Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-12
ANTI-FIREARMS LEGISLATION
ENDANGERED BY DISSENSIONS
Dispute Over Amendments Which Pre-
vented Passage Last Year
Is Revived.

Both factions are striving to prevent
weapons from falling into the HANDS
Of undesirable persons. The Rifle AS
ISOLATION maintains the dealer can de-
eide who should or should not puy
p1ln. while the other group insists the
police are best qualified to determine
that. ,...;o,,
are corcerned principally with the oe-
tails of license application. some OF
them, however, are regarded as I'M
portant.
License Rules Similar.
The rules for obtaining a license to
carry arms are substantially similar
under both acts, except that the cor
noration counsels bill provides that any
me obtaining a license shall be re-
ouired to post $500 peace BOND.
AS for sale the uniform bill requires,
as does its competitor, that no purchase
may be delivered within less IMAM 40
hours. Cameron adds, however, that An
the application blank, filled out by the
would be buyer, the flngerprints OF the
purchaser must be included in order
that the police may check upon the
assertion that the applicant never has
been convicted of crime OF violence
here or elsewhere. He also provides
that the superintendent of police may,
with sufficient reason, refuse the APP
plicant permission to complete the
purchase.
The National Rifle Association au-
thorities maintain the fingerprint pro-
vision will be distastetul TO the pubic
as IL is associated with the examina-
ton of criminals. Mr. Cameron of the
CORPORATION counsels Office points out
many Army enlistmentS and apph-
cants for Federal positions are finger
printed; that it Is becoming a wide
spread practice to flngerprint children
at birth: that the necessity for such
records is recognized through the
world. He also says no honest citizen
will object to a formality which casts
no reflection upon him, but is designed
to protect him from the dishonest.
Minimum Age Differs.
The uniform bill orders that pistols
shall not be sold to persons under Ii
years of age, except in the presence
of a parent or guardian. The corpora
ton counsel raises this limit to 81
years.
There are, nevertheless, many points
on which the two forces agree. Both
demand that the illegal carrying of a
weapon be made an offense in itself
Both order additional penalties for all
crimes committed while armed. It is
mutually agreed that being armed dur
ing the performance of a crime shall
be prima facie evidence of the intent
TO use the weapon. A progressive
scale of increasingly heavy penalties
for each armed crime Is accepted in
both camps.
Furthermore, there Is no disagree
ment on provisions allowing persons to
possess a weapon within the home or
place of business or to transport it from
home to business or to a repair shop,
II securely wrapped and unloaded.
The factions are frankly at odds, how
ever, on the other items cited, and it
Is believed compromise will be neces-
sary In order to assure the success of
the anti-flrearms movement in the ap-
preaching Congress. In line with this
belief, Odell S. Smith, chairman of the
Public Order Committee of the Wash
ington Board of Trade, has announced
there will be a meeting of a subcom-
mittee of his organization to consider
the viewpoint of both interests, and, If
possible, to reconcile the views of the
two. Mr.. Smith said Gen. Reckord and
Mr.. Cameron may be asked to appear
for conciliatory discussion.