Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-25
FEW DISTRICT LAWS
Only About Dozen Acts Put
Through by Congress.
MANY MATTERS UP IN AIR
Senate Passed Measures That the
House Did Not Adopt.
DIFFICULT TO GET QUORUM
Appropriation Bill Trimmed by
Lower Body-No Action on
Loan Sharks
MANY MATTERS UP IN AIR
DIFFICULT TO GET QUORUM

Loan Sharks
Legisa lion for the District of Columbia
at the session of Congress has been con-
nned To about dozen acts. none of then
OF prime Importance to the citizens oil
Wasf ington. and most of them prov idiny
for street extensions and improvements.
Matters of great Importance have beer
left up in the air. The Senate has enacted
many measures of wide effect. but the
House has not been as active. The House
District committee had much difficulty ir
getting quorum. What work of i'm
portance TIE committee accomplished was
confined largely to several investigations
made by subcommittee, among then
the Investigations of The finances of the
District. of assessments. OF The gas COM
panies and OF the hospitals
Among the important bills passed by
the Senate and Enacted upon by the
| House are the public utilities commission
bill the universal transfer bill. the bill
for the removal of snow and Ice from the
sidewalks. the excise bill for the bette,
regulation Of liquor traffic, the bill 70,
the construction of n gas main in Conduit
road. the bill prohibiting the exhibition
OF indecent pictures. the bill for home
for feeble minded Children. bill for the
better registration of births and bill
prohibiting the abandonment of aged OF
. infirm parents.
Herdic Line Measure.
Perhaps the measure Of most general
interest, outside the regular annual appro-
priation bill. enacted into law was that
granting the District Commissioners au-
thority to supervise and compel good
service on the herdic line on 18th street
and requiring the exchange of transfers
between it and both the Capital Traction
and Washington Railway and Electric
Company.
The District appropriation bill was
trimmed to the very limit by the House.
Practically nothing was allowed in the
measure for new schoolhouses, although
q provision was left in the bill which
looked to future buildings OF this char
acter. The Senate added many amend
ments to the bill. but was forced to yieid
on many of them. The Senate, however,
did win its fight for the Columbia Hos
pital and the Emergency Hospital. whose
doom had been sealed by the House on
the advice of the local board of chari-
ties The Columbia Hospital finally re-
ceived it's usual appropriation and money
for plans for new building. while the
Emergency Hospital was given money
for new hospital building.
Other Laws Enacted.
The other laws enacted at this session
relating to the District were as follows:
To supply a deficiency in the appropria-
ton for support of the workhouse for
the fiscal year 1912: to authorize the ex-
tension of Underwood street northwest;
to confer concurrent jurisdiction on the
Police Court with the District Supreme
Court in cases of ARRAYS. keeping of dis
orderly houses and threats to do bodily
the height of buildings in the Dis
trict: to authorize the extension of
Lamont street northwest: to restore
the name of Oregon avenue: to grant
to the crossing police the same
pay and leave as the regular policemen
to amend the code of law Of the District
relating to insurance; to provide for the
punishment of persons having stOler
property in their possession. the property
having been stolen in any other state OIL
ternatioaal Congress on Hygiene anc
Demography to erect temporary struc'
TUGS in Potomac Park.
a new law of much Importance to labor
ing men in the District, which also covers
the territories of the United States, al
well IS the District of Co umba. is that
limiting the hours of daily service OF
| laborers and mechanics employed or
work done for the United States. any
| territory or the District of Columbia. tG
eight hours in each calendar day. The
| law is to become effective January 1
| 1918.
Left in Conference. =,
The loan shark bill was left in con
/ ference neither house being willing Il
/ yield or to compromise on this measure
! The Senate passed the bill allowing the
| loan companies to charge per cent 9
| month, and allowing the pawnbroker t.
| charge ) per cent a month. as at present
/ The House bill allowed the loan com
| panies only ! per cent a month. and pu
1 the pawnbrokers on the same basis.
| Responsibility for the failure of Con-
gress to pass a law dealing with the 20
| lice and firemen's pensions. which means
great hardship for the pensioners, lies
with the House. The House passed q
| bill which would have put II to a vote
In the District as to Whether the citizens
! should tax themselves to pay these pen
sionx This plan was stricken out by
the Senate, which inser,ed an amend
ment to take sufficient money from taxes
| already levied to pay for the pensions
The House never asked for conference
1 ON the measure. and II was allowed tC
| go over without any action whatsoever
Still Before Senate.
/ A few District bills of Importance are
still before the Senate awaiting action
Among them is the Johnston bill for the
observance of Sunday as a day of res,
in the National Capital. This bill was
reported from the Senate District com
mittee without amendment. Another il
| a bill adversely reported from the com
mittee providing for presidential prefer
| entail primaries in the District.
| Twelve bills passed by the House art
on the calendar of the District commit
tee of the Senate still waiting action, a,
against forty ,hree bills that have PASSED
| the Senate and are not yet acted upor
by the House committee ar the House
Among these House bills are measure.
granting the District of Columbia tn,
righ, TO appeal to the United States Su
preme Court in patent cases: regulat nj
the assignment of wages and earning
in the District: regulating the practice @
pharmacy and the sale of pOisons in tn,
District: making the carrying of con
! cealed weapons a felony; regula.i ting tn,
practice of OsteOpathy.