The Washington herald., 1911-08-15
FIVE DISTRICT BILLS
PASSED BY HOUSE
Chairman johnson Secures
Action OH Laws.
INSURANCE CODE AMENDED
Provisions Added to the Law
which VIII Help the Authori.
ties In Dealing with Companies
Assignment of Wages and Sal.
aries Must BE Signed by Wife

Utilizing to good advantage the rem.
nant Of the District day" that remained
yesterday after the House had disposed
of the wool bill conference and had lis.
tened to the annual peace address OF
Representative Bartholdt. the chairman
of the Committee on District Of Column
bia brought forward five bills of interest
to Washington and secured their passage
But six or eight more District measures
remain on the House calendars. II is ex-
pected that most OF these will be disposed
of under a special rule on some conven-
lent day this week.
Amending Insurance Code
Afflxing some slight amendments, the
House passed the Senate bill amending
the code of law of the District relating
to annual statements of insurance COM
panies in such manner as to provide for
the publication of annual statements by
every company doing business in the Dis
trict, whether domestic or foreign. By
the terms of the act each concern is re-
quired to fill out certain blanks to be fur
nished by the superintendent of insur-
ance. and to show therein its true finan-
cial condition on the 31st day Of Decem-
ber, with its assets and liabilities on that
day and the amount and character of
business transacted and losses sustained
during the year. Publication of these
statements in at least one daily newspa-
per in the District OF Columbia is to take
place in March Of each year.
Debate on the measure brought out con-
siderable discussion as to the require
ment of publication in daily newspa-
per, and evoked some good-natured sal
lies from Representative Mann over the
fact that Representative Moore, of Penn
sylvania, admitted reading all four of the
Washington newspapers every day. The
minority leaders efforts to have weekly
trade journals admitted as mediums for
carrying the insurance statements was
defeated.
The House also passed a bill requir.
ing all insurance concerns doing bust.
ness in the District to file copies of their
charters with the superintendent of in
surance and appoint an agent or at
torney in the District. The ultimate pur-
pose of the bill is to bring about a classi-
hcation OF companies and permit the
superintendent of insurance to establish
rules in accordance with law which will
bring them up to a satisfactory, stand
ard.
Assignment of Wages.
late the assignment OF wages, salaries,
and earnings in the District OF Columbia
was passed after some discussion, bear
ing amendments whereby no assignment
of salary by a married man shall be
valid unless he is Joined by his wife in
said assignment, and making invalid the
assignment Of wages at a usurious rate
of interest. The measure requires that
oil oecfey &c 1f hall l.
writing, the instrument being witnessed
by at least two persons. Wages, sal
aries, and earnings not earned at the
time of assignment are not assignable.
Representative Sims, of Tennessee, en-
deavored to secure the adoption of an
amendment to the assignment bill where
by 1t should be unlawful for a bureau
chief in any Of the government depart
ments to receive the assignment of
wages Of an employe under him. He as
serted that he knew Of instances where
in employees had refused to loan their sal
aries to a chief and had thereby fallen
into such disfavor as eventually to lose
their clerical standing through the
Vaccinations of the superior officer
whose opportunities had been refused.
The Sims amendment was not adopted.
Kite Flying to Be Allowed.
The House softened the decree Of the
District Commissioners prohibiting kite
flying in the District by limiting the bill,
recommended by them in that connection,
to fire balloons and fire parachutes- The
measure, as Originally drawn. made 1t un-
lawful for any person to fly a kite. as
well as send up fire balloons, but finally
passed with the kite provision stricken
out.
The House passed the bill confirming
the name of Commodore Barney Circle
for a small park at the eastern end OF
Pennsylvania avenue.