Evening star., 1932-10-07
CURB PROPOSED
ON MACHINE GUNS
Ten-Year Minimum Sentence
for Possession Uniform
Law Plan.

Possession or use of q machine gun
by an "unnaturalized and foreign born
person" would be presumed to be for
offensive Or aggressive purposes and
would subject the custodian to term
Of Imprisonment of not less than 10
years, under a section Of q statute pro-
posed for adoption by the States and
voted this morning by the National
Conference Of the Commissioners on
Uniform State Laws.
Endorsement Of the act, which will be
sent to the Legislatures Of the several
States for their approval OF rejection.
was over the protest of M. s. Brecken-
ridge. commissioner from North Caro-
lima. who said he didn't see any Use OF
discriminating against the foreign born"
in such legislation.
Only Vote Against II.
His vote. however. was the only one
cast against the proposed statute.
The law in its entirety makes posses
sion or use of machine gun for GRIM
inal purposes punishable by penalties
ranging up to 20 years.
Former Representative Joseph r.
O'Connell of Boston. who had charge
of the act, said he felt that this act
had teeth enough in 1t to make 1t pos
sible for the police departments
throughout the Nation to meet the
challenge of the gangsters and racket
GERS who have been adopting the ma
chine gun in criminal warfare"
Mr.. O'Connell said the Alabama Leg
islature plans to pass such law within
week and that assurances have come
from many communities that the law
will go before their Legislatures this
Winter.
Uniform Trust Act.
Action on the machine gun legislation
was taken after the commission had
discussed the first tentative draft of
uniform trust administration act,
which was referred back to the COM
mittee in charge for further study.
1t will be brought up next year
The commissioners will have a din
ner dance tonight at the Congressional
Country Club and will adjourn at noon
tomorrow
Judge william M. largest of Harris
burg, Pa yesterday was reelected
president for the third successive year
by the conference.
With him were reelected John H
Voorhees, of Sioux Falls. s. Oak, secre-
tary. and Bruce W. Sandborn of ST
Paul. MINI. treasurer Frank L. Pace
of Little Rock. Ark, was elected vice
president to succeed Charley V. INLAY
of Washington, this office only being
held for a term of one year.
After sevenyear study the COL
ference has voted its approval of uni
form mechanics lien act and 1t will &c
to the Legislatures of the several States
for approval. Twenty-Five States voted
through their commissioners in favoi
Of the act and six against it. The
/ District of Columbia commissioners
! Walter c. C,ephane Frederick s. Tyler
ard Charles " INLAY. voted for the act
! which was presented by Mr. INLAY as
chairman of the committee and Dan H
/ Wheeler Of the Department of Com
merce. one Of the principal craftsmen
of the act
Joint Product.
The act is the joint product OF a
committee Of the conference. in whose
formation Mr. Hoover co-operated while
he was Secretary of Commerce in 1925.
Mr. Wheeler has been secretary of the
committee continuously since that time
The act aims to protect the owner OF
property by limiting his liability to the
contract price; to facilitate the filing
of liens By contractors, subconstractorS
and material men. and to reconcile SO
far as Is possible the divergent interests