Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-24
D. c. MAN TR|UMPHS
IN FIREARMS MOVE
Inlay, Attorney, Worked I
Years on Bar Associations
Uniformity Act.

Adoption by the American Bar Asso-
citation at its annual convention In Chi
cago last week of proposed uniform
firearms act constituted In part VIC
tory for Charles v. INLAY, prominent
Washington lawyer, who represented
the District on a committee Of the
National Conference of Commissioners
on Uniform State Laws, which framed
the code.
For seven years the committee, with
INLAY serving most of the time as its
chairman, worked on the uniform code
before it was finally approved by the
Commissioners and passed on to the
Bar Association for it's Endorsement. In
1925 1t was recommended to the State
at a meeting In Denver, but objections
resulted in its withdrawal and return
to the committee for further consider
alton.
Resembles Zihlman Bill.
AS redrafted and approved, however,
the code is virtually in the same form
In which 1t was first adopted In 1926.
The act is said to be very similar to the
bill introduced in the House last year
by Representative Zihlman Of Maryland
and passed by that body, but which
failed to get through legislative jam
in the Senate. In the last session OF
Congress the Zihlman bill was replaced
by q similar measure introduced by
Representative Mcleod Of Michigan,
which also failed Of passage.
The Mcleod bill adopted most or the
text Of the proposed uniform act, and
added several new features. These in
cluded an additional requirement that
the purchase of pistol must be APP
proved by the major and superintendent
of police. that the purchaser must sub
nit to being finger printed, and that
the purchaser must give bond.
The uniform act, however, rejects all
three of these requirements on the
theory that the effect would be merely
to impose an undue burden on reputable
citizens who might need weapon for
legitimate protection Of their homes or
property.
Honest Citizens PenaIized.
These requirements, according to
INLAY, constitute q species of law which
would be obeyed by law-apiding citizens
and not by criminals.
They would result" he said, Gin a
system Of pistol bootle gging. Criminals
would have guns under any circum-
stances. even resorting TO sawed-of1
siotglins.
"The uniform code strikes the mid
die ground between legislation which Is
TOO 0TaSLlC ana leBlSlaIlUu WHICH 10 Coo
liberal. We believe there is a need for
larger use Of firearms TO resist the
criminal element.
1.-THE uniform act prohibits the carry
ing Of concealed weapons except under
rigid licensing. This system of pro-
hibition also applies TO the carrying OF
weapons in vehicle. 1t requires that
q purchaser must wait 40 hours before
delivery Of the weapon, during which
time report is made to the chief OF
police.
Licenseless Weapons Hit.
1.-THE possession of concealed
weapon without license Is prina .facie
evidence of intention to commit crime.
The commission of crime carries with
1t an extra penalty.
I'm addition, the code prohibits the
sale of weapons to minors, to those who
have been convicted of crimes Of vio-
lence, and drug addicts.
Although these are drastic regula-
tions. the act does not attempt to inter-
fere with the common law right which
citizens have under the Constitution to
bear arms"