Evening star., 1921-05-04
CONTROL Of PRICES
IN THEATERS HERE
TO Be CONSIDERED
House Subcommittee on Dis
trict to Take Up Measure
for Regulation.
PASSAGE OF PAWNBROKER
BILL is BEING ADVOCATED
Chairman Focht Urges Members to
Concentrate on Major Pieces
of D. C. Legislation.


of D. C. Legislation.
Plans for comprehensive Legislation
10 regulate the theaters and other
places of meeting in Washington, for
the protection of lives and to prevent
extortion in charges. and legislation
to revive the so-called pawnbrokers
bill. permitting the pawnbrokers to
operate. but preventing operation of
loan sharks. was considered at the
meeting of the House District COM
mittee today.
Subcommittees were appointed to
consider both pieces of legislation
and report back to the full commit
tee as soon as possible. The meeting
or the House District committee next
Wednesday has been set aside for
bill. which prohibits any theater or
moving picture house from selling
more tickets of admission than the re
is seating room.
Will Tnke Up Theater Issue.
The subcommittee named to con.
slider theater legislation is composed
or Representatives Wheeler of H.
linois. chairman: Woodruff of Michi-
gan, Sproul of Illinois. Blanton OF
Texas and O'Brien of New Jersey. This
subcommittee will meet Friday and
Saturday in room $40 House Office
building.
The subcommittee appointed to
study the pawnbroker bill is composed
of Representatives Focht of Pennsyl-
sin. and kunz of Illinois.
tomorrow the subcommittee. headed
by Representative Fitzgerald OF Ohio
Will hold hearings on the Fitzgerald
Dill, providing workmen's compensa-
ton for industrial and domestic en-
pioyes in the District of Columbia.
FRIDAY morning q subcommittee will
hold hearings on the bill fathered by
Representative Edmunds of Pennsyl-
Vanla Tor marine insurance law for
the District, which will be a model
for other states.
Representative Dyer Of Missouri, a
member of the House judiciary COM
m1ttee and formerly a member Of the
District committee, appeared before
the committee today explaining the
pawnbrokers' bill, on which he has
been working for the last FIVE ses-
sions OF Congress. He explained that
the law as 1t stands today allows
only l per cent month as the high
est rate OF interest that can be
CHARGED in the District. As a result
OF this legislation the pawnbrokers
cannot do business here. he said. He
told the committee that the District
Commissioners and the police depart
ment are anxious that the bill which
Chairman Focht, at his solicitation
and urged by the District Commits
sioners, had introduced should be
enacted. This provides that pawn
brokers may charge per cent in
terest on small loans up to $35 and 2
per cent above that amount. It pro-
hbits the loan shark business en-
tirely.
Favored by Labor.
It was emphasized that labor or
ganizations in the District have been
very earnest in their solicitation for
this sort Of legislation. The subcom-
mittee was authorized to hold hear
ings IL 1t was found necessary after
the members had studied the report
of the hearings held last year.
Chairman Focht again urged upon
the members of the committee that it
would be possible to get very little
District legislation through at this
session, and that they should concen- :
trate on several pieces of major legis-
lation, mentioning particularly the
proposed merger of the street car
lines and the Potomac Electric Power
for developing the school system and
the workmen's compensation bill
which is urged by Representative
Fitzgerald. The committee again went
on record by an affirmative vote that
all witnesses before the committee
or subcommittee should be sworn.
Representative Wheeler of Illinois
explained the necessity for his bill,
which would limit the number of ad-
missions to any theater or moving
picture to the seating capacity. Rep
resentative BlantOn of Texas decla red
that some theaters were charging un-
warranted prices. and that the Dis
trict committee should consider that
in connection with the Wheeler bill.
Representative Sproul of Illinois
moved that this should be made the
order Of special business for the next
meeting. and that a committee of fve
should be appointed to go thorough
ly into the question Of congressional
regulation of the theaters OF the Ma
tional Capital.
Representative Woodruff Of Michi-
gan moved that preliminary to the
proposed legislation the subcommittee
should collect all the legislation, ordi-
nances and police regulations in the
District applying to theaters or other
places of assemblage. It was brought
out that the scope Of the Wheeler bill
would also include churches, lodge
rooms and other places Of assemblaee
The sentiment of the committee seem
ed to be that the subcommittee should
consider regulations of the theat.rs
both as to protection of life from
oVercrowding and with regard to the
prices charged