Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-20
.TELEPOST BILL FAVORED
AMENDMENT INSURES PROMPT
CONSTRUCTION OF LINE.
Sale to Public Service Corporation
Barred-Meridian Hill Park
Approved.


ing a franchise to the Telepost Company
to operate in the District. which has
already passed the House. was ordered
by the Senate District committee this
morning.
Important amendments. designed to
promptly insure the actual construction
of the line into the District, were
adopted by the committee. These were
favored as the result of the fear ex-
pressed by some members of the COM
mittee that the franchise sought from
Congress was to be used as an adver-
tisement for the sale of stock rather
than for the actual operation of an in
dependent telegraph system here.
Two Amendments Proposed.
The committee favored two chief
amendments to the bill. The more strin-
gent Of the two provides:
THAT within sixty days from the ap-
proval of this act the said company shall
deposit $4,000 with the collector of taxes
of the District of Columbia to guara ntee
the construction Of its lines within the
time prescribed herein. II this sum is not
SO deposited this charter snail be void.
eff the sum is so deposited and the
construction Is not completed and in OPP
Grafton as herein prescribed said S10.0O5
shall be forfeited to the District of CO.
lumbia ard this charter shall be void as
to any incomplete portion. n
The other amendment is a substitute
for a similar provision In the House bill.
AS it was agreed to in the lower house the
bill simply prohibited the sale of the
franchise Or privilege in the District, by
merger or otherwise, to any other public
service corporation or person.
The provision favored by the Senate
provides that the company shall give
bond to the Commissioners in the sum of
franchises or privileges herein granted by
sale. merger or otherwise to any public
service corporation or person.
Another amendment recommended by
the committee will prohibit the use of
overhead wires inside the fire limits of
the District. This provision is strength
ened by a proviso that if the Telepost
Company uses the wires of any company
trict no additional wires shall be strung
overhead inside the fire limits.
Other Measures Favored.
A favorable report was also ordered
on the bill for the purchase of the land
fronting on 18th street extended, bound
ed by Euclid street, Columbia avenue, or
18th street, w street or Florida avenue
and 18th street extended, Oh what is
known as Meridian Hill.
The measure provides an appropriation
of $685. 900 to cover the cost Of the pur-
chase.
The use Of this property for public
park has been urged for some time and
has been favored by the Senate District
committee for several years 1t has made
favorable reports on similar bills during
tho last two Congresses and one of the
bills passed the Senate.
\ bill aimed at white slave ira ffic
in the District was also approved this
morning by the Senate District COM
mittee.
The bill imposes heavy penalties for
''pander,ng, fine of not less tina
81 900 and imprisonment for from one
to ten years. It is also provided that
persons who receive money from engeg-
ing i'm the white slave traffic are to
be punished by Imprisonment for from
three to ten years. The bill has already
passed the House.
To the Subcommittee on judiciary, of
which Senator Dillingham; is chairman,
was referred two bills for special inves-
tigation-one providing for the purchase
of about twenty acres of land for the
use Of the Girls' Reform School. and the
other authorizing the Commissioners to
suspend and revoke certain licenses and
permits.