Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-08
TO CHECK "LOAN SHARKS
Measure Regulating Their Business
Gets Favorable Report.
STREETS TO BE EXTENDED
New Hampshire Avenue to Be in
Straight Line-Congress
Heights Loses Library.

Adverse action on the Bristow bill for
presidential primaries in the District OF
Columbia and favorable action on the
House loan shark bill allowing in
terest at 1 per cent per month. but
amended to make 1t correspond in other
particulars with the Senate bill, marked
todays session, of the Senate District
committee.
The committee also ordered favorable
reports on the Martin bill for the relief
of the police and firemen's pension funds,
the Gallinger bill for the widening and
extension Of Spring road and for other
street improvements near Piney branch
and Rock Creek Park. and the Gallinger
bill for the extension of New Hampshire
avenue from Buchanan street to the Dis
trict line in a straight line.
Adverse reports were ordered on the
Gallfnger bill for the establishment of a
branch library in Congress Heights; on
the Gallinger bill for the extension Of
New Hampshire avenue on n detected
line: on the Page bill for the grading
and improving of Pennsylvania avenue
from Bowen road to the District line, and
the Oliver bill for the grading and i'm
proving of Minnesota avenue southeast
from Good Hope road to 18th street.
Unfavorable to Primaries Bill.
The committee took adverse action on
the primaries bill by vote Of 6 to 4.
There was no discussion Of the merits of
the measure in the committee. When.
Senator Works reported it to the full
committee favorably from the special
committee composed OF himself and Sena-
tor Pomerene, Senator Martin Of Virginia
moved that the bill be reported to the
Senate adversely.
On the roll call which was demanded
Senator's Gallinger. Dillingham;, Oliver,
Lorfmer. Martin and Johnston voted for
che adverse report and Senator's Curtis,
Jones, Works and Pomerene voted for a
favorable report.
When Senator Martin made the adverse
report to the Senate this afternoon he
treatment OF bills reported adversely, 1t
be continued indefinitely.
Senator Br1stOw, the author of the BILL
objected and asked that the bill be put
on the calendar for the future considera-
ton of the Senate. His request was
granted without a fight. and the bill will
come up when bills on the calendar are
considered
This bill will probably open up the
primary question before the Senate.
a fight between republican regulars and
insurgents and between the democratic
progressives and regulars. And it will
involve presidential politics, without a
doubt.
Favorable to s'Loan Shark" Bill.
In ordering a favorable report on the
accepted the interest rate favored by the
Tho
bill passed by the Senate had provided
/ for IL per cent per month.
T In other particulars the House bill will
be amended to conform to the bill passed
by the Senate. and that will involve sew
eral amendments. The Senate bill elimi-
mated pawnbrOkers from the operations OF
the act, because Of other provisions of the
law fixing the rate Of interest which they
can charge. but the House bill made the
interest rate apply to them. The COM
mittee favored the Senate bills provision.
The Senate bill. too. fixed limit Of
loaned at the rate Of interest permitted
in. the bill by the money lenders: the
House bill fixed no Limitation. The Sem
ate committee favored the retention Of
the limit and Will recommend such an
amendment.
The Senate committee also adopted as
an amendment to the House bill what is
known as the Curtis amendment to the
senate Dill WHICH PROVIDES.
That any person contracting, directly
or indirectly, for or receiving a greater
rate Of interest than that fixed in this
act, shall forfeit all interest so con-
tracted for or received. and in addition
thereto shall forfeit to the borrower q
sum Of money to be deducted from the
amount due for principal. equal to one
fourth of the principal sum-
And that any person in the employ of
the government violating any of the pro-
visions of this act shall forfeit his Office
or position and be removed from the
same
AS the Senate has acted favorably sew
eral times on this legislation, it is ex-
pected there will be little delsy in passing
bill.
The members of the Senate committee
have hopes that the House will accept
the Senate's additional provisions In
lieu Of the fact that the Senate accepted
the most important of the House provi-
sions-the interest rate.
No Library at Congress Heights.
In making an adverse report on the bill
for the establishment OF a branch library
in Congress Heights, the committee &C.
cepted the views of the trustees Of the
Public Library as expressed through the
District Commissioners. When ConEress
accepted the gift Of money for the estab-
lishment OF the Takoma branch library,
it accepted in the law the provision of
Andrew Carnegie, the donor, that a sum
equal to ~ per cent Of the cost would be
appropriated each year for the branch
librarys maintenance. The House did not
carry out that agreement in the District
appropriation bill. and the library officials
did not favor the acceptance of further
gifts for branch libraries until the pro-
viso Of the gifts has been met In the
case of the one branch already estab-
Iished
The favorable action on the bill for the
relief of the police and firemeas pension
funds follows favorable report from the
District Commissioners. It makes no
changes in the present pension system,
but is aimed to provide against deficien-
cies in the funds which now make it i'm
possible for the District authorities to
pay the full amounts of the pensions. It
allows the use of all license fees, except
those from liquor licenses. to pay the
pensions.
The Senate has possed similar legisIa-
ton before. both as parts Of appropriation
bills and as q separate measure, and the
members Of the committee expect this
bill will be acted upon favorably within q
short time. The House District commit
tee is understood to be favorable to a