Evening star., 1938-11-13
BY JESSEC. SUTER.


Elsewhere in the United States
there was an election last week
and, even though the voteless
and unrepresented District of Co.
lumbia did not participate, it was
a very interested bystander. The
anticipation, realization and ret
rospection of this national event
Is doubtless responsible for the
lack of conclusive action in our
civic affairs during the week.
District officials now have the
Bureau of the Budget on their
hands, though that agency of the
Federal Government very likely
thinks it is the other way around.
To the average inmate" of the
District of Columbia it is an un-
explainable enigma as to just why
the Budget Bureau should be bur-
dened with the District budget
or the District be burdened with
being under the control of that
agency.
The debate on pedestrian control
continues with an apparent grow
ing of opposition on the part of
organizations and individuals.
Many of the pedestrian contin-
gent insist that pedestrian con-
troll here will be unenforceable
and therefore it will be futile to
enact regulations which will be a
dead letter from the start. All
of this discussion indicates that
when the Commissioners hold
their big hearing on the subject
it will be warm and interesting
session.
The efforts of the local judges
and the members of the bar to
speed up court procedure gives
promise of improvement. The
lice has been broken" so far as
court procedure is concerned. The
modernization of the Juvenile
Court, the creation of Small
Claims Court and the rule revi-
sions in the District Courts make
it easier for the gentlemen of the
bench and the bar to part COM
pany with some of the old prac-
tices of the courts which are out
of line with modern business eff
cheney and present-day require
ments.
The report to the Attorney
General by the small claims and
conciliation branch of the Munich
pal Court shows that 1894 cases
were handled during the month.
Judge Scott heard 156 contested
cases, 10 other cases were con-
ciliated without formal trial and
228 additional cases were settled
before trial. Judge Scott is quoted
as saying that during the month
he has seen hundreds of people
receive a type of judicial service
which was never before possible.
He has seen friendly atmos-
phere created for litigants in the
poorer classes.
Another judicial reform is to be
again pushed by Judge Edward M.
Curran of the Police Court, and
that is to create the Office of pub
lie defender. It was announced
last week that bills will be intro
duced when Congress convenes,
with fair prospect of their pas
sage Some of the civic groups
will be expected to urge the Com
missioners to add this to their
legislative program.
District Committees
In the New Congress.
Just who will constitute the
committees on the District of
Columbia in the Seventy-slxth
Congress cannot be told at this
time. The indications are that
either Representatives Kennedy
of Maryland or Randolph of West
Virginia will have the chairman
ship. Mr.. D'Alesandro of Mary
land, successor to Mr.. Palmisano,
will probably be on the commit
tee. Representatives Bigelow Of
Ohio and Allen of Delaware, both
Democrats were defeated. Rep
resentatives Jenckes of Indiana
and Arnold of Illinois, also both
Democrats. who appear to have
been defeated. These four with