Evening star., 1936-11-29
Announces Legislative Pro-
gram and Says She Will
Continue Post.
REPRESENTATION BILL
FIRST TO Be OFFERED
Measure to Put Teeth" in Gam.
bling Laws Here on List for
Next Session.
BY JAMES E. CHINN,
STAFF Correspondent of The Star


PELHAM, N. Y, November 28.-
Representative Mary T. Norton of New
Jersey today definitely spiked rumors
she would resign as chairman of the
House District Committee to take an
assignment on the more important
Appropriations Committee, and at the
same time announced her legislative
program for the coming session OF
Congress.
THE Craftsmanship of the House
District Committee is a headache"
declared Mrs. Norton. But I love
Washington and feel that I can be
of more valuable service to the city as
chairman of the District Committee
than by serving on the Appropriations
Committee. am willing to sacrifice
all the honor and glory that goes with
service on the Appropriations Com
mittee in an effort to see that Wash.
ington gets square deal in Congress"
Mrs. Norton, visiting her sister in
Pelham, already has made ambitious
plans for the District COMMITTEES
during the Seventy-flfth Congress.
Every item in her elaborate program
is designed to improve existing condi-
tions in Washington. and to expedite
passage of legislation necessary to
bring about the changes.
subcommittee to End.
First and foremost, Mrs. Norton pro-
poses to abolish every standing sub
committee of the District Committee
as a means of preventing the death ot
| legislation from lack of consideration
She pointed out that 81 District bills
some of them of vital importance died
in subcommittees at the last session
of Congress because of the pigeon.
holing proclvities of subcommittee
chairmen who were not in sympathy
/ with the measures.
Second, Mrs. Norton proposes -
urge the Ways and Means Committee
to place on her committee only mem
bers who are interested in District az
fairs. In the last Congress, she sal q
only a few members of her committee
took an active part in the commits
! tees activities
Topping Mrs Norton's legislative
program is the joint resolution to re-
lease the District from the shackles
Of disfranchisement through a con-
stitutional amendment to provide for
national representation. She said
this resolution would be the first she
would introduce at the coming session.
A bill to destroy the effect of the
so-called red rider" to the 1896 Dis
trict appropriation act forbidding the
teaching or advocacy of communism
in the public schools is second on the
list.
The third measure is intended to
modernize and humanize Juvenile
Court procedure by substituting
chancery for the present criminal
system. A so-called model" bill fog
this purpose failed to reach the House
calendar at the last session.
Gambling Bill Teeth.
The legislative program also in.
cludes bill to put teeth" into the
Districts gambling laws teeth"
that will emasculate the numbers
racket"-as well as a measure to
legalize horse racing under the pari-
mutuel system.
In addition, Mrs. Norton said she
would sponsor legislation to put into
effect the plan of Judge Nathan
Cayton of Municipal Court to create
a small claims branch to handle cases
involving $50 or less.
Two of the bills on which Mrs.
Norton will seek immediate action
the anti-gambling measure and the
one to legalize horse racing-were
among the 81 that died in the last
Congress because of failure to receive
subcommittee approval. Both measures
were referred to the Judiciary Sub
committee, headed by Representative
Palmisano, Democrat, of Maryland.
The anti-gambling bill had passed the
Senate.
With abolition Of standing sub
committees, Mrs. Norton explained it
will be possible to get these two meas
ures, as we'll as others on which action
is desired, on the House calendar, since
they will be referred to special COM
mittees for consideration. In appoint-
ing special committees. Mrs. Norton
hopes to select as chairmen only mem-
bers known to be in sympathy with
the bills
| Mrs. Norton pointed out that the
L