Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-03
Little Chance for District
Legislation Next Session.
NECESSARYMEASURESONLY
Senator Gallinger Gives Views of
the Probabilities.
MAJ. JUDs0N's FINANCIAL PLAN
That and Public Utilities .Commis-
sion to Receive Attention-Dis-
cusses other Local Interests.

| Senator Jacob H. Gallinger chairman
| of the Senate committee on the District
| OF Columbia. arrived in the city last night
and early this morning plunged into the
| big volume of business which has ac-
cumulated since Congress adjourned at
| the end of last June. He was busy
| throughout the day in getting his end
| of congressional matters into shape for
presentation early in the coming session.
| Chairman Gallinger believes that, like
national legislation. District legislation
will not be heavy at the coming session
| of Congress.
| A number of District bills that were
| pushed through the Senate last winter
! are still pending on the House calendar.
| and Senator Gallinger believes that the
! possibilities of District legislation this
/ session depends much on the inclination
; Of the House to consider bills affecting the
| ten miles square
I'VE shall do what we can for the Dis
| trict within the limitations of the ses-
| sion, he added.
Judson's Financial Plan.
The new financial plan Of the District.
proposed by Engineer Commissioner Jud-
/ on and favored by the entire board of
District Commissioners. will be given con-
sideration at this session in Mr.. Cal
linger's opinion. AS it deals with finances
and revenues. however, Mr.. Gallinger be-
| lieves il ought to be taken up in the
House first.
Il have long felt that the District
ought to have some financial plan, just
as other municipalities have plans for
financing their big improvements he
said Therefore, I am inclined to give
consideration to proposed plans. As to
the Judson plan in particular. I shall ap-
proach it with an open mind. possibly
with some prejudice in it's favor The
subject is a big one, however, and ought
to be considered carefully before action
Is taken. Yet without a definite plan,
the District has been getting along pretty
we'll. developing rapidly and making
many municipal improvements"
Object of Proposed System.
The Judson financial plan proposes to
set apart portion of the District reve-
MUGS every year to be expended upon
permanent improvements. While allow
ance is made for the annual increases of
routine expenditures due to the increase
of population of the District and the
necessary increase in the city's machin-
cry, 1T makes allowance for expenditures
Tor permanent improvements by extend
Ing the time in which the present debt
tiOn to this specific feature developed <in
the last session, Senator Gallinger said
today that some progress may be made at
the coming session toward the adoption
or some comprehensive financial plan.
Senator Gallinger sees no definite
prospects for passing a bill looking to
the reincorporation in the District Of the
part given back to the state. Of vir-
ginia. He thinks the opposition to
retrocession bill is SO great that there
is no chance for it's passage.
Acquisition of Palisades.
What I would like to see, however,"
he continued, would be the taking back
into the District Of strip of Virginia
along the shores Of the Potomac river,
opposite the District. / am sorry to
see the palisades of the Potomac mar
red as they are being marred, and
think way to prevent 1T is to take
them into the District"
Ihls matter Is expected to come up be-
fore the Senate District committee at
the coming session. but whether any def
mite action will be taken by Congress be-
fore March is still matter of doubt
me senator has been keeping close tab
as he always does during the summer Of
all matters affecting the District, on the
agitation for public utilities commission
THAT is big question. Some of the
states nave commissions of that sort and
s.
trict is a rather small territory for a sepa-
| rate commission, but / am told there are
some who favor giving the Commissioners
the authority of such a commission
understand that committee of the
Federation of Citizens Associations is
preparing the draft of a bill for a COM
mission l hope they will not make it too
! radical to create prejudice against it at
the outset. AS soon as the bill is pre-
| sented will refer it to a subcommittee
Tor careful Investigation"
Mind Not Made Up.
! Senator Gallinger said this morning
that he is not committed as to the best
place in which to hold an exposition to
celebrate the opening of the Panama
canal.
! II think it would be fine thing was
what he said, when it was suggested that
a celebration of the event not in the ma
| ture of an elaborate exposition be held i'm
washington. to continue for perhaps a
week, and to be attended by the Presi-
dent and Vice President, the members of
Congress, other high officials of the gov
ernment and by the representatives of
other governments who are stationed
here. He believes Washington is a proper
place for such celebration.
Jurisdiction Over Fairgrounds.
! Jurisdiction over the Washington play
grounds, Mr.. Gallinger thinks, ought to
be vested in the District Commissioners.
Members of Congress, he suggested,
would be more willing to grant appro-
priations for the Fairgrounds il they
know they were to be safeguarded, as
| the District appropriations are known to
be. and a part of the public improve
ments it is right, the senator believes,
!! that the Fairgrounds should be under
| the control Of the heads of the govern