The Washington herald., 1913-01-25
Committee ACTS
ON five BILLS
District Body Of House Meets
for First Time Since
Last May.
MEASURES SIDESTEPPED
Bill Substituting Eleetroeution for
Hanging Reported on
Favorably.
MEASURES SIDESTEPPED

Acting under the ruling OF Chairman
| johnson that unless point Of order Is
made against such procedure. the COM
nittee will transact business upon its
meeting days in the future, regardless
OF the absence of a quorum. the House
District Committee yesterday met. By
cautiously feeling their way around
measures to the reporting OF which there
might be objection on the part of men,
bers present, the committee managed to
report out five bills OF more or less i'm
portance before the meeting hour Of the
House adjourned the session. 1t was
the first session held by the committee
since early in May of last year. Chair
man Johnson and Representatives Lo-
beck. Cary, Adair. Dyer. Redfeld.
Prouty. Berger, and Kahn, virtually the
same men who have on many previous
occasions tried TO assemble a Quorum OF
the committee, were present The habit
ual absentees were not in evidence, as
per the usual order.
Five bills, all OF which have been
passed by the Senate. were favorably
acted upon by the committee as fol-
lows:
An act to permit the German Orphan
Asylum Association Of the District to
determine the number OF directors to
constitute its board OF directors by any
constitution which the association may
hereafter adopt.
Amending the District code to substi-
tute electrocution for hanging as the
punishment for murder in the first degree
in the District
Providing a maximum fine of 3l.0O,
or maximum Imprisonment of 1--WE
years for unauthorized use OF vehicles.
Censor the "Movies." e.
Empowering the District Commissioners
10 exercise a censorship overSmoving pic
ture films intended to be displayed in the
District of Columbia, and directing the
Commissioners to prevent the exhibition
OF lewd and vulgar pictures in a moving
picture show or other public place of
amusement.
Prohibiting the dumping of trash or
refuse OF any nature into the waters of
the Potomac from vessels, except when
the emplacement of such debris is with
view of constructing a wharf. in which
event written consent from the Commits
siOners must be obtained first
BY the action of the committee yester-
day. all of the measures 20 upon the
House calendar. and may be called up
Monday, the last District Day this
month.
Two important measures were not act
ed upon. the Jones-Works excise or IL
quor bill, because Representative Cary
announced that II any attempt were
".
adjourn the meeting by raising the point
Of no quorum and the Gallinger- -OldheId
public utilities bill probably because IL
was desired to get out few OF the less
important measures first.
While there is decided opposition to
the Jones Works bill, IL is not known
that there is such feeling against the
utilities bill in the committee. Chairman
JohnsoHs attitude on the measure is not
known. 1t is believed he is willing to
report 1t out with some amendments.
Representative Lobeck of Nebraska Is
inclined to oppose the measure because
the Commissioners are vested with the |
powers of a public utilities commission. |
Mr.. Lobeck fayors a body separate from
the Commissioners |
Representative OldfieId. author of the |
House utilities 4I, is absent from the
city. nursing A Senatorial boom in Ar
kansas. II is not considered likely that
the bill will be taken UP before his re-
turn, though one member of the COM
mittses yesterday expressed Willingness |
to hold night meetings to clear up the |
calendar. and with a particular view TO
pa assing upon the utilities bill.