Evening star., 1936-01-12
CHAIRMAN NORTON
WILL CALL UP NINE
BILLS TOMORROW
Plans to Clear Calendar OF
All But One Measure
First D. c. Day.
NONE CONTROVERSIAL,
QUICK PASSAGE SEEN
Ellenbogen Rent Proposal Waits
on Private Investigation by
Committee Head.
BY JAMES E. CHINN.


An effort to clear the House CAL
endar Of all but one of the 10 Dis
trict bills left over from the last ses-
sion will be made tomorrow during
the first so-called District day" Of
the new session.
Chairman Norton of the District
Committee announced last night she
proposed to call up for action all the
measures on the calendar with the
exception of the Ellenbogen bill to
revive the wartime rent commission.
None Of the measures is regarded as
controversial, and rapid approval is
expected.
Action will not be sought on the
Ellenbogen bill at this time because
Mrs. Norton is in the midst of pri-
vate investigation of the rent situa-
ton which she hopes will result in
an adjustment of conditions called
to her attention. She has warned
landlords, however, that Congress will
force them to cut rents to a fair
and reasonable" basis, unless they
do 1t voluntarily.
Two Crime Measures.
Outstanding among the remaining
nine bills are two which grew out OF
the investigation of crime conditions
at the last session by a special sub
committee of the District Committee.
One would define bribery and make it
a felony. The other would increase
penalties for habitual criminals.
Other measures regarded as i'm
portant include one to raise the
standards of vocational schools to
those of junior high schools and give
the vocational school teachers the
same rate of pay as those in junior
high schools. Another would set up
standards for the legal profession, and
q third would permit children to take
part in professional concerts and
stage productions.
The four other bills are minor in
character. Three are designed to
license three physicians-Drs. Arthur
B. Walker, PAX Chu Chan and r. A.
Cox. The other would give the
Health Department authority to open
graves.
Regardless of the outcome Of Mrs.
Norton's rent inquiry, it is likely that
Ellenbogen's rent commission bill will
be materially altered before 1t is called
up in the House for action. Ellen
bogen has a new plan to force down
rents-imposition OF a tax upon ex-
cessive income received by apartment
house and hotel owners. The scale of
tax would be graduated.
Ellenbogen's bill, in its present form.
IS considered unconstitutional by Rep
resentative Dirksen, Republican Of
Illinois, member of the District
Committee, who has threatened to
fight if 1t is ever called up in the
House.
Freezing Rentals Urged.
Dirksen made a comprehensive
study of the rent situation in Wash
ington at the last session and intro
duced a bill to freeze rentals as of
January l, 1885. He did not press
for action on the bill, but may do so
at the present session If developments
in Mrs. Norton's study indicates leg
islation is necessary.
Dirksen questions the constitution
ality of Ellenbogen's bill because it is
predicated on the assumption that a
housing shortage constitutes an emer-
gency comparable to that existing
when the wartime rent commission
was in existence. He believes his plan
for freezing rents would be held con-
stitutional if challenged.
If the House clears its calendar of
District legislation tomorrow, Chair
man Norton plans to have several
other bills ready for consideration on
the second District day of the ses-
sion, January ~. Steps already have
been taken to move these bills toward
the calendar.
Hearings will be held this week by
two subcommittee on legislation Mrs.
Norton wants to dispose Of without
delay. The subcommittee on public
health, hospitals and charities will
renew hearings on a long-pending
bill to regulate beauty parlors. Hear
ings also are to be held by the Judi
ciary Subcommittee on two small loan
bills.