Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-05-10
SENATE APPROVES
DC.REVENUE AND
JUVENILE COURT
Both Sent to White House
for Signature of
President.
HOUSE IS ADAMANT
ON BLANKET POLICIES
Compulsory Taxicab Liability
Insurance Bill Meets Trouble
on Provisions.
By JAMES e. CHM.

BY JAMES E. CHM.
The Senate today approved the con-
ference report on the Juvenile Court
modernization bill, sending it to the
White House for President Roosevelt's
signature along with the Districts
1889 S5,l00,000 revenue bill, On which
the House acted yesterday.
Meanwhile, however, the compul-
sorry taxicab liability insurance bill
found itself in a muddle as a result
Of refusal of the House to agree with
the Senate that separate policies
should be required for each cab. The
House believes feet cab operators
should have the choice of taking out
blanket policies or filing a $4,000
cash bond with the Public Utilities
Commission to cover accident judg.
ments.
The revenue bill, with the modified
business privilege levy on gross re-
ceipts intact, cleared It's final legisla-
tive hurdle late yesterday when the
House approved the conference report
by a 1892 vote. Subsequently, the
House accepted the conference report
on the juvenile court bill without
discussion, but declined to indorse a
conference report on the taxicab in
surance bill, and returned that meas
ure to conference with the Senate by
l97-113 record vote.
Taxi Bill Fate in Doubt.
The ultimate fate of the taxicab
measure remains in doubt, since the
House instructed its conferees to in
sist on granting cab organizations the
privilege of taking out blanket policies.
These conferees are Chairman Pail
misano of the District Committee,
and Representative Nichols, Demo-
crat, of Oklahoma and Dirksen, Re-
publican, of Illinois.
Bitter fights, as anticipated, pre-
coded action in the House on the con.
ference reports on the revenue and
taxicab bills. Altogether the argu-
ments and voting took nearly four
hours.
Chairman Palmisano carried out
his threat to lead the fight against
the revenue bill. He wanted to kill it
because of his opposition to the bust.
ness privilege tax, and force the Com.
missioners to raise the real estate tan
rate to $190 to balance the 1899
budget.
Expected Support Fails. /
But Mr.. Palmisano did not muster
the support he expected. He found
himself battling his own committee
members as we'll as House members
who take an occasional interest in
District affairs.
Representatives Bigelow, Democrat,
OF Ohio, member of the District
Committee, and Tarver Democrat, of
Georgia were among the few who
| gave verbal support to Mr. Palmisanos
| plea for rejection Of the revenue bill
| conference report.
| Representative Nichols, chairman Of
the Fiscal Affairs Subcommittee of the
District Committee. which wrote the
revenue bill, championed the confer
ence report. He was aided chiefly by
Mr.. Dirksen, who twice sponsored an
income tax for the District. Although
| disappearing the business privilege
levy, Mr.. Dirksen told the House he
| would rather see its continuation for
another year than to impose an addi-
| tlonal burden on real estate owners.
| In fact the theme that brought the
conference report supporters victory
did not concern the business privilege
tax, but the fact that death of the
revenue bill would nenalize the small
home owner.
Realty Rate at S1.75.
In final form the bill not only con.
tinues the business privilege tax and
the present SITS real estate tax rate
for another year. but it provides that
| beer sold in the District shall be taxed
at the rate of so cents a barrel The
scale of rates for the business privi-
lege tax ranges from one-tenth of 1
per cent to two-fifths of / per cent
on gross receipts. Exemptions will
remain at $4,000, as under the pres
ent law.
Two separate bills seeking to amend
the business privilege tax were intro
duced in the Senate yesterday after
noon by Senator Byrd, Democrat, Of
Virginia. While the tax measure was
being sent to the White House, these
proposed amendments were referred to
the Senate District Committee for
study.
One bill would exempt from the
business privilege levy associations
of farmers, organized on a co-opera-
tive basis without capital stock The
other measure provides that no license
would be required of any person whose
deliveries are not made from a fixed
location within the District of Co.
lumbia.
Senate Juvenile Terms Accepted.
With adoption of the Juvenile Court
bill conference report, the House ap-
proved Senate amendment which
will give the assistant corporation
counsel assigned to the court the
privilege of determining whether q
child shall be brought before the
court. The original House bill placed
that authority in an attache of the
court
The bill is designed not only to
modernize the court, but to humanize
its procedure as well. It changes the
present criminal procedure to chan
Gerry procedure, and throws additional
safeguards around juvenile law
offender.
Rejection of the conference report
on the taxicab bill, in effect, marked
a victory for the Independent Taxi
Owners Association, operators of the
Diamond cabs, which has consistently
sought the privilege of providing
blanket bond to cover the insurance
Of the $500 cab owners in the
organization.