Evening star., 1935-07-10
LOAN LAW CHARGE
HITS PRETTYMAN
Mrs. Jenckes Charges Mis-.
feasance-Divorce Bill
Reported.
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

Charges of misfeaSance in office
we're hurled at Corporation Counsel
E. Barrett Prettyman today by Rep
resentative Virginia Jenckes, Demo-
crat, of Indiana at the conclusion of
a stormy meeting of the full House
District Committee.
Mrs. Jenckes read prepared state
ment pointing out that her charges
are based on Prettyman's public ac-
acknowledgement before a congressional
committee that he is not enforcing
the so-called loan shark" law.
At the same time she demanded an
investigation of the loan shark situa-
ton. and urged that pending bill to
regulate the small loan business be
pigeon -holed until all members Of
Congress are fully informed of exist
ing conditions
Prettyman was not present when
Mrs. Jenckes made her charges. He is
understood to be vacationing at an
Atlantic Coast resort.
Divorce Bill Reported.
Mrs. Jenckes made her attack on
the corporation counsel after the COM
mittee had ordered favorable report
on a Senate-approved bill to liberalize
the District divorce laws. The meas
ure. however. was stripped of two
highly controversial provisions that
would have allowed an absolute decree
on ground of cruelty and incurable
insanity for a period of five years.
The committees action marks a
victory for Representative Carpenter,
Democrat, of Kansas, sponsor of more
liberal divorce legislation in the House,
and both the Mems and Women S
Bar Associations of the District, which
agreed to a series of compromises in
order to get House consideration at
the current session.
Charges Come as Surprise.
Mrs Jenckes' charges against Pretty
man came as complete surprise. She
preferred them after explaining her
opposition to the bill to regulate the
small loan business.
Il desire at this time" she declared,
Ito prefer charges of misfeasance in
Office against Corporation Counsel E.
Barrett Prettyman, on account of his
public acknowledgment before COM
mittee of Congress that he is not en-
forcing the present law with reference
to the loan shark industry.
Our Nations Capital has been in
tested for many years with financial
racketeers of all types. Loan sharks,
note shavers, loan shark financing
companies, loan shark real estate oper-
ators have thrived in Washington.
The sound. substantial banks and
financial institutions of our Nations
Capital have been powerless to prevent
these financial leeches from thriving
on our unfortunate citizens"
The divorce bill will now be placed
on the House calendar in time for
action on the next District day, which
is expected to be Monday.
Delays Crime Action.
The committee, however, again side
stepped action on the crime report,
but definitely fixed July "a as the date
to begin its reconsideration in accord
ance with action taken two weeks ago.
Representative Werner. Democrat.
of South Dakota, author Of the Crime
Investigating Committees minority re-
port, which vigorously opposed certain
recommendations in the majority re-
port. especially the one calling for re-
moval of United States Attorney Leslie
C. Garnett, made move to have the
full committee adopt his report as a
substitute for the majority report. But
on the insistence Of Representative
Randolph, Democrat, Of West Virginia.
who served as chairman of the crime
(See PRETTYMAN, Page So