The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-06-19

Because of the urgent necessity OF
protecting the water supply the sen
ator urged the adoption OF an amend
ment appropriating $4,000 for com
pleting the installation Of water me
tiers in all Government oulldlnsS.
The amendment further provides that
after July /, 1920, all users OF wafer
including all Government depart
ments, shall be required to pay ior
il at rates determined by the DIS
trict COMMISSIONERS.
Something ought to be done, said
Senator Curtis, Ito prevent the waste
of water in the District, or there VIII
he another water famine as there was
] last summer. The amendment was
agreed to.
The action Of Senator Pomerene IN
attaching to the District bill as
rider" the measure he introduced yes
| terday to extend the Salisbury anti
| eviction act for ninety days aiter
peace is declared, it is believed, VIII
he sustained when the matter is put
( to the conferees between the Two
houses. Although his amendment was
subject to a point of order, none was
made.
| Senator Pomerene said the amend
ment was intended to keep tenants
from being ousted from their homes.
81 understand that real estate
dealers and particularly apartment
house owners" said Senator Pomerene,
ARE planning wholesale evictions as
a preliminary to increased rents"
No discussion followed his offering
Of the amendment. Senator Pomerene
remarked incidentally that eighty
suits had been brought only the day
before in the District courts to evict
tenants, although it Is understood a
ma jority of these are because OF nom
| payment Of rent.
| The Pomerene amendment provides
that no judgment or decree for recov-
cry of possession of real estate or for
the eviction or dispossession Of a ten
ant can be entered II the tenant has
fulfilled his part of the agreement
unless at least ninety days notice to
quit is given in writing. The rent
question is such a personal matter
with a great majority of members Of
| Congress that the belief exists that
the Pomerene amendment will be sus-
tanned by the conferees despite all
the pressure that will be brought to
bear against it by real estate inter
| ests.
Tells of 'rNIght Out"
!
| livened when Senator Smith Of Art-
IONA. who related to the Senate the
history Of a might out" in Washing
ton and urged the Senate to rid Wash
ington OF the nuisance Of the loiter-
ing night hack drivers, who loiter
about the hotels and prominent cor
ners in search of fares" The Senate
approved an amendment making I'M
Lot Cd
punishable in the Police Court by fines
ranging from SO to $40.
Practically the only increase in
| salaries authorized appears in an
am endment raising from $1,000 to
81 200 the salaries of seven princi-
pals of grade manual training schools
and 334 teachers.
| Another amendment agreed to eX
tends to District employees injured in
municipal service the benefits OF the
Federal employees compensation act.
Debate on the water power ques-
ton arose when Senator Norris Of
Nebraska protested against another
investigation of the water supply of
the District. Senator Norris protest
ed that about twelve years ago Con
gress spent $4,000 in obtaining from
Colonel Langfitt a complete and mi
mute report on the Districts water
supply, and that there was absolutely
no need Of a further report being
made, as the amendment proposed.
| Development of FalIa.
Unfortunately" said Senator Nor
ris, 1.-The report was coupled with
scheme to lessen the price OF electric
current, the reference being to a pro-
posaI to develop the Great Falls
water power. 1t came in contact with
the Potomac Electric Power Com
pany, and for that reason was unjus-
tifiable."
I'm the meantime" said Senator
Norris. I'VE are short of water.
EVERY citizen of Washington is
paving now twice as much as he
ought to pay, and paying three times
what we would pay IL that develop
ment had been made, according to
the estimates and the plans OF Colonel
Senator Norris declared that Secre-
tary of War Baker took stand
against the development Of the Great
Falls power, but later decided to in
vestigate.
He appointed some engineers"
said Senator Norris, land after going
out and viewing the landscape
through the periscope of War De-
partment limousine they decided that
il was not advisable to spend this
money and make this development"
Demands Power Report.
Going into the question OF water
power, Senator Norris claimed that
the Langfitt report showed an aver
age Of between $4,000 and 10000
horsepower for fifteen years and that
the lowest for any one day was about
900 horsepower. He finally an
nounced he would make a point OF
order against the entire amendment
If it did not provide for another re-
port Of the utilization OF the Great
Falls power for generating electric
current
Senator Sherman grew impatient
at this point and demanded that the
entire amendment be stricken out
He declared that il was water" and
not power that the District needed
and the two questions should not be
coupled together longer.
Declaring that a report would
slumber for years" If entrusted TO the
War Department or some Cabinet Of
ficer, Senator Sherman said it ought
'ty be in the hands of the District
Commissioners, or Major Pullman. or