Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-03
District Legislation Fares
Well in Closing Hours of.
Congress- Session.
ST. ELIZABETH'S PROBE
RESOLUTION APPROVED
Utilities Bill Going to Conference
Before Being Sent to President.
Police Court Measure o. KID.

| District measures Jared we'll in the
| closing hours of Congress today.
! The Senate hurriedly agreed TO the
! conference report on the much de-
bated traffic bill, and sent it to the
! President.
The Police Court bill, passed by
, the House, was passed today by the
! Senate with little discussion, as it
contains no amendments, went to the
President. The appropriation for the
building will be sought at the next
session.
| The bill creating a separate Public
| Utilities Commission, designed to re-
! lieve the Commissioners of duties
which have become burdensolne went
| through the Senate in slightly differ
ent form than in which it passed
| the House. II will be taken up in con-
! ference and it is probable that II will
! be ready for the Presidents s sigma
! ture before adjournment.
A House resolution directing the
| Controller General TO investigate the
, management of st. Eliza beth's Hos
! pital for the Insane was put through
! the Senate in short order and sent 10
! the President. The resolution directs
that the investigation begin with the
! year 1916 and continue 10 the pres
! ent and that q report be made to
! the next session of Congress.
Leaves Bell Oh Body.
AS approved by the House the
J Public Utilities measure called for
| three new public utility commission
| ers to be appointed by the President.
! The Senate changed this TO provide
for two new utility commissioners,
! leaving the engineer commissioner,
! Col ]. Franklin Bell. as the third
7, member of the new commission. This
| was done on the theory that there
, should be some connecting link be-
tween the city heads and the utilities
| board in order TO avoid conflict on
matters in which both commissions
would be interested.
The Senate also inserted an amend
ment placing certain restrictions on
the qualifications of candidates for the
Public Utilities Commission, which
must go to conference.
Traffic Bill Amendments.
The final conference report on the
traffic bill contains the two amend
ments that were inserted a few
| days ago to overcome the obtec-
tions which have caused several
Senators to block the bill on pre-
vious occasions. One amendment
states that nothing in the bill shall
interfere with the right of trial by
jury and the other grants persons
whose permits are to be suspended
| the right of appeal to the District
Commissioners from the decision of
the traffic director and sets forth that
the permit shall not be suspended
pending such appeal. The bill further
provides the motorist with the right
to apply to the District Court of Ap-
peals for a writ of error from the
| order of suspension or revocation.
| The application for such a writ. how
ever, would not act as a stay against
the suspending of the permit.
| Before the report was agreed to.
! Senator King, Democrat of Utah,
criticized Traffic Director Eldridge,
declaring II am not satisfied with the
| traffic act. it's administration. or with
| Mr.. EldridGe." Senator King also
criticized the action of the District
authorities in removing Capt. Albert
j. Headley from the position of in
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