Evening star., 1922-09-22
CONGRESS PASSES
LAWS IMPORTANT
TOD.C.PROGRESS
Session Closing Today Has
Striven to Improve Condi-
tions in Capital.

legislation Of far-reaching fnpor-
lance to the people Of the District has
been enacted by Congress during the
session closing today.
In the District appropriation bill
for the present fiscal year, an attempt
was made to settle the long contro-
yersy which has divided the Senate
and House over the fiscal affairs OF
the District and the federal govern
ment. The 60-4o plan of appropriat-
ing for the District. which had been
effective as temporary measure for
the last two years. was made per-
manent, thereby supplanting the So
so plan, which had stood since the
organic act of 1873.
The same law requires assessments
for taxation purposes at full value
and provides for semi-annual pay
ment of taxes on real property. one
half the 1st of November and one
half the 1st of May. instead Of an an
nual payment. This was done to put
the District on a "cash-paying basis"
so that its share of the appropriations
may be paid without obtaining an
advance from the federal Treasury.
The District Commissioners were in
structed also to levy sufficient taxes
during the next five years to lay up
a surplus so as to make this CASH
paying plan completely effective.
Question Of SURPLUS.
As the claim Of the District has
been that surplus Of approximately
$5.000,o00 OF revenues from the Dis
trict Taxpayers already exists in the
Treasury Departments claim that
has bean disputed by some members
81 the House-prcvision WIS nlade Tor
a joint congressional committee to
Investigate and report upon this
matter. That committee Is now At
work.
The District appropriation bill car
ried items for Increased school build
inss. increased water supply and i'm
provement Of streets and roads In
the District, which were much needed.
The life Of the Ball rent act for the
District was" extended by Congress
until May %. 1924. on the ground that
the housing situation in the District
was such as to demand a continuance
of the law. The amendatory act in
creased the size of the Rent Com
mission from three to five members:
The old commission, however. Is still
serving, awaiting the appointment Of
the new Commissioners by the Presi-
dent.
ponents of a law to compel the citi-
zens Of the District to clean the snow
and ice from the sidewalks adjacent
to the property they occupy succeeded
in having 1t enacted into law. The
former law for this purpose was held
unconstitutional years ago by the
was taken up for action soon after
the Knickerbocker Theater disaster
last winter.
Bad Check Law Passed.
Another important law put through
for the District is the so-called bad
check" act. regulating the issue OF
checks, drafts and orders for the
.payment of money and providing
penalties for the making of such or
ders when the drawer knows that
he has no funds on deposit to cover
the order.
Banking corporations in the Dis
trict, under still another act. are
prohibited from starting branch
ing consent from the controller of the
currency.
An innovation is the creation OF
the White House police force, which
is separate and distinct from the
metropolitan police. in a recent bill
enacted into law. This will have the
effect, eventually, Of increasing the
number of policemen available for
duty about the rest of the city.
Congress, at the urgent request of
the District Commissioners. put
through a law extending the time
during which the Inhabitants Of alley
dwellings may continue to occupy
the alley dwellers would have been
compelled to vacate their homes by
November IA. There are some 14.00O
alley dwellers in the District, 1t has
been estimated. The extension is un-
til June I, 1928.
Workers still Get Bonus.
Although not strictly a District
law, the act providing for another
wear the $240 bonus paid to govern
ment and District employees may be
considered legislation affecting the
District. The Congress amended in
a number of particulars also the law
for the retirement Of government
employees, liberalizing the terms.
An act to regulate the business of
marine insurance in the District was
nmt through. 1t is expected to be
used as q model for similar legisla-
ton by the states. and much atten-
ton was given 1t by the committees
The Statue Of Abraham Lincoln
which formerly stood in front of the
Diatrict courthouse. will be restored
to that site under q bill now a law.
District are as follows:
Authorizing the Commissioners to
close upper Water street between 21st
and 22nd streets northwest
Authorizing the erection on public
ground of memorial to the dead of
the 1st Division, A. e. F.
To Renembef Dante.
Authorising the appointment of an
additional grand jury.
Amending the charter Of the Po-
tofaac Insurance Company.
Prohibiting the interment Of the
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