Evening star., 1934-04-01
Senate Ahead Of House.

Senate Ahead Of House.
The Senate has taken the lead In
the number of local bills passed.
Those which it has sent to the House
include revision and strengthening
of the gambling laws, asked by United
States Attorney Garnett after re-
peated failures to secure indictments
under present laws, which he says are
not enforceable. This bill has not
been introduced in the House. Other
bills passed by the Senate and sent
to the House are: To authorize anna
teur boxing contests in the District;
establishing a new procedure in the
recording of deeds of trust; to fix a
penalty on apartment house owners
who fail to furnish tenants with ade-
quate heat; to place additional safe
guards around industrial life insur-
ance policies; authorizing the Com
missioners to dispose of the old Po-
tomac School property; authorizing
the settlement of claims between the
Federal Government and private
property owners to property along
the Potomac and AnacoStia Rivers
and Rock Creek; to change the name
of B street southwest to Independence
avenue; authorizing an adjustment of
the boundaries of Whitehaven Park
way by an exchange of land with
owners in the vicinity of Huydekoper
place; making minor changes in the
charter Of the Mutual Fire Insurance
Co. and minor amendments to two
other portions of the District code.
In addition to these, Senator King
is hopeful of obtaining favorable ac-
ton at this session on his bill to
broaden the general powers of the
Commissioners in making municipal
regulations, thus relieving Congress Of
some of the tedious and time taking
tasks which lie in this field. Other
Senate bills on which action Is pend
ing include:
The bill to require court procedure
in the foreclosure of mortgages, which
was referred to a subcommittee re-
Gently when citizens asked to be heard
in opposition: a bill to amend the
law relating to usury by placing limi-
tations on certain fees as we'll as
upon the rates of interest, on which
subcommittee headed by Senator
Reynolds of North Carolina will re-
sumo hearings Tuesday morning; bills
amending the fire. e-escape regulations
and changing the fees in the Recorder
of Deeds Office; bill relating to the
problem of excess condemnation,
which is being studied by Senators
King and Austin.
House Side Measures.
On the House side, Chairman Nor
ton of the House District Committee
has been promised time for House
consideration of important local legis-
lation of "emergent character" Some
of the local legislation, it is pointed
out, may not come within such a
classification, but at the same time
| is considered most desirable by local
| citizens.
At its meeting next Wednesday the
House District Committee is expected
to order favorably the bills requiring
| compulsory liability insurance for
taxicabs and a measure requiring
liability insurance for private drivers
convicted of certain charges in traffic
accidents. Both these measures are
considered highly desirable and have
been asked for many years. Senator
King, on the Senate side, is hopeful
that favorable action will be possible
there If the House acts.
The Senate has passed q bill to
legalize amateur boxing. In the
| House, two boxing bills have been
reported and are pending, which
would authorize professional as well
as amateur boxing.
Altogether there are IS bills pend
ing on the House calendar-some OF
which may receive action next Dis
! trict day-which falls on April 8.
Chairman Norton said last night
that shortly before former Corpo-
ration Counsel Bride retired from
that Office he had prepared for the
committee q list of the bills which
the District Commissioners considered
to be particularly urgent. This list
has not yet been presented to the
committee, but Mrs. Norton will
again invite the Commissioners to
make such report.
Favors Old-Age Pension.
Mrs. Norton herself is particularly
interested, despite the Budget Bureaus
unfavorable report, in having an old
age pension law enacted for the Dis
trict, which will be a model for other
Jurisdictions. There are three old
age pension bills pending before the
House Committee, introduced, re-
spectively, by former Chairman Focht.
Republican, of Pennsylvania; by Mrs.
Norton and by Representative Loring
Black, Democrat. of New York. The