Evening star., 1924-12-31
District Affairs.

The event that stands out most
prominently from a municipal stand
point during 1924 was the putting
into effect of the gasoline tax on au-
tomobiles, which will create an an
nual fund Of more than 100000 for
improving the highways of the Ma
tional Capital.
One OF the biggest developments in
the history of the Public Utilities Com
mission occurred during 1924, when the
Commissioners succeeded in reaching
q settlement with the Potomac Electric
Power Co. of the long disputed value
of the company's property. The imme
diate result will be a reduction of 25
per cent in the rate for current in pri-
vate households, and within the next
year the people will have returned to
them 81, 950 900 of the money that was
impounded during the seven years of
litigation.
The enactment of this tax in lieu Of
the horsepower charge on motor cars
also brought about permanent auto
mobile reciprocity with the State of
Maryland, goal toward which
Washington long has worked.
In April President Coolidge reap
pointed Cuno H. Rudolph and James
=. Oyster as Commissioners of the
District for three more years, and
they were confirmed by the Senate.
Seek More Power.
A movement was started during the
year by the Commissioners to have
their general powers enlarged with
q view to relieving Congress Of the
necessity for passing on minor ques-
tions of municipal control. The move
ment grew out of a suggestion made
10y members of the Senate District COM
nittec.
A committee of department chiefs
drew up tentative list of regulatory
functions over which they thought
the Commissioners should be given
jurisdiction.
The most far-reaching recommends
tion was that the Commissioners ap-
point the Board of Education, the
Board of Charities and the judges of
the Police, Municipal and Juvenile
Courts. Most of the other proposals
had to do with license laws and the
power to enact various municipal
regulations.
This outline was submitted to the
civic and trade bodies of the city and
sentiment was so divided that the
Commissioners decided to let the
question go over until the new Con-
gress comes in. when it will be fur
ther considered.
Budget Set Mt 32,OOO,0O0.
While there were not many unusual
occurrences in municipal circles dur
ing the year, the city fathers were
kept busy throughout the IL months
in their triangular capacity as Dis
trict Commissioners, coming commits
sioners and public utility commits
Sioners.
Early in the year Engineer Com
missioner Bell prepared a bill de-
Gigned to add two additional MEM
bers to the utilities commission. who
would devote all of their time to
utility problems. thus giving the Dis
trict Commissioners more time for
general municipal matters.
During the last four months of the
year the Commissioners devoted most
of their time to the preparation of
next years budget, the largest ever
recommended. The city heads asked
for approximately S36.500.000. AL
though the budget bureau found II
necessary to cut this total to s32,-
335,S27, this still exceeded any previous
municipal budget.
Prepare welfare Bills.
The commission on public welfare
legislation, c>ded by William Hodson
of the Russell Sage Foundation. per-
fected and had introduced in Con-
gress three important bills during
the year. The principle one was the
measure to create a board of public
welfare in the District government to
coordinate all municipal child-caring
and welfare activity. The others were
10 extend aid to dependent children in
their own homes and TO provide for
compulsory school attendance.
Capt. John E, Wood ended his term
as assistant engineer commissioner
in June and was succeeded several
months later by Mai. w. e. r. Coveli,
who WAS assigned as special aid to
the Public Utilities Commission.
Engineer Commissioner Bell was