Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-31
DISTRICT IN CONGRESS

congress dealt generously with the
District Of columbia during 1925.
More important legislation was enact
cI durinC the short session which
Closed March / last than has been
enacted in many Congresses. Among
The most important District laws put
nu the statute books We're the five
wear school building program, the
compulsory education law, law Tor
The better regulation Of traffic. under
" hiCh a director of traffic has been
appointed. a law authorizing the use
Tor the District of $5.0O0.000 OF sur
)plus revenues which had accumulated
III the Treasury, and law permitting
The voluntary merger of the street
railways of Washington
Congress followed up its action in
adopting the tiVe-year school building
program by appropriating several mil
lion dollars for actual construction of
public schools. The need of legiSla-
tion for the better regulation of traf-
f7c had long been recognized, and the
law enacted by Congress has mate
rally aided in the solution of the
traffic problem. For several years the
neoDle of the District had urged that
he surplus revenues which had ac-
rlimulated in the Treasury be used To
meet the needs of the National cap
ltal. This law permitting the use OF
he surplus was strongly advocated
by Senator Phipps of Colorado, chair
man of the joint committee OF Con
creSS which earlier had investigated
Inc fiscal relations of the District and
Federal governments
Under the new law for compulsory
education in the District a census of
The school children is kept, and there
lis better supervision to bring about
the education of all children OF
school age
Laws Relating to ID. {.
other laws relating to the District
which We're enacted during the year
include those substituting electrocu-
ton for hanging. the so-Called pure
milk law. a law eliminating the La
llond grade crossing, a law proyid-
ing for the licensing of architects and
d law for the registration of dentists.
Efforts were made 10 extend the
life OF the District Rent Commission
and TO enact a permanent law for the
regulation Of rents in Washington.
A bill was reported but failed OF ac
ton. and the Rent Commission passed
out of existence in May
The District committees of the
Senate and the House adopted prac
Tlce OF holding JOINT hearings on I'M
portant legislation. including rent and
\ attic Under this method it was
found possible to expedite District
legislation, and it is expected that
his system will be continued during
The new Congress, which now is as
sembled.
Both the Senate and House COM
mittecs on the District are headed
by new chairmen. appointed during
the year. Senator Capper of Kansas.
who ALWAYS has taken keen in
Ierest in District affairs and is large
II responsible for the public school
legislation now OH the statute books,
became chairman of the Senate COM
mittee in place of former Senator
Ball of Delaware. who failed of re-
election. Representative Zihlman of
Maryland took the place formerly oc-
rupied by Representative Reed Of
West Virginia as chairman of the
louise committee. Mr.. Zihlman. com
ing from the neighboring State of
Maryland. has given much time and
attention to Legislation for the devel-
opment and Improvement of the Ma
tiOnal Capital.