Evening star., 1935-12-17
DISTRICT COURTS
ARE PLACED AHEAD
OF ANY IN COUNTRY
Garnett Lauds Justice Here
at "District Night" of
Board of Trade.
UNITED SUPPORT URGED
FOR MUNICIPAL CENTER
1900 Washington Business and
Professional Men Hosts to 80
Executives and Judges.

Approximately LOU washington
business and professional men played
host last night to SO District eXecu-
tlves and judges at the annual Dis
trict night" of the Washington Board
of Trade. and heard the local courts
praised as the most up-to-date'
Jurisdiction in the United States in
the handling of criminal cases.
Leslie c. Garnett, United States dis
trict attorney and spokesman for the
judiciary, asserted, in the closing ad-
dress of the meeting at the Willard
Hotel, that nowhere under the Amer
ican flag is criminal justice handled
with more dispatch" than in the Dis
trict.
This, he said, is accomplished under
physical circumstances that are a
disgrace not only to the Nationa
Capital, but to the entire country
and he pleaded for the support OF
the board on the Municipal Center
project, which would provide adequate
court house facilities for the several
branches of the local judicial system
Cites Speed of Courts.
He opposed the project to remodel
the old Pension Office, now occupied
by the General Accounting Office
This building occupies the site orig
inally slated for the new building for
the District Supreme Court under the
plan of the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission.
Garnett pointed out that since Oc-
tober l, when 442 felony cases were
pending, AL had been disposed OF
through yesterdays court sessions, in
spite of the Thanksgiving holiday and
the fact that one division of the court
had been busy with only four cases
during the past four weeks. He ex-
planned, however, that the docket is
not clear, since 291 new indictment
have been returned in the meantime
In some cases" he added. I'VE are
actually trying the cases within two
weeks of the commission of the crime.
Garnett was the last of four speak
ers for the District officials. He was
preceded by the three District Com
missionerS.
Commissioner Melvin c. Hazen pre-
sented "an accounting of steward
ship" for the Board of Commissioners,
citing public projects that have either
been launched or completed under the
present regime. He stressed the fact
that the last session of Congress set
a record by the enactment of 36 local
bills that we're instituted by the Dis
trict government.
Asks Referendum Law Backing.
Commissioner George E. Allen asked
for support for his proposal for an
advisory referendum law for the Dis
trict
Il don't want to talk" he said, "on
the duties have to perform, for no
body will agree on what I should or
should not do. But do want you to
have an opportunity to have some
~{hing to say about your own govern
ment. And I think you can have, if
! can, with your support, get through
Congress the referendum law I hope
to get for you
Engineer Commissioner Dan I. Sui
tan paid particular compliment to the
through P. W. A. funds. He cited the
fact that private building in Wash
ington, not including large hotel or
apartment projects, had jumped from
S7000,0O0 in 1888 to Sl5,000,000 in
1885 and $11 100000 in the first five
months of the 1886 fiscal year.
This means" he said, that with
our appropriations from Congress we
could not provide sewers, streets, water
and the other necessary facilities and
utilities without the AID of P. w. A.
funds"
He also said that his department
had undertaken to save money for the
District and cited the case of spending
only $4,000,000 for a sewage disposal
plant as against 100000 requested,
and estimated saving of 100000 to
$4,000 in drilling for water at the
Glenn Dale tuberculosis hospital in
stead of attempting to pipe water to
the institution.
Louis Justement, chairman of the
Municipal Art Committee, outlined the
bienniel contest for the improvement
of public buildings, the winners of
which will receive scrolls of merit for
their work.
DR.. Arthur c. Christie, chairman of
the Public Health Committee, sub
mitted the annual report of that group,
in which tribute was paid DR.. George
c. Rutland, health officer, for launch
ing the present anti-tuberculosis cam
paign.
c. U. Coach introduced,
President John Saul also introduced
Arthur Dutch" Bergman, coach at
Catholic University, and Ed Karpo-
vich, captain of the c. U. etam, and
complimented the team upon being
selected for the annual Orange Bowl
game at Miami on New Years day.
An entertainment program was fur
nished by Policeman Luskey and his
wife, instrumental musicians; Henry
Nestor, singing policeman, and Matt
Windsor and his Russian Gypsy
Chorus from the Club Volga Boatman.
The meeting was preceded by an
informal reception for the guests of
honor, at which officers. directors and
committee chairman of the board were
present. 1t was concluded with buf-
fet supper.
Guests Introduced.
Distinguished guests introduced
from the stage, in addition to Com
missioners Hazen, Allen and Sultan;
District Attorney Garnett and Health
Ohicer Rutland, included the follow
ing:
Justices Josiah Van Orsdel and
Harold M. Stephens of the District
Court of Appeals; Chief Justice Al
fred A. Wheat and Justices Joseph w.
Cox, r. Dickinson Let's, Oscar r.
Luhring and James M. Proctor of the
Supreme Court; Presiding Judge
George c. Aukam and Judges Robert
Z. Mattingly and Nathan Cayton Of