Evening star., 1926-06-16
P0L|CEW0MEN BILL,
SHORN, APPROVED
Measure, as Reported, Bears
Little Resemblance to
Original Draft.

Shorn to such an extent that it
can hardly be recognized as originally
introduced, the bill establishing a
woman's bureau in the Police Depart
ment here was ordered favorab bly, re-
ported to the House by the District
committee today. Representative Zihl-
man OF Maryland. chairman of the
committee. authorized Representative
Rathbone of Illinois. sponsor of the
mea sure, to report the bill to the
House
The committee before taking final
action held a lengthy discussion and
on motion of Chairman zihlman struck
out the rank of assistant superintend
ent which the bill originally would
have given to the director, and that
of captain. which was sought for the
assistant director. Mr.. Zihlman said,
he could not see why the head of this
bureau should be made an assistant
superintendent when precincts have
only captains in charge. He said that
il this was allowed to remain in the
measure 1t would furnish a precedent.
There was discussion. led by Rep
resentative Hammer Of North Caro-
lima. as to the matter of requiring
the policewomen to wear uniforms
while on duty. Mr.. Hammer thought
the women should not object to wear
ing the uniform and he pointed out
that 1t would be well for them to
do so. They should not be going
around spying on people. he said.
AS ordered reported, the measure
does little more than to leEalize the
present Women's Bureau. 1t provides
that the present bureau shall be con-
tinued in charge of one director. who
shall be directly responsible to the
major and superintendent: one assist
ant director. one case supervisor,
three patrol supervisors, and 81 pri-
Yates. the latter an increase from the
present 81. 1t provides that all officers
and members shall be women, but
authorizes the detail of male members
of the Metropolitan Police force for
duty in the bureau upon request of
the director.
To Be Named by City Heads.
The power of appointment of Off
GERS and members Of the bureau Is
placed with the District Commission
ers and all except the director and
assistant director are to come, within
the civil service regulations. The
committee struck out the provision
requiring appointees to be graduate
of high schools and to have had not
less than two years Of social service
and similar work. 1t also struck out
the provision that the director shall
be trained social worker.
The committee inserted an amend
ment which placed the officers and
members of the bureau under the
superintendent of police. The meas
ure provides that they shall be sub
ject to the same regulations and dis
cipline as other officers and members
of the police force in so far as they
are consistent with the special class
of work to be performed by the mem
bers of this bureau. 1t provides that
they shall receive the same salaries
as other officers and privates of the
metropolitan police force, with the
same grade rank. 1t struck out the
provision which would have given the
four supervisors the salary of s2.7oO
per annum.
Bureaus Purposes Changed.
The lengthy section 4 Of the bill
as originally introduced was stricken
out and the substitute provided that
the functions of the Women's Bureau
shall be to do preventive. protective
work and to exercise the function
of the police in the cases of women
anu WHetHST OH6nQerS or
victims of offenses, subject to the laws
and regulations of the District of Co.
lumbia. The section stricken out
gave the Women's Bureau sweeping
authority to investigate offenses deal
ing With women and children, par
ticularly sex offenses and cases in.
volving the criminal exploitation of
women and children. 1t authorized
the bureau to investigate neighbor-
hood conditions. hotels, rooming
houses, public dance halls, restau-
rants, cabarets, skating Kinks and
other places of public assembly.
Section 5, which gave the director
and assistant director the pay and
rank of assistant superintendent and
captain, respectively, was stricken
out, but that part providing that the
present officers and members of the
bureau shall be continued in their
respective grades was left in. In the
place of the provision for one Office
secretary, six stenographers, three
typists, and such other assistants as
may be provided from time to time,
provision was made for such clerical
force as may be eiprovided from time
to time BY Congress.