Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-13
APPROVAL IS GWEN
, 10 DISTRICT BILLS
5. BY SENATE GROUP
Committee FavorabIy Reports
i Measures-Four Have
Passed House.
AIRPORT COMMITTEE
PROPOSAL ACCEPTED
Vandenberg Believes Need for Field
Interlocks With Requirements
of Federal Departments.

Ten local measures, four of which
passed the House Monday, were favor
ably reported by the Senate District
committee today.
The four which have been acted on
by the House, and therefore stand a
good chance of becoming law at this
session, are:
The municipal center bill, authorizing
purchase of four squares between Penn
sylvania and Indiana avenues, Third to
Sixth streets, in which to develop a
group of municipal structures.
The bathing pool bill, authorizing six
pools in addition to the two previously
provided for by Congress.
The bill authorizing establishment of
q sanitarium for tubercular children at
a cost of 100000.
The policewomen's bill, which would
give legal status to the Woman's Blu
feau already in operation in the Police
Department, define its function by law
and specify the number of employees.
The Senate committee also authorized
Senator Vandenburgh, Republican, OF
Michigan, to make favorable report
on his resolution to create a special
committee of seven Senators to make
thorough study of the airport require
ments of the National Capital, with
authority to change this to joint SEN
ate and House committee If that is
found desirable. If this resolution is
adopted by Congress airport legislation
will be deferred pending the report OF
the committee.
Senator Vandenburgh explained he
offered the resolution because he be-
lieved the need for a municipal airport
interlocked with the airport require
ments of the various Federal depart
ments and should be studied together.
Other Bills Reported.
The committee, with Chairman Cap
per presiding, also made favorable re-
ports on the following bills. which still
require action by both Senate and
House:
!. Amending the traffic law to give the
Judges more discretion in the penalties
to be imposed on charges of third Of
Tense speeding, second offense reckless
driving, and first ofenSe while driving
while intoxicated.
Amending the public utilities law to
clarity several provisions relative to re-
tirement of physical property. report TO
be made by holding companies and
authority to exclude unreasonable
charges from operating expenses.
Authorizing purchase of land on
which to establish two incinerators for
the disposal of city refuse.
Amending the workman's compensa-
ton law to relieve fraternal and parti-
otto societies from insuring employees en-
tagged for only part-time services.
f-slI ~4-s.z Srv@e VAC
10 award medals to policemen and fire.
men for meritorious service.
Senator Smoot, Republican, of Utah,
chairman of the public buildings
commission, made an urgent plea to
the committee. to approve the munici-
pal center bill as passed by the House,
calling for the taking of four squares
instead of combining it to the two
squares originally recommended by the
Commissioners, facing the District SUI
prene Court.
Senator Capper suggested to Senator
Smoot that he thought the Commits
sioners had some objection to taking
all four squares out of District funds.
, Senator Smoot said he did not think
that question of policy could be changed
without mourning trouble for the bill.
The Utah Senator added that in his
opinion the District of Columbia is just
beginning to grow, and he believes that
taxation in the District will increase
from now on.
Urges Action on Project.
He urged the committee to con-
sider the municipal center project as
q comprehensive plan to meet District
requirements for years to come, and
raid the area should be taken as a
N,I fy@cf nf mir
Senator Smoot emphasized that this
project would help to bring the north
hide of Pennsylvania avenue into har-
illony with the Federal developments
on the south SIDE Senator Bruce,
Democrat, of Maryland, and Senator
Hastings, Republican, of Delaware,
Joined in urging that the north side of
Pennsylvania avenue be made to con-
form to what is planned for the other
side.
Roberts Explains Amendments.
Proposed amendments to the utilities
Jaw were explained by w. A. Roberts of
the Citizens Advisory Council and
member of the Public Utilities Com
mission, he testified that while. these
groups felt most of the things aimed at
were covered by the present law, they
had no objection to this clarifying legis-
lation. One change would make man
tlatory the retirement of properties
found by the commission to be no
longer useful to public utility, an
other would require local utilities to
make reports to the commission re-
garding contracts or other agreements
made with holding companies, and a
third would require the elimination from
operating expenses of any item regard
ed by the commission as unreasonable.
Asst. Traffic Director Eldridge ex-
planned the bill amending the traffic law,
pointing out that at the present time
Jail sentences are mandatory on the
first offense of driving while intoxi-
Gated, on the second offense of reckless
driving and on the third offense of
speeding. The pending bill gives the
court more discretion in imposing Jail
sentences in these cases.