The Washington times., 1917-03-10
District Dealers Association
Joins With Board Of Trade
in Movement.
STRINGENT RULES DRAFTED
Congress to Be Urged to Enact
Regulations Designed to
Control Business.

To regulate the junk business and
drive out iliegitimats dealers. whose 40
tivities encourage thievery. the JUNK
Dealers Association Of the District q
cooperating with the Board Of Trads
in framing q statute to be submitted TO
the next Congress for enactment
These regulations, II u understood. WIN
be more stringent than those included IN
the District appropriation bin. passed
last week. which compels dealers 70
make careful Investigation before ac-
cepting for purchase property OF cues
tionable appearance or offered BY sus-
pIcious looking persons. on penalty OF
revocation Of licenses and prosecution a.
receivers Of stolen property.
Among the principal regulations VIII
be one raising the license fee from ~
to 800 and another requiring dealers to
give an accurate description to the police
Of the property purchased by them
Aimed ut Th,every.
This latter regulation" said Jonas
BenheImer, president Of the dealers as
ISOLATION. will come nearer accomplish.
ing the aim Of the campaign against
plumbing thieves than any other require
ment. outside the regulation requiring
dealers to make . police report For
some time the law has required u to
report the purchase Of metals. put some
of the dealers send In only general
description Of the property. thus making
II difficult for the police to locate stolen
property.
sWe need sensible regulation and
are willing to do our share The junk
business has grown to great propor-
tions. According to q report q the
United States Geological Survey
there was more than S115.oO0.0oO
worth of raw material returned f0r
re-manufacture last year. Between
one and q half and two millions OF
dollars of this business originated In
WASHINGTON The business II one OF
the great conservation forces Of the
country"
"Proper regulation is q matter Of
our own preservation" said Frank
Mullen, Junior member Of the Arm Of
Edward Mullen, which has been estab-
lished probably longer than any
other in the city.
'Tf we cannot stamp out this evil.
caused by thieves, and dealers who
cover their acts up, we all win be
suspected OF oeaiin8 uleBlumeteiy.
Continuance of the depredations VIII
result In demands for Legislation that
win put US out of decent, clean, and
necessary business"
Burdens Not Excessive.
The regulations contained In the
District appropriations bin WIN not
place unreasonable burdens On the
junk dealers, in the opinion Of many
Of them
THE laws provide against rscsiv-
Ing stolen property" said 81 Ben
singer, "and any man who expects to
conduct decent business on legiti-
mate basis must be careful In his
transactions. While we occasionally
get fooled, q man usually can tell
when he II doing straight business :
and when he IL buying from q thief.
We always, when there II cause, de-
mand proof OF ownership. think
this II what the new regulations re-S
quire, and I believe most Of the deal
ers will be glad to do this"
The new regulations also provide
for q hearing by the Commissioners
where 1t appears q junk dealer has
made purchases OF stolen property
without sufficient inquiry.