Evening star., 1937-01-17
NINE LOCAL BILLS
ARE GIVEN TO KING
BY DISTRICT HEADS
Uniform Sales and Lunacy
Measures Are Among
Those Submitted.
SENATE COMMITTEE
TO MEET THIS WEEK
Primary Purpose Will Be to Act
on Nominations of Hazen
and Allen.
BY ]. A. O'LEARY.


A batch of nine local bills, incluI-
ing the proposed uniform sales Law
and new method of handling lunacy
proceedings here, we're submitted to
Chairman King Of the Senate District
Committee by the Commissioners late
yesterday, as the chairman planned
to call the first meeting of the COM
mlttee during the coming week.
The primary purpose of the initial
meeting, however, will be to act Oh
the nominations of the two civilian
Commissioners, Melvin C. Hazen and
George E. Allen, who were reap
pointed by President Roosevelt last
week for another three-year term.
Confirmation of the appointments by
the Senate is expected without delay
following action by the committee.
Meanwhile, Senator King, as chair
man of the District Airport Commits
sion, went before the House subcom-
mlttee handling the first deficiency
appropriation bill yesterday afternoon
to ask for inclusion of the $4,000
authorized by the last Congress to
cover the expenses of the commits
sion appointed to recommend an air.
port site to this Congress.
King TO Study Legislation.
The nine pieces of legislation SUBJ
mitted by the Commissioners yester-
day will be studied by King early this
week, before he introduces them in
the Senate. 1t is not certain, there
fore, whether all of these measures
will be ready for consideration at the
committees first meeting, the date
for which has not been set.
In addition to the two previously
mentioned, the seven other bills
recommended by the city heads deal
with the following subjects:
To amend the police salary law by
dividing the detective force into two
pay classes, but with all the plain
clothes men brought under control of
the chief of detectives. Under ex-
isting law all policemen assigned to
detective work must be given $500 q
year additional compensation. The
bill provides for class !, detectives,
at $500 a year extra, and class 2, at
$240 year extra.
A bill making 1T misdemeanor to
trespass on public school property,
subject to penalty of SIS fine.
Weights and Measures.
An amendment to the weights and
measures law to fix standard size con-
tainers for coal when it is sold in
packages.
An amendment to the optometry
law to allow any mercantile establish
ment to operate department of opto-
metry, provided it is supervised by
licensed optometrist.
A change in the gasoline tax law to
require importers. from whom the city
collects the tax, to post bond in an
amount three times the estimated
monthly tax due, to facilitate collec-
tions.
A bill to aid in prevention of blind
ness in infants born in the District
by authorizing the Health Department
to provide certain preventive facilities.
Uniform Sales Bill.
A measure to clarity the authority
of the Public Utilities Commission and
other District agencies to fix penalties
for the enforcement of orders and
regulations affecting the routing, stop
ping, or loading and unloading OF
common carrier vehicles.
The uniform sales bill is designed
to clarity the existing laws of tbs
District relating to the sale of goods,
by defining the legal conditions and
questions relating to the subject. It is
similar to the uniform sales law adopt
ed in AZ of the States. 1t passed the
Senate in the last Congress, but did
not reach final enactment.
The lunacy bill would set up COM
mission of experts to investigate and
report to the court the best disposition
to be made of mental observation cases.
At present such cases are tried by jury
in the District Court. The Commi5-
sioners said in transmitting the bill
that every effort has been made to
preserve the right to trial by jury,
when it is asked for, or when the
court on its own initiative proposes
that course.