Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-18
NEW PAVING COST AND TRAFFIC
MEASURES PASSED BY SENATE
Several Other Bills of Local Interest Also
Approved by Upper House During
Last ight.

The new street paving assessment bill
is ready to be sent to the President, and
the new traffic measure is entering the
final stages of conference today, both
having passed the Senate last night,
along with several other bills of local
interest.
The Senate amendments to traffic
bill are not of a serious nature and "A
prompt agreement in conference is
looked for. The paving assessment plan
was not amended in the Senate. so
that it needs only the Presidents sigma
ture to make it law
The House resolution to give B street
from Arlington Memorial Bridge to
Union Station plaza the name of Con-
stitution avenue. passed the Senate last
night but with an amendment SUBJ
shutting the name of Louisiana avenue
This sent the resolution to conference
The assessment bill, which seeks to
bolster up the Borland law to overcome
objections raised against it in court,
passed the Senate late in the evening
without debate. after several previous
| efforts to get action on it had failed
Had Been Held Invalid.
The Borland law has been held I'M
constitutional to such an extent that
the municipal officials felt there were
comparatively few properties that could
have been assessed without this new
legislation.
The Borland law levied half the cost
of paving against AUDITING property,
without regard to the shape or value of
the lot. This bill seeks to overcome
discrimination in assessments by basing
them on the shape, area and value of
the AUDITING land.
An important feature of the measure
is that 1T cancels all paving assessments
made during the last three years in or
der to allow for a reaSSeSSment CT those
cases on the basis of the formula in the
new legislation. This will result in low
err assessments and, if the original as
sessment was paid, the Commissioners
would refund the difference between the
amount paid and the new assessment
This will give the city heads a method
of settling the numerous claims that
have been filed by property owners since
the several court decisions were handed
down against the old law.
New Traffic Provisions.
The traffic measure also went through
the Senate without debate. 1t does the
following essential things, sets up de-
partment of vehicles to handle permits,
reYocations and titling of cars; requires
all cars to be titled after next January;
places direct and final authority to
make regulations in the Board of Com
missioners; defines the authority of the
Utilities Commission to regulate the
routes Of buses and other common
carriers; provides for joint board COM
posed of the District Commissioners
and the Utilities Commission to de-
termine questions which affect both
street traffic and utility operation:
II; .g,,o ,iv,{y
maximum penalties in certain traffic
offenses, thereby giving the court more
leeway in administering justice in traf-
fic cases.
The bill must go to conference be-
fore final enactment, because the SEN
ate struck out the House clause for
the issuance of special motor tags to
members of Congress. and also adopted
an amendment by Senator Blaine OF
Wisconsin relating to reporting acct
dents. Senator Blaine's amendment
provides that when accidents occur
the motorists must stop and give all
necessary information to the others
involved if there has been injury to
persons or substantial damage to prop
erty. The important part of this
amendment is the reference to Sub
stantial damage" 1t was felt that
under the original language reports
would have been required where there
is only scratching of tenders.
Changed to Louisiana.
The resolution to call B street Con-
stitution avenue was changed to LouiSi-
ana avenue on motion of Senator Brous-
sard of Louisiana. Conferees will have
to settle this difference.
The Senate also passed and sent to
the President House bill authorizing
the Government TO exchange lands with
the RoSslyn Connecting Railroad, in
order to relocate the tracks to improve
the Virginia approach to the Arlington
Memorial Bridge.
Another bill sent on its way to the
President, following Senate approval,
authorizes the Bureau Of Standards TO
establish near the District of Columbia
two experimental radio stations, at an
estimated cost of $l47,000. One would
be for receiving and the other for
transmitting. The bureau is DESTROYS
Of conducting research on the problems
of fading" changes in direction, which
is Of importance in navigating ships and
aircraft, and the behavior OF short
waves.
Passed Two Other Bills.
The Senate passed two other bills
which still require HOUSE action, name
ton law to expedite the acquisition OF
sites for the new Post Office Depart
ment, the new Interstate Commerce
Commission Building, the site for one
of the new Agriculture Department
buildings and lands to be included in
the relocated Botanic Garden, and to
enable the Government TO obtain two
small parcels of land still needed to
round out the Union Station Playa
parkway.
The rule OF assessment laid down in
the new Borland measure provides that
the maximum front foot assessment
shall not exceed $3.50 per linear foot:
that the total assessment shall not ex-
coed the number of square feet multi
piled by l per cent of the front foot
assessment; and shall not exceed 20 per
cent Of the value Of the land assessed
exclusive Of improvements; assessments
on unsubdivided property, assessments
based on the square foot or assessed
value shap not include land lying more
than 100 feet back of the roadway.
Opportunity to Reconsider.
An oppoltu nity was given the Senate
| when 1t met today to reconsider its
action on the new street paving assess
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