Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-01

law anu IIle Jones OIL 10 give SAT-
urday half holiday throughout the
year to laborers and mechanics in the
Government service.
Senate Acts on Text Books.
In the closing weeks Of 1929 Chair
man Capper succeeded in putting
through the Senate the bill extending
free text books to pupils in the junior
and senior high schools a measure Of
great importance to parents in Wash
ington. The House District commit
tee already has made q favorable re-
port and early action on the bill is
expected in the House.
The old Congress which expired
March 4 enacted a number of impor-
tant bills for the District of Columbia.
Although the new Congress was in spe-
cial session for a considerable part Of
the year after March 4, 1t devoted It
self primarily to farm relief and tariff
revision. Both Houses, however, paused
in the consideration of these national
problems to put through in June a reso-
luton which made available 100000
from the accumulated surplus of Dis
trict funds for an immediate start on
the purchase OF the large area north of
Pennsylvania avenue between Third and
Sixth streets for the development Of the
Municipal Center for District activities.
The present session is expected to ap-
propriate another SO, 000, 900 to complete
purchase Of the land.
An effort also was made in the early
part of the special session TO put
through resolution appropriatinR
100000 from the Federal Treasury to
enable the Joint Congressional Airport
c G n OF rk NDftI AtH& ALL
quiring land for a model air terminal in
the National Capital, but this did not
succeed. The commission. however, Is
expected to resume efforts to get air
port legislation started early in the
present regular session.
Discuss Airport Plans.
Recognizing the urgent need for an
airport in Washington, the old Congress
early in 1929 created the joint commits
sion composed of Senate and House
members to submit recommendations.
Headed by Senator Bingham, Repub-
lican of Connecticut, who has made O
special study of aviation, the commits
sion held lengthy hearings in the
Spring at which Col. Charles A. Lind
bergh and other outstanding figures in
aviation told Congress what the airport
in the National Capitol should include,
The question Of street railway merger
was another important local problem
Congress during 1929, but without
reaching a ANAL solution. When the old
Congress expired March 4, the modified
plan of consolidation which the Senate
District committee had worked out died
on the calendar. The new Congress
had been in regular session only few
days when the Public Utilities Commits
sion, which had been working on the
subject OF merger in connection with q
street rate case during the Summer,
submitted new unification agreement
to the Senate and House District COM
mittees. AS 1929 draws to a close it
finds the Senate committee making
plans for a public hearing to be held
Immediately after the Christmas holi-
days in the hope of obtaining action on
the merger early in 1880. Senator
Blaine. Republican. of Wisconsin, who
nled minority report against the old
merger resolution, has indicated that
some OF the things he objected to have
been eliminated in the pending plan.
The old Congress early in 1929 passed.
Tor the f1scal year ending June 80, 1880,
the largest District appropriation bill in
history, carrying approximately $685.
100000. While the measure was in the
making the Senate subcommittee on
District appropriations, lead by Chair
man Bingham, tried to have the United
States bear a larger share of the cost
OF. upEeep of the Capital City, but the
House insisted on continuing the So
UUO,OUO lump sum as the Federal share
One Of the last acts of the old Con-
gresS In March was enactment of the
Dill authorizing the long delayed i'm
provement of Union Sation Plaza, the
funds for which we're requested by the
Budget Bureau in the commentator
1t recently submitted to the new Con-
greSS.
Authorize District Probes.
In addition to the local legislation It
passed during 1929, the Senate adopted
TWO resolutions authorizing inveStiga-
lions by the District committee. One
was the Brookhart resolution, providing
for an inquiry to determine what new
laws the District needs to regulate the
real estate business and the sale of Sc
curities. The other was the Blease
resolution calling for an inquiry into
police affairs and certain matters in the
district attorneys Office
The Brookhart resolution was placed
in the hands of a subcommittee, headed
by Senator Blaine, Republican of wis
conSin, which is expected to make
to the fun committee
early In the new year. The resolution
as passed by the Senate declared that
the District has no adequate law relat-
ing to the issuance and sale of stocks.
bonds and mortgages; no adequate law
tnhibiting unethical real estate and
finance operators, and no law providing
for an orderly foreclosure of mortgages
and trust deeds. Oscar II. Brinkman,
former clerk to the Senate District COM
mittee. was engaged as legal aide to
the Blaine subcommittee to submit data
to be used in framing new legislation
OH these subjects.
The Blease resolution provided for an
inquiry into the reasons for the sus-
pension OF former Policeman Robert j.
Allen following the investigation Allen
made into the Mcpherson case. 1t also
authorized an inquiry to determine
whether there was any delay in the
handling OF indictments. growing out of
the death Of Chinese who was found
SHOT on the street last Summer. A
third provision of the resolution called
for report on the number Of permits
Issued here during the year to carry
concealed weapons. In addition to
these specific questions, the preamble
81 the resolution was broad enough to
cover an inquiry into any branch of
the District Government.
The subcommittee to which the
Blease resolution was referred, headed
BY Senator Sackett of Kentucky, held
several executive meetings during the
past two months to consider the ques-
lions contained in the resolution, but
mas not completed its work. The sub
committee decided recently to wait
until after The Christmas recess of Con-
sress before deciding upon its future
course OF procedure. In addition to
having n clIbcomuittea ipefr.,cfad 20
conduct an inquiry, Senator Blease
made several speeches in the Senate to-
ward the close of the year criticizing
police officials.