Evening star., 1935-01-07
D. c. GAMING BILL
EYED BY SENATORS
Meeting on Local Measures
Held to Speed Action
Before Congress.

The bill to strengthen the anti
gambling laws of the District, the
motorists safety responsibility meas
ure and eight other pieces Of local
legislation are slated for action by
the Senate District Committee at the
first meeting Of the session, called for
1850 pm. today.
With nearly q score Of District
bills ready to be introduced in the
Senate earlier, Chairman King de-
cided to have committee meeting
Immediately in the hope Of obtain
ing prompt reports on some of the
proposals that were considered in de-
tail last year, and with which COM
mittee members, therefore, re familiar
Senator Capper. Republican. Of
Kansas. also was ready to reintroduce
in the Senate this afternoon the joint
resolution proposing a constitutional
amendment under which Congress
would be given power to grant the
people of the District representation
in the House and Senate and the right
to vote for President and Vice Presi-
dent Being constitutional amend
ment, this resolution probably will be
referred to the Judiciary Committee
first.
To Merge Age Pension Bills.
Another important development to-
day was an indication that Senators
Capper and Copeland of New York,
will unite in sponsoring the District
old age pension bill in the form in
which it was agreed upon in COM
mittee last year. At the beginning of
the last session these two Senators in
troduced separate bills, differing in
such details as age limits and other
requirements. The committee worked
out a measure embodying some fea-
lures of each bill Senator Capper
said today he is prepared to join with
Senator Copeland in offering the COM
mittee bill and that this course is
satisfactory to groups that supported
the Capper bill, including labor organ
iZations.
The eight bills Senator King will
ask the District Committee to con-
slider today, in addition to the gam
bling and automobile safety bills, are:
Amending the uSury law. to require
that any bonus or other payment re-
quired in connection with the obtain
ing of a loan must be treated as part
Of the legal interests.
To place additional safeguards
around the procedure of recording
and releasing deeds OF trust.
Excess Condemnation Bill.
The excess condemnation bill,
under which District or Federal
agencies, buying land for public pur-
poses. could acquire more than the
area actually needed whenever this
course would help protect the de-
velopment of surrounding areas or
prevent hardship occurring when
small, irregular shaped parcels are left
over around the public area. The
Government could later resell any of
this additional land not actually re-
quired.
A bill making it a misdemeanor
and fixing penalties for unlawful en-
try on unoccupied private property.
Making the corporation counsel a
member Of the Healing Arts Commis-
sion in place of the District attorney.
Allowing stepchildren, as well as
children, of Government employees,
Army and Navy officers residing in
adjoining States, to enter the District
public schools. The existing law ap-
plies only to children of officers and
employees of the Government.
Making minor changes in the rules
for the disposal Of property which
comes into custody of the police prop
erty clerk.
A bill establishing new qualifica-
tions for practitioners of law In the
District.
Plans Six New Measures.
In addition to these 10 bills that
failed of action in the last Congress,
Senator King also is introducing to-
day six other measures, the most i'm
portant Of which are:
Establishing lunacy commission
to avoid the necessity Of public trial
by jury in all lunacy cases, but with
authority remaining in the courts to
order such trials; amending the law
regarding the descent and distribution
Of estates; revising the fees applying