The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-12-12
D. c. BILLS TO
Be PUT OVER
Slight Hope Of Action on lesis-
lation for Capital at
T. Short Session. Il

Practically no hope Is held out for
the passage OF any important District
OF Columbia legislation during tbs
present short session Of Congress.
LITTLE ENCOURA0EAENT.
Congressman Carl K AApes. chair
man OF the District Committee, Il
sounding out House leaders on tina
prospects of certain District legisia-
tion without receiving much en-
courAgement Stress OF national bus.-
ness. House leaders contend. viii
force District legislation into the
background for this session, at least
Members OF the District Committee,
however, are hopeful Of being able TO
place a number OF local bills on the
calendar where they may be called up
In the House In the event OF an OPP
perfume opening.
II is practically certain that tho
District Committee will wait until
next session before repor ing out tho
proposed bill for regulating the milk
supply Of the Capital. The three
groups directly interested In the
regulatory features of the bill--tae
milk producers. dealers. and District
Health Department-are clearly at
odds on certain phases OF the legisle-
tion. Hearings before the COMMITTEES
last session served to iron out many
OF their differences OF opinion, and II
is expected a further meeting OF the
three factions will be held with view
to reaching a definite agreement.
All factions are agreed that too
stringent regulation OF milk will en-
danger the supply Of the District.
Many OF the Virginia and Maryland
farmers who supply Washington with
.,,tt nFOdncf
to Baltimore and Philadelphia. where
better prices are said to await II.
Members or the copmittee are in
clined to encouratfe introduction or
milk into washington rather than
discourage IL, with the result that the
legislation probably will not be %
drastic as originally proposed.
MERGER TO GO OVER.
Action on the proposed merger OF
washington's two street railway
sys stems also will be postponed until
the next season. II was learned today.
This does not mean the question will
be allowed to slunber undisturbed.
II will be considered IN committee. SO
that when the time is ripe some
feasible solution of the problem may
be reached.
Congressman Woods, OF Virginia,
his own bill will pave the way for al
eventual merger. II leaves the deci-
sion of merger TO \ three-fourths
vote OF the stockholders of the com
paaies concerned. while he says he
would not blame the stockholders Of
the well-paying Capital Traction Com
pany for opposing a merger with
The Washington Railway and Electric
Company, he declared he believed
they would agree to such n propo'
sition if it could solve the fraction
problem of the city.
WOODS ATTITUDE.
II the companies do not merge
Voluntarily" he declared. Congress
will have to find some way TO bring
it about. / do not favor munlcipal
ownership of the street car system.
except as a last resort"
Other bills before the District Com
mittee of real Importance to the city
ere the Gard bill for the regulation of
child labor and compulsory school at
tendance for children under sixteen
years of age and the Zihlman bill for
! the regulation of traffic.
There is no chance for the former
bill TO De passed at this session. Con-
gresham Zihlman believes he can get
the District Committee To report out
! his traffic measure, although the
chances CT it's passage in the House
are dubious. by having IL placed on
the calendar, he believes there IS
possible chance of its passage during
some idle hour