Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-09
OPPOSES
FIREARMS BILL
Inlay Holds Citizens Would
Obey Law, While Crimi-
nails Would Not.

A provision in the new Zihlman bill
to regulate the sale, use and possession
Of firearms in the District which would
empower the superintendent of police
to control the sale of such weapons was
opposed today by Charles v. INLAY, a
member Of the National Conference of
Commissioners on Uniform State Laws
and a recognized authority on firearms
regulations.
The provision would require the SUI
perintendent of police to approve the
sale of every dangerous weapon before
it could be delivered to the purchaser
The veSting of such authority in the
police superintendent, according to Mr..
INLAY, would make it difficult for a
aw-abiding citizen to purchase a gun.
I'm effect that provision would con-
stitute the introduction Of a. license to
purchase" said Mr.. INLAY. Very few
States attempt to license purchases.
New York long stood alone on that SUBJ
ject. 1t has been followed in the last
few years. however, by Massachusetts,
and Michigan.
Citizens Would Obey Law.
1.-THE difficulty with a license to pur-
chase is that 1t would be obeyed by the
inal. 1t would merely have the effect
of making it difficult for law-abiding
citizen to get gun"
The new Zihlman bill is now pending
on the House calendar, the House Dis
trict committee having fayorably re-
ported it out February II. 1t was in
troduced as a substitute for a similar
bill which died in the last Congress
after passing the House. The former
measure, however, did not contain the
provision which Mr.. INLAY opposes.
Mr.. Inlay pointed out that the for
mer bill was modelled after the uniform
firearms act, and was approved by a
committee of the National Conference
of Commissioners on Uniform State
Laws, of which he was chairman, in
1925. The American Bar Association
also Endorsed it the same year. Later
both the committee and bar associa-
ton withdrew it from further consid-
Grafton and took it under Amusement
The committee, however, at a recent
meeting in Chicago decided to make
another report to the national confer
ence when it meets in August sub
stantially in accord with the previous
report.
Pratt FavOrs Measure.
Features of the new bill opposed by
Mr.. Inlay are considered very essential
by Maj. Henry G. Pratt, superintendent
of police. He pointed out that the pur-
pose of the section giving the Superin-
tendent of police authority to control
the sale of deadly weapons is to permit
a careful check-up to prevent firearms
from getting into the possession OF
criminals. There would be no need OF
the Police Department making this in
he cold eff If lie mt given
the authority to control the sale"
In reporting favorably on the new
bill the House District Committee de-
clared there is urgent necessity for the
passage of this measure, as at the pres
ent time there is a lack of control over
the sale of pistols and other dangerous
weapons. Any person can now secure
the delivery of a revolver upon the pay
ment of the price without any 1nVeSt1-
CATION having been made as to the
purpose for which it is desired, the
character of the purchaser or the frame
of mind in which the purchaser may
be at the time of the purchase"
Firearms regulations between the
States are now the subject of a confer
ence of the commerce committee OF the
American Bar Association, which opened
Yesterday in New York. The committee
is considering two bills introduced in
the House by Representative Mcleod OF
Michigan, one regulating shipments be-
tween the States and the other requir-
ing that such weapons sent by express
shall be Enthusiastically marked to indl-
cate the contents of the package. The
former bill provides that when firearms
are shipped from one State to another
they cease to constitute interstate COM
merce and become the subject of regula-
ton by the States.