Evening star., 1935-02-08
D. c. B|LLSBACKED
BY SENATE GROUP
Small Loans Measure One
of Eight Indorsed by
Committee.

The Senate District Committee add
ed a new chapter yesterday to its
record for prompt action on pending
legislation, voting favorable reports
on eight more local bills, including a
new plan for regulating small loans.
The other bills approved included:
To license and regulate real estate
brokers and statesmen, which passed
the Senate in the last Congress, but
died in the House.
Amending the code to place women
on an equality with men under the
law governing the descent and dis
tribution of estates.
Shrine Plans Favored.
Authorizing the making of neces-
sary preparations for the convention
to be held here this Summer by the
Ancient Arabic Order, Mobiles Of the
Mystic Shrine.
Increasing the schedule of fees
charged for filing documents in the
recorder of deeds Office, to keep the
office on a self-Sustaining basis.
The bill fixing heavier penalties for
the offense of soliciting on the streets
for immoral purposes.
The committee also approved two
other minor bills. one of which auth
orizes the laying of private pipe
line under New York avenue y nth
east.
Nine d. C. Bills Pass Senate.
Chairman King already has guided
nine District bills through the Senate
since Congress met in January, and
he will seek early Senate action on
the eight measures reported yeSter-
day.
The committee also directed Sen
ator Reynolds, Democrat, of North
Carolina to file with the Senate the
report of his special subcommittee on
the financing and proposed reorgan-
ization of the Mayfower Hotel, and to
forward a copy to the District Su-
preme Court, where the reorganiza-
ton plan has been under conSldera-
ton.
One of the chief recommendations
of the committee is that the court
special master to get more
information from individual bond
holders as to their preference between
plans for reorganizing the
Limit Set on Charges.
The small loans measure provides
for licensing of persons engaged in
the business and fixes definite limits
on the sums that may be charged for
credit reports and other services, in
addition to interest.
Corporation Counsel Prettyman and
Peoples Counsel Roberts announced
they had worked out amendments in
conference with various groups that
had suggested changes in the original
bill. The principal amendments were
to exclude credit unions, which are
cooperative organizations making
loans only to members, from this
measure; to permit banks doing a
small loan business to come within
the provisions of the bill, and to take
from the superintendent of insurance
the discretion to change the fees or
rates of interest from time to time.
The real estate licensing measure
was supported by Charles ]. Rush,
secretary of the Washington Real
Estate Board, who suggested several
minor changes that were agreed to.
Utilities Bill Deferred.
The bill to limit the powers Of
the District courts in reviewing de-
cisions of the Public Utilities Com
mission was considered, but postponed
for further study. The bill would
require the courts to follow the find
ings of the commission as to facts, If
supported by substantial evidence,
leaving the courts to pass upon legal
questions, including constitutional
issues.
Mrs. Bernard C. Hearn of the Vote
less League Of District Of Columbia
Women Voters addressed the COM
mittee briefly on housing problems.
She presented statistics on apartment
vacancies and said there is a scarcity
of moderately priced housing.
TAI Ikc T0MIHuT