Evening star., 1935-05-12
BY JESSE C. SUTER.

~ONTROvERSY on Capitol
Hill and elsewhere over the
crime report has over
~ shadowed other District
matters during the past
week. The House passed two bills
of local interest, one appropriating
money for the hire Of additional
police and to set up public health
safeguards during the Shrine con-
vention, June 8-17. This bill now
requires action by the Senate. The
other was q bill to increase the
White House police force and thus
release the seven members OF the
Metropolitan Police now doing
duty there.
On Wednesday the Senate con-
firmed the nomination Of Almond
w. Scott to succeed James A. Cobb
as Judge of the Municipal Court.
This action was on . report by the
Committee on the Judiciary.
Among the bills pending before
the Senate District Committee are
one to nberalize the divorce law,
Gibson airport bill. one to limit
the jurisdiction Of the District
Supreme Court in public utilities
cases and q proposed new smoke
law. The committee expects to
act on some Of these on Tuesday.
The House District Committee
has before it q long list Of bills
including small loans, new proce-
dure in lunacy cases, rent control.
Tightening Of gambling laws,
amendment to the liquor law. PEN
sions for the needy blind, smoke
law and others. The committee
has reported out the Ellenbogen
rent control bill, but despite this
fact the subcommittee having the
bill in charge has decided to
hold hearings on the measure
in difference to requests. The
crime report Of the special sub
committee has yet to be acted
upon by the full District Com.
mittee before going to the House.
The District appropriation bill
Is still pending in conference and
members so engaged in important
national legislation that there ap-
pears to be no immediate prospect
for action.
The President signed the bill
authorizing the Commissioners to
borrow money from p. w. A. for
the erection, on judiciary Square,
Of the court buildings of the Mu-
nicipal Center. The Commission.
ers lost no time in filing their re-
quest for this money with Secre-
tary Ickes. They ask s3,000.000
for this work for which plans have
already been approved by the Com
missioners and the National Capi-
tai Parks and Planning Commits.
sion.
THE Commissioners traffic ed
ucational campaign, which was
launched last week, Is to run for
eight weeks. The Commissioners
have also announced May 13 to
81 as cleanup weeks" and inn
mediately follows the clean up ed
ucational effort of the past week.
Commissioner Allen continues to
struggle with the very difficult re-
lief problem. He is working out
q program which will give relief
and at the same time take care of
much-needed public work.
The other big news at the Dis
trict Building Is the announcement
by the Commissioners Of their ap-
proval Of a new low-level replace.
ment of Chain Bridge and ap-
proval of the order OF the Public
Utilities Commission Of an extern
sive track-rebuilding program for
the Capital Transit Co.
Considerable civic interest Is CEN
tered In the action OF Corporation
Counsel Prettyman spending con-
siderable time IN the Police Court
to gather first-hand information
on the workings of that tribunal.
prettyman Is being commended for
this very practical method of test
ing out the effectiveness Of the
procedure. particularly Of the rep
resentatives Of his ofiice.
The civic bodies are beginning to
get down to their Summer routine.
Most of the neighborhood bodies
will close with their May meetings.
The Federation of Citizens Asso-
Citations is scheduled to hold only
one more stated meeting, and that
on June /.