Evening star., 1938-11-29
Commissioners
List DC. Goals
|nLegis|ation
Favor Separate. Civil,
Service, Authority
To Limit Tuxis

Reviving a number of local legis-
lative measures which have failed OF
enactment in past years, the District
Commissioners yesterday drew up a
tentative legislative program for the
District for possible action at the
next session of Congress.
More than a dozen major and
minor bills received the Commis-
sioners' approval at morning and
afternoon conferences with Corpora
ton Counsel Elwood H. Seal. A
number of Others presented by Mr..
Seal for consideration either were
shelved for the present or returned
to department heads for further
study.
One of the chief items in the
proposed program is plan to
establish an independent Civil Serv-
ice Commission for the District
Government. A bill embodyjng this
proposal was drawn up last year,
but the measure failed to receive
congressional consideration.
Would Favor ID. C. Residents.
Under the Commissioners plan,
District residents would be given
preference for District jobs over
applicants from the States. At pres
ent, only the Metropolitan Police
and District Fire Departments have
civil service ratings and protection.
School teachers and the public
library have been provided a merit
system of their own, but the re-
mainoer of the District personnel
does not have civil service status.
The Commissioners also gave their
approval to a proposed bill to give
the Public Utilities Commission
authority to limit the number of
taxicabs in the District and another
measure to give the District power
to regulate local fire insurance rates.
Both of these measures have been
submitted to Congress before, but
have never reached the floor for
consideration.
Under the taxicab bill the COM
mission would be empowered to
deny transfers of licenses and ap-
plications for new licenses. thus
gradually reducing the number of
cabs to whatever limit would be set.
Cut in Rates Seen Probable.
The fire insurance bill was intro
duced in Congress last year, but
did not reach the floor The meas
ure presumably would result in
lower rates for District fire insur-
ance policy holders. Last year, j.
Balch Moor, superintendent of in
surance. told Congress that these
policy holders were "overcharged"
more than s10,000,000 from 1924
through 1885 because the rates here
are "exhorbitant"
The Commissioners instructed
Corporation Counsel Seal to draft
a bill which would place the chief
clerk Of the Police Department
specifically under the major and
superintendent. The present law,
it was said, does not require the
chief clerk to report to the police
chief.
Howard Crawford. chief clerk of
the department, was suspended
recently by the Commissioners and
an audit of his accounts was
ordered.
The Commissioners asked Mr.
Seal to study the possibility of a
bill to exempt professionals, such
as actors and entertainers, from the
local child-labor laws.
A bill which would place regula-
ton of wrestling matches in WASH
ington under the District Boxing
Commission did not receive final
approval. The Commissioners said
they would ask Police Supt. Ernest
w. Brown. who is chairman of the
Boxing Commission, to obtain ad-
ditional information on methods
used by other cities in regulating
wrestling. The bill probably will
be considered later.
Other Measures Approved.
The Commissioners approved the
following other measures:
A bill to increase local appoint
ments to the United States Naval
Academy from to Is and appoint
ments to the United States Military
Academy from to 9.
A bill to decrease the license fee
of real estate brokers from $50
to $25.
An amendment to revise the
plumbing regulations to include
installation and servicing of re-
frigerating and air-conditioning
machines and equipment.
A bill giving the Commissioners
the right to change the name of
streets in the District.
A bill establishing an Office in the
Department of Vehicles and Traffic
to record liens on automobiles.
A bill to authorize the Commits
sioners to use their discretion in
fixing the hours when street lights
may be turned on.
A bill authorizing the Board OF
Education to accept voluntary serv-
ices from citizens.