Evening star., 1924-12-01
Commissioners Ask for New
Courts, More Policemen
and Heavier Sentences to
Combat Law Violations.
NEW INSURANCE CODE
AND TAX CHANGE URGED
Establishment of Department of
Charities Recommended-Need
for Additional Fire Apparatus
Cited-Improving Street Light
ing System Held Essential.

Steps that should be taken to i'm
prove the traffic situation, now one
of the foremost municipal problems.
were laid before Congress today il
the annual report of the District
Commissioners.
They passed on to the Senate and
House for consideration the recon-
mendations of the Police Depart
ment, which, briefly stated, are:
Establishment of a traffic court;
with provision to prevent per
son from forfeiting collateral to
avoid appearing in court.
A material increase in the num-
Der of policemen assigned to traf
fc duty.
A law making it obligatory upon
the court to impose jail sentence
for conviction of driving while in
toxicated.
The report OF the Commissioners
is intended primarily to be a review
of the services rendered to the COM
munity during the last fiscal year by
the various departments of the Gov
eminent, but the document includes
many suggestions advanced by de
partment heads for the future i'm
provement of the work Of their re
spective bureaus
Would Better Dry Work.
The police chapter OF the repor:
contains two important suggestion
for making prohibition enforcement
snof6 ersstise In Washington They
are: sxa54.
Amendment of the penalty clause
TO provide Jail sentence OF at least
so days for the first offense. without
fine, and proportionately heavy in
creases for subsequent offenses.
A law making it felony punish
able by two years of Imprisonment
for the use of a smoke-screen on an
automobile to elude police capture.
Other important legislative recon-
mendations contained in the report may
be summarized as follows:
That the time for the annual filing
Of personal property tax returns be
| changed from July to May. Asses
sor w. P. Richards points out that
the filing OF these returns in July
is too close to the month of Novem-
| ber when the first half of the tax
is due. He also raises the point that
city in July. Nearly all taxpayers
visit the District Building in May to
pay the last half of their current tax
bills and could file their personal re-
turns for the next year at the same
time IL the proposed change is au-
thorized.
Ask Insurance Code.
Enactment Of the proposed new in
surance code at this session of Con-
gress is urged by Superintendent of
a bill to regulate fraternal insurance
| also will be introduced at this ses-
sion.
The Commissioners renew their in
| dorsement of the plan of the board
of trustees of the Free Public Lii
brary and Of the Board of Educa-
tion for conducting branch libraries
in school buildings as an efficient
and economical method of extending
! the library system.
Attention also is called to the fact
! that Congress failed to make pro-
| vision in the District appropriation
act for the. current fiscal year for
! the opening and maintenance OF the
new Mount Pleasant branch of the Pub
Hc Library. Hope is expressed that
funds will be provided in time to
prevent the building from standing
idle for several months after its COM
| pletion.
More rigid regulation of hucksters
peddlers and other transient venders,
is recommended by Superintendent
of Weights and Measures George
Roberts.
Want Police Station sites.
Purchase of sites for the erection
80 DC
| commended by Maj. Sullivan. The
police chief states that they should
| be located at Benning, Tenleytown
and on Georgia avenue near Colorado
avenue.
The oft repeated appeal Of hte Po-
lice Department for an adequate law
to cope with the indiscriminate sale
of revolvers and other deadly weap-
ons is once more renewed. The
Commissioners say that IL Congress
will enact the pending Capper bill TO
restrict the sale of such weapons ii
will result in a material reduction
in the number of crimes of violence.
In addition to the preceding request
for a special traffic court, the Com
missioners recommend appointment of
two or more regular Police Court
judges. The report points out that
the volume OF Police Court business
has been multiplied five times since
the court was created with two
judges.
A law to make drug addiction
felony in the District with q penalty
Of from one to five years at the work
house is recommended. Such a pen
atty, the report states, would make
possible the administration of medi-
cal treatment in an effort to cure
victims Of the habit.
More Fire Apparatus Asked.
The need for more motor fire ap-
paratus is still present, Chief Watson
declares. While there are no horse
drawn companies in service, the chief
points out that a number OF the old
tractor-type motor engines are worn
out and should be replaced as quick
ly as possible.
It has become necessary, the chief
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