Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-05
Abolition of Half-and-Half.

0UoAAtAOu OK dal1-aQ0.dal1.
Abolition Of the half-and-half prin-
c1ple OF paying the running expenses
OF the National Capital was agreed
to In the House yesterday, when a
clause with this end in view was
retained in the $14.7s2,ss1 appropria-
Representative Walsh of Massa-
chusetts endeavored to have it strick-
en- out on q point of order, and this
gave Representative Sisson Of Missis-
sippf and Representative Gard Of Ohio
An opportunity to repeat their argu-
ury responsible for the District ex-
penses only after all the funds Of
the District had been applied. Rep
resentative ToWner Of Iowa, presiG-
ing in the committee Of the whole,
ruled that the abolition clause was in
order.
The street railways Of the District
came in for vigorous criticism. and
the Public Utilities Commission and
John A. Beeler the trafilc expert who
has been instituting systems designed
to relieve the street car congestion.
were attacked az having accomplished
little Of advantage to the public.
The school accommodations and the
salaries Of school teachers in the Dis
trict were characterised as entirely
inadequate, and Strong representa-
lions were made for increased school.
house Accomm odAtions and for raising
the salaries Of school teachers DO that
the school system here may not de-
generate.
Mr.. walsh's Position.
In making his point Of order. Rep
he favored the abolition Of the half
and-half. but believed It should be de-
cided on the merits Of the question.
and not rushed through Congress- az
an amendment to any appropriation
bill. Representative Mapes Of Michi-
gan, chairman Of the House District
committee, also argued against new
In opposing An increased appropria-
ton Of $50, 900 in addition to the $751;
900 for the Public Utilities Commits
sion. q hard fight was made by Repre-
sentatives Gard Of Ohio and Walsh Of
Massachusetts,.
Denounces Utilities.
Representative Gard was particu-
larly bitter in denunciatton OF the
pubic utilities in Washington and the
inadequacy of the service given he
said:
II think that I am not overstating
the case when state that the public
utilities Of Washington, the Capitai
City Of the nation, particularly In re-
gard to it's street car services, are
entirely inadequate. and the word IN
ADEQUATE is a most mild expression.
Not alone during the time OF confu-
sion incident to the coming OF many
people into Washington. but to-day
the street car service In washington
IL a crying shame. The people who
80 ,,nnu and there are
thousands Of them dependent upon IT,
are compelled to resort to the shifting
system Of reporting at different times
and all sorts Of staggered hours, all
sorts Of subterfuges made to meet the
existing continge ncies, and the sum
result Of what has been done In re-
gard to he street car service IN the
city Of Washington has been the
charge Of q cents for transfer, which
the Capital Traction Company saio !.
did not want and did not need, ana
the washington Electric Railway
have said ID not sufficient to tide 1t
over it's financial dimculties.
"By operation Of law the Commits
eioners OF the District OF Columbia
are the Public Utilities Commission,
and 1t would seem to me that these
excellent sentiemen. Two o. t resmn r 81.
ana one q delegate from the Engi-
neer Corps. by themselves and their
competsnt to do that which the law
imposes on them to do. and that Is
to oversee the public utilities. the
different public utilities in the Dis.
trict Of Columbia, and repeat. not
alone to tho residents here but to the
visitor at tho National Capital. The
public utilities Of tho city of Wash
ington. in telephone and transporta-
ton especially. are 9 crying shame.
and I think instead Of having lump
sum itsm Of $4,000 here carried to
attract some alleged expert who re-
oeives out 81 81, 1000 about $4,000
In his per diem charges ana in his
expenses and everything Of that kind,
that what we need Is more rigid
adherence to that which the law