Evening star., 1935-01-31
D. c. CRIME PROBE
MEASURE FAVORED
Rules Committee Backs In
quiry, but Exempts
Juvenile Court.

A resolution giving the Special
Crime Investigating Committee of the
House formal authority to make a
sweeping investigation of vice and
gambling in the District was ordered
favorably reported today by the Rules
Committee.
The Crime Committee already has
started its inquiry and held several
hearings, but without authority to
subpoena witnesses and records and
place illnesses under oath-a power
which the resolution is designed to
grant.
At the inSistence of Lehlbach. an
amendment was agreed TO which will
prevent the committee from inquiring
into Judge Bentley'S action in that
case or delving into the reason for
any decision of District judge.
The resolution introduced by Repre-
sentative Randolph, Democrat, of
West Virginia. chairman of the In
vestigating Committee, was discussed
in detail by the Rules Committee. As
a result, several amendments were
adopted, one of which will require
Randolph to make a report on the
results of the inquiry to the House
during the present session of Con-
gress. Under the original phrase
ology, the committee could have made
its report any time during the Sew
enty-fourth Congress.
Furnaces OufIin0d
Randolph and Chairman Norton of
the House District Committee steered
the resolution through the Rules
Committee by outlining the purpose
of the investigation, and the hopes of
the committee to make Washington a
model for the Nation in law enforce
ment.
Mrs. Norton and Randolph told the
committee the inquiry was inspired by
a marked increase in crime in the
District. Randolph declared crime
had grown at an alarming rate" and
that Washington led all cities in the
country last year in the number of
murders, and stood second on the list
in robberieS. So far this month. he
Chairman O'Connor of the Rules
Committee agreed with Mrs. Norton
and Randolph that Washington
should take the lead in law enforce
ment because the Capital is the shrine
of the Nation.
Fear was expressed by Representa-
tive Lehlbach, Republican, of New
Jersey, that the resolution might give
the Investigating Committee too much
authority. He said he did not believe
the committee should probe into ques-
tions of judicial discretion
Boys Case Referred To.
Lehlbach had reference to the re-
cent action of Judge Fay L. Bentley
of the Juvenile Court in sentencing
two 15-year-old boys to the National
Training School on a charge of 10y
riding" in a stolen automobile
Lehlbach declared he could not
understand why the committee would
want to inquire into the judicial ac-
tivities of a court that sends boys
to a parental home"
Representative SABBATH, Democrat, of
Illinois, suggested that the committee
inquire thoroughly into the gambling
situation because he believed it was
responsible for some of the crime con-
ditions. He pointed out that young
men who lost money gambling might
be influenced to Cheat and steal" to
make up their losses.
SABBATH also urged a thorough in
vestigation into the parole system
after Mrs Norton had pointed out
that District records showed there
were few convictions in comparison
with the number of crimes committed
and that large number of criminals
had been paroled in recent years.
An increase in the Metropolitan Po-
lice force was urged by Representative
Smith, Democrat, of Virginia, as one of
the most important crime deterrentS.
Mrs. Norton agreed with him.
Randolph revealed during the hear
ing on the resolution that Repre-
sentative Blanton, Democrat, of Texas,
had requested permission to testify be-
fore the Crime Committee when hear
ings are resumed tomorrow at 1890
am.
In a signed statement given to a
representative of The Star recently.
Blanton charged that Washington po-
lice were protecti6g law violators.