Il a part OF
washington - -.
7 earnestly recommend that steps %
taken to carry out this plan
For Public Utilities.
The portion of the Presidents mes
sage which will probably arouse the
greatest local interest is that in which
he recommends the regulation of pubic
service corporations He takes the
view that E public utilities commission
should be given control of the public
Utilities companies. and that the com
mission should be composed OF the DIS
triC-t Commissioners
Mr. Taft does not specifically recon-
mend what powers the District COM
T11fssfoners should have, except to urge
that the law which he proposes be mod
eIed on the New York and Massachu-
setts laws, which grant a large measure
OF power to the commissions of those
n the introduction to the considera-
ton of District questions in the message
the President recommends proper reg
ulation,' and in the section -aeallng
directly with the commission he recon-
usends regulation in the PUBIC inter-
est
sage Is as follows:
There ere q sufficient number Of cor
norations enjoying the use Of public
Utilities In the District of Columbia 10
Justify and require the enactment OF
a law providing for their supervision
and regulation in the public interest
consistent with the vested rights Sc
cured TO them BY their charters a
part Of these corporations. TO WI, the
street railways, have been Tut under
the control of the Interstate Commerce
Commission. but that commission rec
ornmeuds that the Bower be taken from
i. and intimaees broadly that its other
and more important duties make 1t i'm
possible for il to give the requisite
supervision
1t seems TO me wise 20 place this
lation II the District Commissioners.