The Washington herald., 1921-06-07
MERGER FOLLOWS
CONSIDERATIONS
DISTRICT RENT ACT
Committee Clears Deck
For Street Car
Action.

This will be merger week" with
the senate District committee II IL
Is possible for Senator Ball, the
Chairman, to conclude consideration
ofNthe rent act amendment wednes-
day morning. The question OF con-
soiidating the street car companies
will take precedence over scores OF
less important bills. the desire being
to get this problem out of the way
this month so that the public can
get the benefit Of reduced carfares-
The school problem was practi-
caIly settled last week by the adop-
tion of an amendment in the senate
deficiency bill providing s1,544.oOo
for buildings and sites and an au-
thorization of S45O,000 more toward
a 5000. 900 program for relieving
overcrowded conditions
Extension Is Favored.
The question of extending tho
life of the Ball rent act has practi-
cally been settled by tentative un-
derstanding among members or the
senate committee that the Ban
amendment to prolong the life OF
the rent commission for two years
from October %. when the present
law expires, shall be reported Ia
vorsbly. following consideration
wednesday of suggestions for
changes in the law.
Federal and District employees
have been absorbed in hearings on
several classification bills before
the Joint civil service committee.
These hearings were practically
NJ
its report to the senate, the bills.
Of which there are FIVE. will be re-
ferred to the appropriations COM
mittee. 1t is expected the appro-
priations committee will avail itself
Of evidence given before the joint
committee and that little time will
be lost in making its report.
Opposes Sterling Bill.
Senator Smoot. author of one of
-the bills, whose plan of Is classifi-
cations came in for considerable dis
favor among employees, is member
-ct the appropriations committee. He
has declared that the Sterling bill,
which employees favor. will not save
the government money, but will
prove cumbersome. Senator Sterling
is chairman of the joint committee
Representatives Fairfield, Wood and
Lehlbach are authors of the other
three bills. that of Wood being simi-
lar to Smoot's and that of Lehlbach
to Sterling's.
The District committee has a large
pile of local measures to consider
A bill by Senator Gerry to incorpo-
rate the Big Brother and Sister fed
Grafton. another by Senator Ball to
enlarge the jurisdiction of the mu-
nicipal court, another respecting the
sale of securities. others to regulate
pawnbrokers, curb check frauds. de-
fine and punish lobbying, establish
a parkway connecting the old civil
war forts. and to regulate the sale
of weapons are before the commit
tee.
Reorganization Measures Up.
Several government reorganiza-
tion measures are pending. includ-
ing those to establish a department
of welfare and a department of pub
lie works. Senator Dial is author
of bill to change the method OF
capital punishment in the Distric,
from hanging to electrocution- Sem
atsr Ball has a bill for the merger
OF the Washington Railway and
Electric company and the Potomac
Electric Power company. its auxili-
airy. while Senator Jones, of Wash
ington, is author of another merger
bill. which would equalize the earn
ing power of the various companies
by taxation, in order that none
would have an advantage in consoli-
dating
These bills will be considered in
connection with the report to be
made at once by the joint commit
tee of street car officials.