Evening star., 1935-02-26
1OD|STR|CT BILLS
ARE ACTED UPON
Protest of Taxi Companies
Causes Withdrawal of
Liability Measure.

The Senate yesterday passed four
District bills. while the House cleared
its calendar of District legislation by
passing six. The auto financial re-
sponSibility bill, which passed the
Senate January 10. and was consid
cred the most important pending
measure on the House calendar, was
withdrawn by Chairman Patman of
the Subcommittee on Streets and
Traffic, after protests by taxicab COM
panies and operators.
One Of the measures passed by the
Senate is Identical with a measure
passed by the House for changing the
law regarding descent and distribu-
ton to give females equal rights with
males in inheritance. Either branch
of Congress now must approve mo-
ton TO substitute the bill passed in
the other branch. This is a mere
legislative technicality.
Action by Congress on the unlaw-
full entry bill was completed today
when the Senate. on motion Of Chair
man King of the District Committee.
agreed to a minor amendment made
by the House when it passed the
measure yesterday. The bill strength
ems the District Code by fixing penal
, ties for unlawful entry into vacant
dwellings
The House yesterday. on motion Of
Chairman Norton of the House Dis
trict Committee. substituted the
bill previously passed by the SEN
ate for a similar measure passed
by the House on February 4. for
the relief OF DR.. Chester c. Croft,
who, although he had practiced in
the District for many years. has been
debarred from practice because, due
to absence from the city. he was un-
able to apply for a reissue Of license
when a new law requiring registra-
ton was enacted in 1928.
House Passes Blind Bill.
An outstanding bill on which the
House acted yesterday. and which
still must be acted on by the Senate,
is the Ellenbogen bill. appropriating
SIS, 900 to pay pensions to needy blind
persons in the District under the
administration of the welfare de-
partment.
What is known as "the absconders
bill" providing for distribution of
estates of those who are absent from
the District, was passed by the House
and requires action by the Senate.
A slight amendment was adopted In
the House carrying two-year provi-
| sion for the protection of District
residents who may be temporarily
assigned to duties outside of Wash
/, ington.
The House passed two other bills
which yet remain to be acted on by
the Senate One of these changes
the name of Letter street northwest
to Second place to conform to the
nomenclature for minor streets. The
other provides for granting Federal
charter to Trinity College, as has been
done with all other institutions for
advanced learning in the District.
The Senate passed a resolution for
creation of a commission to consider
the adviSability of establishing a
memorial boulevard from Washington
to the Gettysburg battlefield. This
measure has not been considered in
the House.
Deed Fee Raise Voted.
The Senate also passed bill in
creasing the fees charged by the
recorder of deeds Office in an effort
to make that office self-sustaining
This measure must be considered by
the House.
The Senate passed legislation to
give the District health officer power
to authorize tn, opening of graves in
eases where death was due to con-
tagious disease. The House has not
yet acted upon this.
The auto liability bill was with
drawn in the House because taxicab
men had protested to members of the
committee that they had not had an
opportunity to be heard on the bill.
The District Committee in reporting
out the bill understood there was only
one objector, and he was given q
brief hearing in executive session.
Later it developed that representa-
tives of several of the taxicab COM
panies had amendments which they
desired to have made in the legisla-
ton. Chairman Patman of the sub
committee said today he did not
know when he could find time to
grant these hearings requested by the
taxicab people
The taxicab interests have been