Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-05-05
REVISED BORLAND
BILL IS GIVEN 0. K.
House District Committee
Orders Favorable Report.
f! Other Measures Tackled.

The House District committee TO-DAY
ordered favorable report on an
amendment to the Borland act which
will relieve abuttins property owners
from assessment for costs OF feS"'
facing streets In front OF their prop
erty within 20 years.
The committee also had the police
women's bureau bill before " Tor
amendment. One amendment. oHereo
BY REPRESENTATIVE Houston of Dela-
ware struck from the bill q provision
that six of the new personnel PROVIDED
for Shall be between the ages oil 90
and As" Other amendments are pend-
ing which are to be taken up Al y
special meeting of the committee to
morrow morning.
Chairman Rathbone NJ the suocom'
rnittee on police and fire Legislation
made a unanimous report from ms
subcommittee on the bill which would
give members of the park police force
the same annual leave and SICK ieaVT
as members of the Metropolitan Police
Department There was considerable
opposition to this measure and IT was
laid aside.
School Name Changed.
The judiciary subcommittee reported
favorably on two bills. one changing
the name of the trustees OF 81. 30
seph's Male Orphan Asylum TO st,
Joseph's Home and School.
The other bill favorably reported
changes the name of the American
Social Science Association" TO the
Ma tional Institute Of Social Science.
When the proposed amendment 10
tol
consideration. Mr.. Blanton warned
the committee that this IL fight that
has been going on for nine years 10
repeal what he described as lone OF
the best laws ever enacted by Con
eress for the National Capital" and
he paid tribute 10 the late Represent
ntive Borland Of Missouri, author OF
the measure.
Representatives Underhili of Massa-
chusetts and Houston of Delaware ar
gued in support Of the bill. asking Mr..
Blanton who wore out the streets,
making resurfacing necessary. When
he replied, THE public" they contend
ed that il was not fair to make proper
" owners pay for damage done the
streets by general traffic over which
they have no control. especially hs this
trafFIc was of no benefit to them.
ASKS Une ASSeSSUteW.
Mr.. Underhill stated AT some length
his views on the Rorland t. the gist
nf which was that when an abutting
property owner once has heen assessed
for paving. he has done his duty to-
ward the city and should not again be
assessed for repairing damage done
to the road He said this ia the duty
of the city to share with the property
owner in the original cost Of the road.
Mr.. Underhill also stated that II Is
heavy traffic from far beyond the prop
ertv Of the individual that damages
the streets -traffc that does not in
crease the value Of the property. but
rather decreases +. Mr.. Cnderhill
said it was positively ridiculous"
and should not he done anywhere in
the country. but more especially
should not be done in the National
Capital.
Mr.. Bla suggested that heavy
motor busses are destroying the
streets and pay nothing toward
building repair and maintenance ex-
cept small gasoline tax. Mr..
Gasoue also spoke strongly In favor
of the bill and said that ahutting prop
erty owners should not he forced 70
pay for rela wing streets within 20
wears and that streets ought not to be
in a condition to require resurfacine
for 40 wears.
Keller Favors Change.
Represe NATIVE Keller. Republican Of
Minnesota, So id that sbuttinc property
n0ners should not be assessed on more
than "a feet Of the street. as that was
fair width for their needs. and that
anything wider was for the benefit Of
through traf1c He though: that but
ting property owners should be re-
uuired to share in the cost of resur
facing after 90 years, and that they
should he exempt from the cost Of
intersections.
Representative Rowles. Republican.
of Massa chusetts. asked particularly
regardinG he widening of Connect
cut avenue. and when told by Rep
resented Rathbone that the theory
was that abuttine property owners
were benefited. Mr.. BowieS insisted
that they could not he. benefited
through having their sidewalks made
narrower. He argued that the entire
Improvement was in the interest OF
through traffic. and not Of neighbor-
ing property owners.
Mr.. Hammer said that the gree
hardship he had suffered through
assessments Of this kind at home had
shown him the injustice of the assess
ments here.
Mr.. Lndefhll offered an amend
ment which would strike out the 90
year limit hut this was defeated by
vote Of Z to 3.
hA