Evening star., 1922-10-03

salary schedule is based.
'The new proposed schedule will
not, In any case, place Washington at
the head Of the list of cities paving
ington will stand fror o. :
one-fourth the way from the top Of
such list. Nevertheless In .4y~ OF
the comparatively low salaries which
Washington now pays the new sched-
ule will provide a substantially better
than the present schedule provides.
Favored by Citizens.
1.-THE bill was considered and IA
vorably acted on by many c,..Iens
associations. Such bodies as the
Board of Trade and the Chamber of
Commerce are on record In favor of
higher salaries for school employees.
The Commissioners approved the bill
with some reservations" No oppo-
sition has appeared to the bill-not a
single body of citizens has taken ac-
tion against the passage of the bill.
There is another bill on our cal
endar which should be passed, known
report the House committee gives
convincing reasons why this measure
should be passed-as such laws have
for years been in force in COM
munities broadcast throughout the
land. Public education. especially in
solutely free in every respect, so that
there could be no excuse for any
child not receiving the fullest bene-
fits of that free public school sys-
tenn which has done more than any
other institution to develop this
THE compulsory school attendance
bill, which makes the law compelling
school attendance more effective and
provides for the taking of school
census in the District, has passed the
endar, having been favorably re-
ported by the House District COM
mittee. This measure is strongly ad-
vocated by the board of education
and the public school officials of the
District. Early action should be had
on 1t In the House.
Il would direct the conscientious
and sympathetic consideration of the
school needs of the District to your
attention, and solicit your co-opera-
ton in putting through promptly be-
fore the close Of this session a COM
prehensive, carefully planned pro-
gram for providing adequate, modern
school facilities here.
Legislation designed to bring about
solution of the traffic problem here
has been considered at length by
your District committee. We have
placed before you two bills, one rep
resenting the best compromise 'opin-
ion of the members of your commit
tee and the other suggested by the
District Commissioners. Congress
should give earnest attention to this
matter, because the laws passed by
Congress placing restrictions on the
existing street car lines that they
must not merge have prevented them
from doing SO. 1t is also the peculiar
short periods of the day by the thou
sands of government employees
crowding to and from work that
causes the most serious problem. 1t
is only fair to the street railway
companies themselves that the de-
cision should be made.
Better Parks Needed.
BILLS have been pending from time
to time providing for the extension
Nations Capital by acquiring the
Klingle Valley. Piney Branch, Pat
terson, and other tracts of land, which
will undoubtedly give way to building
growth If action is put of much
longer.
equal force to the proposal to ac-
quire the sites of old civil war forts
and to connect them with a circular
driveway about the city.
"For several years the health de-
partment of the District has been
urging enactment OF a new law 10
afford better protection to the milk
supply of the National Capital.
"A 'blue-sky law to prevent fraud in
the sale of securities in the District
is another important piece of legisla-
ton the local authorities have asked
Congress to enact.
There also has been pending for
several years proposed legislation to
amend the pawnbroker's law in the
District. with rates the same as in
other cities.
.The license laws of the District
need a thorough revision to meet
present-day conditions, and the board
Of Commissioners has transmitted to
Congress a bill suggesting what they
regard as the necessary changes in
license regulations for various kinds
of business establishments.
There have beeo two bills pending
in which the police department is