Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-25
House Sends District Bill Back
to Conference.
BITTER FIGHT OVER REPORT
Representative Burleson Charges
That Asphalt Trust Exists Here.
PLEA FOR MUNICIPAL PLANT
Appropriation Therefor Had Been
Inserted by Senate-House Re-
iects All Amendments.

Charges that the District of Columbia
government Is in the grasp OF an asphait
trust were made on the floor OF the
House today by Representative Eufieson
of Texas, who urged that the House
agree to a Senate amendment to the DIS
t.ict appropriation bill authorizing the
building of q municipal asphalt plant at a
cost of 100000.
Mr. Burleson declared that up to 4 year
ago there were five competing asphalt
companies in the District of Columbia
At that time the price of asphalt pave
ment i'm Washington was s1.i5 u square
yard. Then the five companies combined
aud the price Immediately went up TO
SLIT square yard.
After a bitter fight over tine conference
report on the District bill the House dis
agreed to ali of the Senate amendments
and returned the bill to conference, fur
rher insisting that its conferees support
the position of the House. The Senate
agreed to the conference report yesterday.
Matters i'll Dispute.
While the provisiors for a municipal
asphalt plant and TIE proposition to IN
crease the salaries Of the District COM
missioners from $3.50 TO $e,oso & year
We're practically the only matters in the
conference report discussed by the House
today, II was quite apparent from the
General ton. of the do-oatc. thet a ma
jority Of the members considered the con-
ference report ON the measure highly un-
satisfactory, and thought the Senate had
exceeded all tS,rnds In placing amend
ments upon the local budget.
II there had beer more tinc for dis
cussion other items would doublless
have been singled out for attack. But
as it was. acriticism Of the two prin-
ciIHi matters in controversy. the asphalt
pliut and the Commissioners salary
i,ein, was sufficient to develop sentl-
Jaent against tn. adoption OF the con-
1erces' agreement. consequently, mo-
iion 10y Representative Burleson of
Texas to suspcrd the rules and agree
L, the report Sset defeateak 1Itsts
:. On a diy:sisn tte mqt,pn ;.I;2a1,ently
favor Of agreement -aHd only - AGAINST
This was the necessary tvo-thiid as OF the
total. But Representatives Foster OF Ilh-
noiS and Bartlett of Georgia demanded
the yeas and nays, and this record roll
call vote resulted 11D TO 113, with seven
members voting present. As 16n was not
sufficient to agree to the report on the
two-thirds suspension basis. the District
bill is still up in the air.
Jealous Of Their Rights.
One interesting feature of today's DIS
cussion was the Development OF consid-
erable jealousy between members of the
District committee and members of the
appropriations committee as to their re-
spective rights to initiate local legislation.
In the course of the debate Representa-
tive Olcott OF New York Indignantly re-
sented some rather lively criticism of the
District committee.
Most OF the debate on the conference
report centered on the appropriation OF
k1o,VD for a municipal asphalt plant,
which it is contended would save the gov
ernment of the District thousands of dol
lars annually in street paving work. This
item was in the bill as reported from the
House District committee, but went ont
On q point Of order. 1t was restored by
the Senate and agreed TO by the conferees.
Mr.. Burleson moved to agree to the
conference report, but as thee were 131
other items in dispute. the House sent
the report hack to conference. Many of
those who voted against the report eX-
planned that they approved of the as
phalt plant plan, but could not agree to
the other Senate amendments.