The Washington times., 1923-02-19
2OD. c. BILLS To
DIE BY HOUSE
ACTION
Sufficient Time for Considera-
ton OF important LegisIa-
ton Is Denied.

With the ending of the Sixty
seventh Congress at noon March 3,
more than twenty important Dis
trlct bills, many of them legisla-
ton Of vital Importance, will "die"
without ever having been brought
up for consideration in the House.
Denied Sufficient Time.
These measures were reported IA
vorably by the House District Com
mittee in most instances after
lengthy hearings had been held and
many hours of hard work spent on
them. They represent the faithful
labor of members of the committee
and citizens of Washington and
elsewhere who have put forth their
best efforts to draft legislation
necessary to the welfare of the
| District.
They "die" because the District
has been denied sufficient time by
House leaders in which to present
| them for consideration.
They will be left overs" because
District day in the House, when
there Is such day, is used for
almost everything else but consider
alton OF the bills reported by the
| District Committee.
Congress adjourns for nine
months. During this period the Dis.
trict must make the best of bad
situation. When it reconvenes next
December the fight for recognition
must again be carried on by the
citizens of the District. The same
ground must be gone over. A new
committee will take up District
problems. There will be a new
chairman and some new members.
Last Minute Fight.
A last minute fight will be started
today for action at this session on
the teachers salary bill, one of the
most important of the measures now
pending. The agitation is being
sponsored by prominent women of
Washington. With a final announce
ment by Chairman Phil Campbell
Of the Rules Committee that there
will be no more District days at this
session Of Congress, the only chance
the measure has is by suspension
OF the rules.
Chairman Ben K. Focht of the
House District Committee, will make
an effort to bring the biu up in this
manner. Accused By Republican
floor leaders, Mondell and Campbell,
Of having "fritted away" the Dis.
trict's time on the floor, he is pre-
pairing, to make a hard fight to have |
this measure considered.
His chances for success are prob |
lematical. Monde1l and Campbell, by
forcing the rules suspension plan,
have again passed the buck" This
time it goes over/to Speaker Freder-
lex H. Gillett. He it is who must
-.
ion this is not the class Of legisla
ton for which the rules can be sus.
pended.
Extension Bill To Die.
The bill for the extension of Four
teenth street through the Walter
Reed Hospital reservation will also
be passed over. This measure was
under consideration by the House
at the last District day which came
to a close after a lengthy parlia-
mentary battle fought over the
right of Congressman Manuel Her
rick to deliver an address on per-
sonal matters. Another abuse of the
time allotted the District.
Prior to Herrick's entrance into
the days proceedings, Chairman
/ tocht had given away part of the
day for addresses on Lincoln. Two
roll calls
The measure providing for a new
insurance code for the District is
another important bill to die" at
this session. The best minds on
the subject in the country We're OBJ
tanned by Insurance Commissioner
Miller to aid in drafting this bill.
Representatives of insurance corr.
panies from New York and else
where attended the hearings on the
measure. 1t was the unanimous
opinion Of all those interested in
the matter that the present insur-
ance code is obsolete and that a
new law is of vital Importance to
the District.
The measure to bring about reci-
procity with Maryland in the mat.
ter Of automobile licenses also will
be KILLED" The Importance of this
legislation cannot be questioned
1t has long been a subject Of inter-
est to both the officials and citizens
of Maryland and the District.
Parental Court Another.
The Brookhart-Free bill for es-
tablishing a parental court in the
District, hearings on which are
now being conducted by a Joint
subcommittee, and which will be
reported in some form this week,
will also be shelved until the next
Congress.
Among the other bills to go over
are: Providing a day off a week
in lieu of Sunday for policemen
and firemen and to furnish men,
bers of both departments with uni
forms, free. textbooks for certain
grades of the public schools, COM
pulsory school attendance bill, bill
to establish a traffic court, bill to
close Thirty-fourth street north
west. pure milk bill, to change
name of Keokuck street to Military
road, fireman and policeman pen
sion equalization, employees cOmpen-
sation bill, and many others.
Today would properly be District
day IN the House if the implied
"gentlemen's agreement" which
Chairman Focht says exists between
himself and Mondell and Campbell
was recognized.
Next Monday is District day, &C.
cording to the special calendar.
Both will be passed over to per-
nit other matters which Campbell
says are of more Importance than
District bills to be considered.
The women OF Washington are
going to fight this situation. They
are gathering forces to push the
teachers salary bill through even if
other bills die