Evening star., 1935-08-09
8OF I'D. c. BILLS
ARE SLATED FOR
PASSAGE MONDAY
Two Measures to Curb
Crime to Be Called Up
on Consent Rule.
WAR RENT COMMISSION
MOVE EXPECTED TO DIE
Anti-Smoke Action Completed as
Conferees' Report Is Given
Approval.
BY JAMES E. CHINN.


Although the District will lose its
regularly scheduled day in the House
Monday, efforts will be made on that
day to pass of the IL remaining
District bills on the calendar.
These eight bills, most of them
minor in character, are regarded as
non-controversial and Speaker Byrns
has promised Chairman Norton OF
the District Committee permission to
call them up under the unanimous
consent rule.
In the group considered controver-
sal, which will not be called up, are
the Ellenbogen bill to revive the war
time rent commission, bill to raise
the standards of the legal profession
and bill to give vocational schools
the educational status of junior high
schools All these measures are des-
tined for the pigeonhole until the
next session of Congress.
Smoke Bill Passed.
Conference reports on the District
smoke control bill and a bill raising
the maximum penalty for prostitution
from S25 to S100 we're approved today
by the House, completing legislative
action on these measures.
Both bills had been sent to confer
ence because of amendments made by
the House. In each case the Senate
agreed to the House changes.
The smoke control bill will give the
Commissioners greater authority to
abate the smoke nuisance, while the
bill for suppression of prostitution not
onlysprovides an increased penalty, but
to rehabilitate the women who are con-
victed under the vice laws.
The bills which Mrs. Norton eRe-
cially hopes to have passed are two
intended to discourage crime in wash
ington. One defines and fixes punish
ment for bribery of District officials
or employees and the other set: up
more drastic penalties for has cual
criminals.
Both measures were introduced By
Representative Reed, Republican, OF
Illinois. who served as member OF
the Special Crime Investigating Sub
committee of the District Committee.
The penalty in the bribery bill is
six months to five years imprlson-
ment with no alternative fine. The
definition of bribery is comprehensive
enough to include any attempted
bribery as we'll as the actual exchange
of cash.
Provides Maximum Terms.
The bill designed to punish habitual
criminals provides that any person
convicted for the second time of COM
mitting a felony shall be sentenced
TO the maximum term permissible in
the first sentencing.
Thus a man might get only two
years on the first offense, where the
statutes allow a sentence of from
l to 10 years. The second time he
was convicted of a felony. however,
he would be sentenced to the full 10
years regardless of whether the Sec
ond felony was of the same type as
the first.
For the third conviction of a felony
under the bill the court could not
cCAAICAASC IA4C O41CAAOCA W ACco IAAo1A ~
years, regardless of the offense.
Child Art Act Included.
Another bill which Mrs. Norton
expects to pass is one amending
the child labor act to permit juveniles
to participate in professional con-
certs and dramatic productions.
Three of the others to be called up
would license three QUITO f-town physi-
clans to engage in the practice of
the healing arts.
With Congress expected to adjourn
within the next two weeks there Is
little likelihood that any other Dis
trict legislation will be considered
by the House at the current session.
Representative SABBATH, Democrat,
of Illinois, recently introduced a bill
to prevent Government employees from
driving taxicabs after Office hours,
but that hasn't any chance whatever
of passing at the present session.
This measure has been referred to
the District Committee, which will
not hold another meeting until the
next session of Congress, so it will
be impossible to report it back to
the House.
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