Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-04
Capper and Borah See Early
Move to Improve Enforce
ment Machinery.
HOWELL COMPARES BILL
WITH ORIGINAL DRAFT
Move Provides for Two Additional
Judges to Speed Up
Trial of Cases.

The separate prohibition enforcement
bill for Washington, drawn by Senator
Howell, Republican, of Nebraska, anc
submitted to Congress in revised for.u
by Attorney General Mitchell yesterday,
will be among the important legislative
proposals before the Senate District
committee this Winter.
Shortly after the Attorney Generals
report had been submitted yesterday to
Chairman Capper of the District COM
mittee, Senator Borah, Republican, of
idaho expressed the belief that the
present session of Congress would act
on the recommendations to improve
enforcement machinery here. Senator
Borah in recent weeks has taken the
lead in calling for more rigid law en-
forcement throughout the country.
Howell Studies Revised Bill.
Senator Howell began Immediately TO
compare the bill as revised by the De-
partment of Justice with his original
draft to determine the extent of differ
ence. He was not ready, therefore. to
comment on the detailed provisions OF
the measure. He said, however, he
agreed fully that Washington needs
local enforcement act and also one or
two additional judges.
The movement to give the District
Supreme Court two additional justices
to provide for speedier trial of cases
after they have been made by the en-
forcement officers was under way in
Congress before the Attorney Generals
report was received. A bill to accom-
plish this was introduced as soon as
the regular session began and is await
ing action in the Senate judiciary COM
mittee, of which Senator Norris OF Ne
braSka is chairman.
In support of the recommendation
for an increase in the number of judges,
the Attorney General included in his
report to Senator Capper copies of cor
respondence he had with the district
attorneys Office and the justices of the
Supreme Court, giving complete rec
ords on the number Of cases docketed
and tried during the past few years.
He also inclosed similar reports from
Police Court officials as to the volume
Of work being handled in that tribunal
and called attention to the prime need
Of that court for larger quarters. This
need will be permanently met in the
new Municipal Center program, but the
suggestion was made that some addi-
tional space might be arranged tenn
porarily.
Stresses Need for Law.
In stressing the need for passage of
local enforcement law to supplement
the national prohibition act, Senator
Howell yesterday afternoon declared
that Washington is in much the same
situation as New York, which has no
State enforcement act.
The main feature of the local dry
bill as submitted, Is that 1t would
qualify all members of the Police De-
partment to cooperate in the enforce
Ynent of prohibition, whereas at present
only a limited number of local police
men are prohibition enforcement Of
dcers.
The bill also re-enacts and clarifies
parts of the old Sheppard law, which
was the dry law In Washington before
national prohibition. These sections
Of the bill define and deal with in
toxication, drinking in public, driving
vehicles, other than automobiles, while
under the influence of liquor and SINH
lar offenses. Driving an automobile
while intoxicated is dealt with under
the traffic law.
The bill also extends and defines the
power of Police Court judges in issuing
search and arrest warrants and sets
forth the rules for handling property
seized in enforcement work.
A feature of the bill is the section
dealing with persons who permit prop
erty used by them, or under their con-
troll, to be used as a nuisance.