Evening star., 1914-11-26
LAW TO BAR SALE
Of GUNS DRAF TED
Chamber of Commerce Conn.,
mittee Draws Up Legislation
for the District.
PROVIDES PERMIT TO BUY
FIRST MUST BE OBTAINED
Rifles Are Covered by Proposed
Statute. But Exception Is Made
in Case of Shotguns.

Ill OdSC VI ouOIS uus.
A draft of a proposed law restricting
the sale of deadly and dangerous
weapons in the District of Columbia
was adopted by the committee on law
and legislation of the Chamber of
Commerce at a meeting held yesterday
afternoon. At the December meeting of
the chamber the proposed law, which
is suggested amendment to section
No. S57 of the Code of Law for the
District of Columbia, will be submitted
to the entire membership of the or
ganization for it's approval. The Cham
| Der of Commerce already has gone on
record in favor of a more stringent
law governing the sale of deadly and
dangerous weapons in the District of
Columbia.
The proposed law was drafted by A.
iIeftwich Sinclair. chairman of the
committee on law and legislation, and
was adopted after a few minor changes
were made in it's original form. The
main feature of the suggested law is a
provision that a permit first must be
obtained from the superintendent of
police by any person who wishes to
obtain any deadly or dangerous weapon
| in the District of Columbia. either by
purchase. exchange, hire. loan or gift:
shotguns. Rifles, however, are covered
! bv the proposed law.
Little Hunting in District.
1t was the consensus Of opinion of
the committee that the law should be
| intended primarily to restrict the sale
| of weapons of crime. Shotguns are not
| in this category, it was held. While
! the committee agreed that rifles are
not generally considered weapons of
crime. it felt their sale should be re-
stricted on the ground that they are
weapons of an exceedingly dangerous
rype. Attention was called to the fact
that the only hunting permitted in the
District of Columbia is the shooting
of reed and other marsh birds, which is
done with a shotgun. The hunting of
all classes of game usually shot with
rifles is prohibited in the District.
While the proposed law does not re-
quire a person wishing to purchase
shotgun first to obtain a permit. it re-
quires the dealer selling the gun to
make his customary report Of the sale
to the police department.
The committee agreed that the dis
play OF dangerous weapons in show
windows, outside showcases or other
public places, other than within prem
to. be sold should be prohibited by law.
Members of the committee said they
believed the display Of deadly and dam
gerous weapons In show windows and
other like places is an incentive to
crime. The sight of such weapons also
minds.
Draft of Proposed Law.
The draft Of the proposed law as
adopted by the committee follows:
Be 1t enacted by the Senate and
House Of Representatives of the
United States Of America in congress
assembled, that section s57 of the code
of law for the District Of Columbia.
be. and the same is hereby. amended
so as to read as follows:
Section S57. Selling to minors, and
so forth-Any person or persons who
shall. within the District of Column
bia, sell, barter. hire. lend or give any
deadly or dangerous weapon to any
minor under the age of twenty-one
years, or to any person not authorized
to purchase. obtain or receive the same
by permit issued to him or her, as
hereinafter provided. shall be deemed
guilty of misdemeanor and shall
upon conviction thereof. be punished
by fine not to exceed $500 or by i'm
both -
Nv pSISoii, uTEu or corporation Shall
engage in or conduct the business of
selling. bartering. hiring or lending
deadly or dangerous weapons without
nrst obtaining special license to do
SO from the Commissioners of the Dis
trict of Columbia, and the said Com
missioners are hereby authorized to
grant such license. without fee there
for. upon the filing with them by the
applicant of bond, with suretv or
sureties to be by them approved, con-
shall fix. to the United States for .bs
compliance by the applicant with aII
the provisions of this section. and ,,non
any breach or breaches of said condi-
sn;d s.4a sa.d pong shall be put in suit by
said United States for its beneit ana
licepse. oAe salo
any person engaging in said business
wHnout having obtained said snacioI
roisa 1rJsdse shau be. deemed guilty of a
ton thereof. be fined not less thar sISn
nor more than $500, of which one-haJS
shaIi be paid to the informer. If anv
tha nose eon1,n,n information shall have led to
said fine: and in default Of tba 1a,. yaas
1nent OF said fine the person convjctsd
six months. 'hdn
Every application for said special H.
cense shall be made in writing ava
shall give the name and place ~ hn.ta
ness of the applicant, and IL the annIi-
cant be a partnership, company or cor
poration the application shall also con-
tain the names of the members or ofH-
GERS of said partnership. company or
corporation. VI
The applicant shall specify in sa;d
application the various kinds of wean1
ons to be kept for sale. and the ami
cation shall contain an agreement to
the effect. ~
% That the applicant will NOT sol,
barter hire, loan or give any deadIv
or dangerous weapon to any minor ~
to any person not authorized bv ner-
nit to purchase, obtain or receive tho
same. issued as hereinafter provided.
(2) That the applicant will renort in
writing. to the major and superintend-
ent of police every sale. loan. barterinp
hiring or gift Of any. such weanon the
style. caliber, make and number ~ tha
same and the purpose for which snch
weapon was purchased, or obtained
within twenty-four- hours after smch
sale. loan. bartering. hiring or gift.
-(3) That the applicant will not dis.
play any such weapon or weanons In
any window, outside showcase or anv
other public place, other than within
the premises where said firearms are
licensed to be sold, and
/ % That in case of the violation NV
the applicant Of any provision Of this
Sectinn the license shall ~