Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-26
VOTE FOR DISTRICT
URGED BY GIBSON
Reports Individual Graft in
Police Force, With 5000
BootIeggers Here.
Continued From First page)

10 the appeals OF interests OF the resi-
dents OF Washington. While was on
the committee, people were always COM
ing to me at all times and I just had
to get of the commute" or suffer my
health to be ruined. I believe it would
be good idea to give the city a Repre-
sentative in Congress who could devote
his time to the city's affairs"
Representative Palmer of Missouri
asked Representative Gibson If it were
not fact that the citizens of Wash
ington had AIS Representatives In
Congress looking after their interests.
Mr.. Gibson said that this was true
theoretically
Representative Patman of Texas in
quired If any one ever had considered
dividing the District into 425 sections
and allotting to each Representative a
section whose interests he would be
particularly concerned with. Mr.. Glib
son said he had never heard this sug-
geSted.
Amendment Is Necessary.
Mr.. Gibson pointed out that con-
Stitutional amendment would be nee
esSary to give citizens of the District
the right to elect their own Representa-
tiveS. Representative Gibson was asked
whether q constitutional amendment
would find favor in the States and he
expressed the opinion that there was
considerable prejudice against 1t, al
though an active campaign to overcome
this is under way in the press and
over the radio at the present time.
The Vermonter suggested that per-
haps it would be possible to get around
the amendment plan by having a Rep
resentative appointed rather than elect
ed, although he did not expand upon
this idea.
There was no further discussion on
the subject of District representation.
Wants Model Force.
Turning over to the present COM
mittee voluminous reports and other
data obtained by his subcommittee IN
the course of its investigations OF the
Police Department, Mr.. Gibson recon-
mended that the committee make
further study with view to reorganlz-
ing the Washington force so that it will
be model for the entire United States.
For the benefit of new members OF
the committee, the Vermont member
outlined the activities of his subcom-
nittee in investigating the municipal
administration. A year ago, he said, the
committee asked the cooperation of the
Police Department in a plan for re-
organization and that the recommenda-
lions of the department had been re-
ceived only within the last few weeks
For that reason the committees term
had expired before it was possible to
complete its report Mr.. Gibson sug-
gested that the present committee carry
on the survey and complete the work
The police recommendations 70 Wnlcn
he referred were those contained IN
report sent to the committee by In
spector william S. Shelby, the subject
matter of which already has been made
public.
Scotland Yard Report.
Mr.. Gibson also gave the committee
a voluminous report on the reorganiza-
ton Of the police department in Kan
sas City and results Of an inquiry made
by the subcommittee into the Scotland
Yard system of police administration
for use as a possible guide here.
ct would like to ask this committee
to make further study of plans for re-
organizing the police force Of the Ma.
tional Capital into the country's most
efficient department" Mr.. Gibson said.
In my opinion there is now no
organized graft in the Washington
Police Department. That has been
broken up in the last two or three years.
There was at one time organized graft,
and we employed some of the best
to get at it, but somehow we just
couldn't get to The higher ups for one
reason or another.
while this organized graft no longer
exists there are cases of individual
graft by some members of the depart
ment. This Is admitted by the depart
mert itself. There are quite number
of these individual graft cases, but on
the whole believe the rank and file Of
the Police Department are honest"
Too Much Crime Here.
Mr.. Gibson declared there was too
much crime in Washington, as shown
by the number of arrests made here.
Bootlegging and gambling are the two
chief evils, he said.
According to Mr.. Doran of the Pro-
hibition Bureau, who ought to know,
there are 5000 liquor retailers in Wash
ington. The committee also prepared
map of gambling establishments and
turned over the information to the Po-
lice Department. A survey later showed
that most of the gamblers had moved
to other places within the same pre-
cinct"
Representative Palmer of Missouri,
expressed surprise at the Doran figures
and questioned their accuracy. He de-
clared the country was being given
ldlSC lIupICSpIOl Vi pAOIlDAbtOIl OOAAdA-
tions in Washington and that it had an
idea that everybody in Congress was
drinking. He said he had never Smelled
liquor on the breath of any member of
Congress.
Based on Official Reports.
Mr.. Gibson replied that Mr.. Doran's
estimate apparently was based on off,
cial reports and pointed out that the
police subcommittee received estimates
as high as 1000 bootleggers in WASH
ington.
There ensued a discussion as to the
reasons for continued violation of the
dry laws here, and Representative
Tarver Of Georgia expressed the opin-
ion that penalties imposed by the courts
were too light. He told of a case where
second offender was fined $50 and
costs and declared this showed too much
leniency on the part of the courts.
Representative McClintock of Ohio said
he thought every policeman In Wash
ington should be assigned to liquor
cases.
There is no doubt but that all police
departments have need for. reorganiza-
tion," Mr.. Gibson continued. at mean
no criticism of the local department or
other departments, but we must re-
| member that crime is organized, is
widespread and is taking big toll of
| life and property annually.
Homicide Record Cited.
"There are so or go homicides every
| year in Washington which has popu-
lation of 500 900 persons. London with