Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-02
Senate District Committee to
Take Up Loan Shark Bill.
HOPES TO GET LEGISLATION
Bill to Incorporate M Street Rail
way May Be Referred.
COMMISSIONERS AGAINST IT
Local Officials Favor Consolidation of
Existing Companies-Hearin
, on Kenyon Bill Monday.

: on Kenyon Bill Monday.
The first meeting OF the Senate Dis
+, trict committee during the present ses-
sion of Congress has been called by
Chairman GallinGer for tomorrow
morning. Although the committee has
big calendar of bills pending before
1T, the chances are that action will be
taken only on those measures regarded
as essential. The committee members
generally feel that there is little need
to push more District Legislation
through the Senate until much Of that
already passed by it has been acted
upon by the House.
To Take Up Loan Shark Bill.
Most important Of the legislative
measures to be considered at tomor-
rows meeting, it is declared, is the
loan shark bill. With some differing
provisions, this legislation has been
approved by both houses of Congress
and the differences are in process OF
adjustment in conference.
Senator Curtis will present to the COM
mittee the question of Withdrawing from
it's position that pawnbrokers should not
be included within the provisions of the
, proposed loan shark law. The committee
has previously held that the present
pawnbroker law is working satisfactorily
| and therefore should not be disturbed by
the enactment Of the loan shark bill.
The House and it's representatives on the
conference committee have insisted upon
| the opposite position. That difference has
prevented. up to the present. an agree
menu on the measure and its final enact
| ment into law.
A vote by the Senate District commit
| tee tomorrow to yield to the House on
this proposition, it is predicted, would in
sure the prompt placing OF the loan shark
| bill on the statute books as a law. In
addition to pointing out the reasons back
OF the Senate's previous action, Senator
| Curtis will tomorrow point out to the
| committee the danger OF failure of the
legislation unless there is a yielding ON
! this point.
Proposed Crosstown Line.
| The committee will probably tomorrow
| refer to the subcommittee on public utili-
| ties of which Senator Curtis is chairman,
the bill to incorporate the Virginia Ter
| minal Company to construct and operate
| a new street railway along NJ street from
the Aqueduct bridge in Georgetown to
| the Union station.
The committee has received report
| from the District Commissioners adverse
| to the passage of the bill. In the report
the Commissioners refer to previous re-
Communications for street railway con-
struction in the District, and point out
they recommended crosstown line along
M street in order to enable the cars of
the Great Falls and Old Dominion line
to traverse the city and reach the Union
station. The object of the bill, they add,
is to create a new company and give ii
this route.
I'm their general comments on the mat
ter of construction Of new street railway
extensions" the report says, 1.-The Com
miSSionerS stated that street railway
monopoly in the District under the proper
regulation was desirable, as there would
| be saving in the cost of operation and
| maintenance, the public might be better
served and the servitude upon the streets
leSSened.
Favor Consolidation.
I'm their conclusions the Commissioners
| recommend that Congress facilitate the
consolidation Of all street railway lines
! in the District SO that they should be
under one management and control and
panies proposing to build extensions
within the District
The views of the Commissioners, as
stated in that report, have not changed
| and having these views they could not
consistently recommend the passage OF
| this bill. They gave a hearing to the
proponents of the bill. and also permitted
them to submit a brief in support of the
| measure. The Commissioners endeavored
to find sufficient reason why the pro-
posed extension should be granted to this
proposed new company, but neither in the
| brief presented nor in the hearing given
were any sufficient reasons developed why
| company, rather than by one of the al
ready Incorporated street railway COM
pantes."
Public Utilities Commission.
The adverse report ends with another
plea for the enactment of a public utili-
ties bill creating a public utilities COM
mission, (which could give consideration
to the necessity for the proposed exten-
sion, by whor: 1t should be constructed
and the terms and conditions under which
it should be constructed
Hearing on the Kenyon Bill.
Another hearing on the Kenyon bill to
wipe out the red light districts in the
National Capital is scheduled for next
Monday. Much attention will be devoted
at that time to the workings of similar
laws I'm states and cities where they have
been tried. and several witnesses have
been summoned by Senator Curtis. chair