Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-17
BECK ASKS NATION
TO WIPE OUT LAWS
ALLOWING TYRANNY
Representative Scores Gun
Just and UnWiSe" Statutes
in Trade Board Speech.
ODELL SMITH DEFENDS
CAPITAL POLICE FORCE
DR.. L. D. Epson of Detroit Ad-
dresses Group on Municipal
Enforcement Methods.


James M. Beck member of the House
of Representatives from Philadelphia,
called on the people of the Nation to
wipe from the statute books the many
unjust. unwiSe, unreasonable and OPP
pressive laws with which this country
is burdened" at meeting of the WASH
ington Board of Trade in the Willard
Hotel last night.
Only then, he said, will we get back
to the old conditions of law obedience.
He said the prevalence of law break
ing in this country today Is caused by
"tyrannical, ruthless and wholly i'm
practical laws" AS an example OF one
of these he gave the eighteenth amend
ment.
The address of the Pennsylvania
Representative was in the course of
meeting called specifically for the dis
cusSion of crime and law enforcement.
DR.. Lent D. Epson, director Of the De-
troit Bureau of Municipal Research,
employed in the large cities.
Odell S. Smith, chairman Of the
Board of Trade committee on public
order, made spirited defense of the
local police force and of Maj. Henry
G.. Pratt, its superintendent. He said
there is no increase in crime in Wash
ington. except in offenses against the
prohibition law and traffic ordinances.
Not Too Many Laws.
Representative Back, noted author
ity on the judicial system and the Con-
stitution, began his address by deny
ing the often-made statement that the
cause of crime in the United States Is
the tremendous yearly output Of laws
by Congress and the State Legislatures
Few governments, he declared, turn out
as little substantive law as does the
United States Most of our statutes,
he asserted, are merly administrative
measures.
AS a whole, he declared, the people of
this country are most patient in sub
hitting to unnecessary, oppressive and
tyrannical laws"
He said: There will never be any
real law enforcement until the State
and Nation make laws which will har-
monte with the political philosophy OF
the American people. To enforce legis-
lation it must be such that practically
all the people can acquiesce in its right
ness and necessity. Law has authority
only in its reaSonableneSS, and If 1t Is
not reasonable it will always be chal-
lenged. and am not one of those who
think that the mere questioning of a
law is itself crime. Unless law har-
monies with the genius of the people
for which 1t is made it is futile"
Majority May Err.
Laws, he declared, should be equal
and just, and they are not when a
majority attempts to dictate to a mi
nority what it shall do and not do.
Suppose, for instance" he asserted,
q Cra IF ha Ainhfnnnfh
ment had been reversed SO as to make
every man obliged to drink at least one
glass of wine or beer every day. Why,
Immediately some of these people would
be saying, What right has the law to
make me do thing like that? 1 won't
do it. Employing the same reasoning,
why should majority have the right
to say that the rest shall not take a
drink"
Representative Beck said that all the
commissions in the world will do no
good in lesSening crime, which end can
be accomplished only by the repeal of
many of the laws which he termed
'tyrannical." When making such laws.
he declared, the law-making body
should take into consideration the
proud spirit OF a race of individualiSts
and allow for 1t.
Sixty-three per cent of the 121 900
arrests in Washington last year were
for violations of the prohibition or
traffic laws, Odell Smith told the buSi-
ness men. With this in view, he de-
here.
Adopted by Board.
His report for his committee, embody-
ing approval Of the police and fire pay
increase bill and opposition to the
n1OVpnRnf RAniGal
punishment. was adopted by the board.
Maj. L. E. Atkins, Assistant Engineer
Commissioner of the District and de-
partment commander of the American
Legion, made a brief plea for member
ship in his organization. jerome Barn
ard, chairman of the committee in
charge of the Board of Trades Mid
winter dinner on February /, told OF
the preparations for that affair Fred
East member. sang.
The meeting was the largest OF the
year for the board, 900 persons being
present.
Among the invited guests. who were
introduced by the president, E. j. Muir
ply, and Robert j. Cottrell, executive
secretary. were:
Guests Present.
Senator Robinson of Indiana, Repre-
sentativeS La Guardia of New York,
Kurtz of Pennsylvania, Richard Yates
of Illinois, Stobbs of Massachusetts,,
Montague of Virginia. C. A. Christie
pherson of South Dakota, Kitchener OF
Michigan, Hancock of New York; c. A.
/ YoungquiSt, Assistant Attorney Gen.
eral; Kenneth Mcintosh of the Hoover
National Commission on Law Observ-
ance and Enforcement, Commissioner
Proctor L. Dougherty, Commissioner
Sidney F. Taliaferro, L. Mccormick
Goodhart Of the British embassy, Lieut..
| Col u. S. Grant. Sd, director of Public
Buildings and Parks; Maj. Henry G.
Pratt, superintendent, Metropolitan Po-
| lice; Dan j. Sutherland, Delegate from
! Alaska; Maj. Gen. Anton Stephan, pres
ident. Merchants and Manufacturers
Association; Charles w. Darr, presi-
dent, Washington Chamber of Com
merce: julius I. PeySer, president. Bar
Association of the District of Columbia:
Maj. D. A. Dawson, Assistant Engineer
Commissioner: Maj. l.. E. Atkins, AS
| Sistant Engineer Commissioner: Capt.
Hugh p. Dram, Assistant Engineer
Commissioner; George S. Watson, chief,
Fire Department; Jesse G. Adkins, past
president Of the Bar Association OF the
District of Columbia; w. w. Miller.
past president of the Bar Association;
George C. Shinn second vice president
of the Bar Association; William w. Mil
| Ian, treasurer of the Bar Association;
/ John E. LaSkey, past president of the