Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-13
tee amendments to aid the blind also were

LOT the pay OF troops OF Tue A1otAtN
National Guard. other than government
employees. was adopted without OBJ
lection. The Senate also agreed te
the committee amendment Tor sloo.vV'
for the reclamation Of Anacostia mats
out Of the bill by the Senate commit
tee. remains out Of the bill The com
mittee's action in eliminating this sec
ton was approved by the Senate with
out debate.
Senator Smoot withdrew all objection
to the committee amendments increasing
the salaries Of the District Commission
ers from 5000 to $4,000 each. The Sen
ate then approved them.
Annual Salary Provided.
Senator Works Of California put through
an amendment. with the approval Of
Chairman John Walter Smith, in charge
of the bill. giving an annual salary Of
$1,000 to a computer in the Office of the
superintendent Of trees and parkings.
He explained that the employee doing
this work was now being paid per
diem. 81. and that he had been doing
this work for a dozen years. 1t was
merely a matter Of justice, he said. to
give this employe an annual salary so
that he would be allowed sick leave
and other leave, as are other employees.
An amendment providing for seventy
five-cent gas in Washington was offered
py Senator Norris Of Nebraska. Senator
Smith Of Maryland. while declaring that
he and every other senator was in favor
Of giving the people Of Washington gas
as low a rate as possible. insisted that
this was a matter which should be In
vestigated by the public utilities commits
sion before any change in the price
of gas here This he said was the duty
of the commission and. in fact. was only
fair to the Washington gas company. He
he 70 nj
der against the Norris amendment on the
ground 1t was new legislation in an ap-
preparation bill.
Sixteenth Street" Retained in Bill
The Senate made rapid progress with
the District bill yesterday afternoon, after
1t had finally disposed Of the committee
amendment allowing each Of the civilian
Commissioners an automobile. With q
single exception. all the committee amend
ments were adopted. The exception was
that amendment which struck from the
bill the House provision changing the
name of the Avenue Of the Presidents
back to 10th street. This amendment
was subject to long debate, Senator
Williams of Mississippi leading the at
tack upon the name Avenue Of the Pres
dents and demanding return to the
more simple 18th street." while Senator
Gallinger of New Hampshire spoke at
length in favor Of retaining the present
name Of that thoroughfare. Finally the
amendment Of the committee was voted
down. viva voce, assuring the return to
18th street.
Senator Lodge declared that the corrup-
ton of a French name went against the
grain, while Senator Brandegee Of Con-
necticut admitted youthful desire he
through the lamp posts decorated with
the ..hifalutin' name" Laughter greet
ed the suggestion Of Senator Thomas Of
Colorado that 1.-The alley running from
street be renamed the Alley Of the Vice
Presidents"
You have run the plow Of revolution
across the line Of historical continuity.
said Senator John Sharp Williams, who
lives on the street and wanted It's old
the Senate on the historical associations
of 10th street. He declared that two
motives had caused the name to be
changed-the avarice of real estate deal
ers and innocent snobbery" He said
that when the lower house decided the
name of 18th street should be resumed 1t
had a recurrence Of common sense"
Borland Amendment Killed.
Many important committee amendment 8
were agreed to. That amendment strik-
ing from the bill the so-called Borland
amendment. placed in the bill in the
House, which provides for putting all the
expense Of paving streets not more than
forty feet wide upon the owners Of abut-
ting property. and proportionate charge
upon owners of property In streets wider
than forty feet, was agreed to. Senator
Hoke Smith of Georgia. while declaring
that he considered the Borland amend
ment faulty. insisted that some provision
should be agreed to which would place a
fair proportion Of the street improvement
charges upon the owners OF adjacent
property, who would benefit from these
improvements. He said:
IF we could. as q substitute for what
the House has sent US. provide plan by
which the District Commissioners might
Improve streets upon the petition Of two
thirds Of the property holders in par
ticular locality. charging to the District
that portion Of the improvement which
applied to the cross streets and charging
to the District one-third of the entire i'm
provement. and In the narrower streets.
of forty feet. charging one-third TO the
adjacent property holders on each side.
believe We would find that petitions
would come in from neglected portions OF
the city-from the east and northeast sec
tions-and that many Of those people
would find 1t practicable to have streets
improved that now are neglected.
My own observation has been, where
live. that petition is required from the
owners Of two-thirds of the frontage on a
certain area Of a street to authorize the
city council to have the street. improved,
asphalted or paved in the way designated.
Then the city pays a third and the ada
cent property holders each third. This
would be especially fair on narrow streets
where there are no street cars.
IF the present action Of the committee
prevails and the matter goes back to
conference, at least l hope there may
come out Of the conference an agreement
by which, instead OF the extreme form In
which this matter is left by the action OF
the House. a plan may be substituted un-
der which petitions can be presented to
the Commissioners by the property hold
ers. and where they are ready to pay two
thirds Of the expense the District shall
pay one-third and the District shall also
pay for the crossings"
Plan Appeals to Senator Gallnger.
To this Senator Gallinger replied:
1.-THE senator from Georgia has pre-
scented a view of the case that confess
impresses me The senator viii under
stand that the committee struck out this
provision in the House bill not because OF
entire hostility to the proposition. but for
the purpose Of putting 1t In conference
and seeing II an agreement could not be
reached that would be satisfactory to all
parties.
I'm connection with what the senator
has said, and for the purpose of clear.
ing up a Misrepresentation that Is in the