Evening star., 1935-02-07
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DELAYS on Local Bills.

VA ~SSNA DAAAS'
Within the first week of the present
session of Congress the Senate received
from its District Committee and
promptly passed eight local measures.
. At least two of them-the safety-re-
sponsibility automobile driving bill and
the strengthening amendments to the
gambling laws - are regarded as of
outstanding local Importance.
But until yesterday the House Dis
trict Committee was to report its
e. first bill of the session. Two meas
ures of routine nature were reported
yesterday after Chairman Norton
gave her committee a well-deserved
lecture on its failure to function as
this committee should function.
Some of the blame for delays may
attach to the procedure under which
subcommittee are appointed to study
and report on local bills, for only a
few of the more important measures
require such treatment. Failure of
the subcommittee to meet regularly,
rejecting a possible lack of interest
in getting legislative business properly
disposed of, results in delay which is
inexcusable in view of the fact that
the local community is wholly de-
pendent upon Congress for the en-
actment of necessary legislation.
In the case of the automobile safety
responsibility bill practically the same
committee handled this measure last
year, reported it favorably and pressed
its passage through the House The
members are generally familiar with
its provisions and most of them favor
1t. It should not require more than
ten or fifteen minutes to get action on
it and place it on the House calendar.
Yet month has elapsed and it is yet
to be considered by the subcommittee
w "44IOAA ~ Woo 4CAC1lCA.
In the case Of the amendments to
the gambling laws Chairman Norton
and other members Of the District
Committee stated at the outset of this
session that the bill, advocated by the
United States attorney, the corpora
tion counsel, the police and other
agencies familiar with the condition
1t is supposed to meet, would receive
immediate consideration. The subcom-
mittee, on the other hand, received it
from the full committee and decided
to go on a fishing expedition into the
field Of Washington crime In general.
So far the investigation has been con-
cerned chiefly with the Police Depart
ment and the usual array of sinister
insinuations regarding its personnel,
damaging to morale and so far un-
supported by facts. The anti-gambling
bill has been shelved until the COM
mittee completes its investigation. But
logical procedure, of course, would be
to report the gambling bill Immediate
ly as one specific remedy for condi-
tion that is known to exist and which
Is due, In part, to the lack of proper
legislation. No matter what is re-
Vealed about crime conditions in
Washington, need for this particular
bill will remain undimished.
There are ten subcommittee of the
House District Committee, and there
are ten bills which the Commissioners
have asked the committee to study.
Under present procedure there must
be separate subcommittee sessions be-
fore the bills come before the full
committee.
Chairman Norton may find it ad-
committee on all local bills that do
not require the exhaustive study Of
subcommittees-and this would apply
to the great majority of local meas
ures-and then to request subcommit-
tees to expedite the discharge of their
own responsibilities. 1t is always ad-
vantageous to have local legislation
reported early in the session. Local
legislation must take its chances in a
House busy with nationally important
projects, and these chances become
more slim as the session is prolonged.
At the present rate the House Dis
trict Committee Is not covering much
ground