Evening star., 1915-02-21
TWO SUPPLY BILLS
PASSED BY SENATE
Sundry Civil and Legislative,
Executive and Judicial
Measures Disposed Of.
TIDAL BASIN BEACH
is ONE AUTHORIZATION
Connecting Parkway Provision Is
Another District Of Columbia
Item Approved.

4tem dppI0Ve0.
Speeding up the legislative wheels in
| an effort to avoid an extra session Of
Congress this spring, the Senate yes
| terday passed two of the great supply
bills of The government and made plans
to begin the consideration of a third
when 1t meets tomorrow morning.
The sundry civil appropriation bill.
carrying approximately $127.000.000.
and the legislative. execut. e and ju-
| dicial appropriation bill. carrying $751;
100000, were both disposed of in the
Senate and will go to conference. Sen
ator Chamberlain. chairman of the
military affairs committee, called up
the army appropriation bill and had it
! made the unfinished business of the
Senate. 1t will be taken up as soon as
| the Senate convenes tomorrow.
In two days. therefore, the Senate
passed on appropriations aggregating
| about $164,0O0.00O. Eleven more ap-
upon in the nine and nalf working
days remaining of the session. and
there is still a possibility that next
Saturday the Weeks-Gore ship pur-
chase bill may be reported from con-
ference and another effort made to get
| the measure through the Senate. Some
| of the administration leaders are hop
| ing to get action in the Senate upon
the so-called conservation bllls ana the
| Philippine bill.
| The committee amendments to the
sundry civil bill were agreed to with
out exception. The items. amounting
to S10l. 900, for Howard University.
| which were stricken out of the bill on
| a point of order, were replaced in the
measure by action of the Senate. and it
| is expected that they will be retained
| in conference.
To Improve Tidal Basin.
An amendment offered by Senator
| Norris of Nebraska providing $4,000
for beginning the work of turning the
tidal basin into a great bathing beach
for the people of the District of Co
lumbia was accepted by Senator Mar
tin, chairman of the appropriations
committee. and agreed to by the Sem
ate. Senator Norris has advocated
such a plan vigorously for more than
year. and If the conferees decide to re-
tain the amendment the work on the
tidal basin probably will be begun this
summer. The Secretary of War has
1t is planned to have a beach for the
colored people and another for the
white. There are 10 acres of water
surface for bathing purposes in the
When items for Howard University
were reached in the bill, Senator Hard
wick of Georgia, on behalf of Senator
Vardaman of Mississippi. who was alb
sent, made a point of order against
them. But Senator Martin of Virginia
pointed out that the items had been es-
timated for in the regular way and
that they were not subject % a point
ate. The point Of Oh der was overruled
by the Vice President Senator Hard
wick then made an argument against
the Howard University appropriations.
did not appropriate money for any
white institutions of higher learning
in the District and that he did not be-
lieve there should be such a discrimi-
nation between the races.
Aids Agricultural Colleges.
THE necessities of the colored people
have appealed to the government"
said Senator Martin, "and the national
government undertook many years ago
to aid in giving them education
through this institution. Nothing in
the bill has appealed to me more
strongly than this appropriation. The
senator from Georgia says that we
make no appropriation for white in
stitutions of higher learning in the
District. but the national government
gives millions of dollars each year to
the state agricultural colleges"
colleges admitted persons of both
races, but Senator Martin called his
attention to the fact that they did not
do so in Virginia and Georgia and
vote was taken it was overwhelming
ly in favor of the items for the uni
lversity.
The increases for the bureau Of en-
craving and printing recommended by
the Senate committee were agreed to.
| An amendment providing $14.500 for
| the widow of the late Justice Lurton
| of the Supreme Court of the Uniter
States also was adopted.
For Connecting Parkway.
A provision inserted by the commit
tee permitting a change in the plans
for a connecting parkway between
Rock Creek and Potomac Parks was
agreed to. This provision is identical
with a joint resolution which was
favorably reported from the committee
on public buildings and grounds by
Senator Salisbury last week.
No change was made in the items
for the federal trade commission, the
appointment of which has been awaited
for several months. The bill carries
$4,000 for the saiarles Oh hVe com
missioners and $4,000 as salary for
the secretary of the commission.
The legislative. executive and judicial
appropriation bill. as passed by the
Senate. carried a provision for an in.
vestieation of the cost of living of
wage earners, outside the government
employ. in the District of Columbia.
The Investigation is to be made by
the Department of Labor. and $1,000
Of the item, including the National
Consumers League. will bring all the
;nfiuence they can to bear on the con-
ferees to have this item retained in
~ tho res,lts of this investigation a
minimum wage law may be enacted for
the District.
Before the Legislative bill was pass
cd Senator Smith of Maryland. chair
Nv NJ the District committee. made
an effort to get the salary of Chief
1,.+ics Covington of the District Su-