Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-10
D. c. MONEY BILL
PASSED BY SENATE
Increases Salaries of En-
pIoyes Receiving ST, 900 a
Year or Less
MANY AMENDMENTS ADDED

| tant amendments, among them an
| amendment increasing salaries of Dis
| trict employees receiving $1,000 or less
a year. an amendment providing for
the application of surplus District
revenues to the District funded debt. an
amendment providing for a new mu-
nicipal hospital. an amendment in
creasing the number of policemen by
100. an amendment seeking to bring
about reciprocity between Maryland
and the District so far as automobile
licenses are concerned and an amend
ment reducing the tax on intangible
personal property.
The bill now goes to the House.
where it is expected the House will
disagree to the Senate amendments and
ask conference.
$4,000 for Park.
The Senate adopted an amendment Of
fered by Senator Robinson providing
$4,000 for the purchase of eight and
three-fourths acres of land in klingle
valley from Woodley road to Connecti-
cut avenue for a public park. in ac-
cordance with recommendations by the
District Commissioners.
Another amendment offered by Sena-
tor Robinson, providing for a culvert
at cost of $4,000. to carry klingle
Valley creek underneath Connecticut
avenue. in order to enable adjoining
duct on the line of Connecticut avenue
where it crosses the valley, was re-
jected.
Senator Pomerene of Ohio offered an
amendment, which was adopted. author
| izing the District assessor to redis-
| tribute taxes upon property that is sub
sequently subvidided and sold.
Maryland Law Criticised.
An amendment introduced by SEN
ator Smoot of Utah intended to deal
with the treatment of District auto
mobilists by Maryland led to a pro-
tracted debate, in which number of
the senators criticised the Maryland
law, which provides, they commended
that motor cars carrying a District
license must also carry Maryland
license to be operated in that state.
They also criticised the methods of
Maryland officials in enforcing this law.
Senators John Walter Smith and Blair
Lee of Maryland both defended their
state vigorously. The Smoot amend
ment was finally adopted by vote of
80 to 81.
The annual license fee for motor
vehicles was increased to IS on each
vehicles of more than 80 horsepower was
increased to $40.
The Smoot amendment, as adopted, is
as follows:
That motor vehicles, owned or oper-
ated by persons not legal residents of
the District of Columbia. but who shall
have complied with the laws of the state
of their legal residence requiring the
registration of motor vehicles or lcens-
ing of operators thereof and the display
of Identification or registration numbers
on such vehicles, and which identifica-
ton number shall be displayed on such
motor vehicles as provided by the laws
and regulations of the District of Co
lumbia while used or operated within the
District, shall not be required to be liz
censed or registered or bear other iden-
|tif1cation numbers, under the laws and
regulations of the District, If the state
in which the owner or operator OF such
motor vehicle has his legal residence ex-
tends the same privilege to the motor
vehicles owned or operated by legal resi-
dents of the District Of Columbia"
Other States Reciprocate.
Maryland. it was pointed out during the
debate. Is the only state which does not
reciprocate with the District. The SEN
ators complained that If they brought
their automobiles to Washington and
placed a District tag on them as well as
there was reciprocity between their own
states and Maryland, II they drove into
Maryland they were compelled to pur-
chase Maryland license.
Senators Smith and Lee denied the
Justice of the plea for reciprocity be-
tween Maryland and the District Of Co
lumbia. claiming that the people Of Mary
land who drove cars into the District were
comparatively few in number as compared
to the number Of Washington people who
drive into Maryland, and that the roads
covered by the Washington autoists in
streets and roads in the District.
Senator Lee said that Maryland had
expended s25.000,000 in making good
roads in Maryland. and that If the peo-
pie of the District are to use these
roads they ought to help pay for them
Wait to Nab Motorists.
the constables and justices of the peace
in Maryland. who. he said. hang
around the edges of the District wait
ing to nab citizens. These officials con-
strue the law to mean that if a man
carries a state license and a District
license. the state license is vitiated by
the District license
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts, in
reply to the suggestion that the people
of the District ought to help pay for
the Maryland roads, pointed out that
New England has unusually good roads,
and in the summer they are filled with
tourists from every state in the Union
and from the District, yet no demand
is made from these tourists for a
license fee.
IF the Maryland authorities are
going to grab up everybody who cross
es the line. we should impose the same
tax here that they do in Maryland"
said Senator Lodge. "It has become an
intolerable nuisance, and an unjust one
and there should be equality"
In reply, Senator Lee said:
| This District is like three-quarters
| of d postage stamp stuck into the state
| of Maryland. Here is a city of $50. 900
people put into one small corner of the
/ state. and II is impossible to treat them
differently from the people of the state
! itself"
Looks Like Unjust Tax.
| Senator McCumber of North Dakota
said that If a person in the District
were to drive an automobile into Mary
land once or twice year he must paw
license of from $40 to $40 This. he
| said. looked to him as though Maryland
were taking advantage of the District.