Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-17
SUPPORT IS GIVEN
/ TO CRAMTON BILL
Advisory Council Wants
Funds for Improvement as
Well as for Buying Land.

The Citizens Advisory Council last
night unanimously approved the Cram
ton bill calling for the advance of $16,-
OGO,0 900 from the Federal Government
to the District for purchase of land
for parks. The council on motion of DR..
George C.. Havenner, suggested an
amendment to the bill to allow the
money to become available for the de-
velopment as well as the acquisition of
the land.
According to the bill, the money is
to be advanced and spent by the Dis
trict as fast as economically wise, and
is to be returned to the Government
without interest in 16 $1,000,000 an
nual inStallments. Other sections of the
bill call for the creation Of two park
ways along the Potomac, one from
Alexandria to Great Falls along the
Virginia shore and one from Fort
Washington to Great Falls along the
Maryland shore. The District, however,
will only be required to pay for park
purchases within its boundaries.
The bill was the subject of favor
able report to the council by William
A. Roberts. who declared it probably
the best" of the park bills presented.
Another Group In6orses 1t.
ing of the city planning committee of
the Federation of Citizens Associations
at the Mayfiower Hotel last night. The
committee will deliver its favorable re-
port at the federations meeting Satur-
day night in the District Building.
The council unanimously adopted a
report by F. Tracy Campbell disapprov-
ing the Brookhart bill proposing 10
limit the working week of male en-
ployes of transportation, express and
mercantile corporations in the District
to six 8-hour days.
Mr.. Campbell said that employers
and labor alike were opposed to this
bill. He read letter from Frank Nor
rison, secretary of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor, to the effect that the
A. F. l.. was opposed to the fixing of
hours or wages for labor otherwise than
by negotiation between unions and en-
ployers. Mr.. Campbell said that the
result OF the passage of the bill, if it
were held constitutional, would be to
increase the working hours in those in
dustries which now have adopted the
44-hour week as standard, and to re-
duce wages. The law would probably
be deemed unconstitutional, he said, as
interfering with the individual right of
contract.
Such law now applies to female
workers in the District, he said, but
this was allowed to operate as health
measure only.
Amendments Approved.
The council unanimously approved
three amendments to the public utilities
act recommended by Mr.. Roberts at the
last meeting and laid over for action.
They require the reporting by the
utility companies of all contracts with
holding companies owning 10 per cent
or more Of their capital stock, exclusion
from operating expenses of all amounts
Improperly paid TO- such holding COM
panies and the prompt retirement from
capital account of any piece of prop
erty or equipment found to be obsolete,
inadequate, or unsafe.
Thomas E. Lodge and Mr.. Campbell
were appointed as a. committee to look
into the practice of express companies
of charging for the delivery of pack
ages in suburban areas of Washington.
The council adopted report by Will
liam H. Lewis disappearing bill to ex-
empt the property of the United States
Daughters of 1912 from taxation.