Evening star., 1938-03-13
b0ARD'SLAW UNIT
ACTIVE SINCE 1885
History and Problems Of
Trade Body's Legal
Roster Discussed.
BY JOHN N. CAssADY, Jr.

Roster Discussed.
BY JOHN N. Cassidy, Jr.
A glance At the membership list
OF one Of the Board Of Trade COM
mittees might lead you to believe you
were reading the roster of the District
Bar Association.
It can't be found in any listing of
lawyers associations, but the Com
mittee on Law and Legislation Of the
trade organization probably could
qualify Is such. Naturally, with .
membership Of more than 1000 in
this center Of government, the Board
Of Trade has many members of the
legal profession. Consequently, It's
Law and Legislation Committee Of
24S members is made up largely Of
attorneys.
This unit was the outsrowth Of .
special committee on legal matters
appointed in 1895 to consider codifi-
cation OF the District laws. In that
year discussion Of the necessity for
. new code Of laws for the District
was held At one Of the boards public
meetings and the special committee
was named
Code Work Begun.
In his report at the conclusion Of
his first term as president Of the
board, on November IA, 1898, Theo-
dore w. Noyes discussed the work
which had been done in preparing a
code up until that time and called
attention to the fact that the special
committee had recommended in 1895
that Judge w. S. Cox be invited to
prepare a codif1cation of existing
local laws and that the bar aSsoci-
alton should be invited to combine in
Issuing the invitation to Judge Cox
and cooperate with the board in the
proposed project.
He reported he had received word
from Judge Cox stating that after
three years work he had completed
his task and recommended that the
board take vigorous action to secure
passage of the general code Of laws.
In 1899 Mr.. Noyes reported the
board and the bar association had
combined and borne the expense of
having copies of the code drafted by
Judge Cox printed and distributed to
members Of Congress and interested
citizens. On March 80, 1901, the code
was signed by the President and be-
came ef1ective, thus eliminating the
efforts to simplify District law over
q period of six years.
Municipal Code Proposed.
:, After adoption Of the general code,
the committee began working to have
q municipal code written but suggested
that because Of the time and expense
involved. an appropriation from public
funds be made for carrying on the
work.
Other subjects which the committee
has considered include: 1907, general
1ncorpora alton law; 1912, amendments
TO the lunacy law congestion In the
local courts; 1918, new rules for speed
Ing up court procedure: 1915, bad
check law: 1917. licensing of junk
dealers and secondhand dealers and
appointment of two additional judges
to the District Court; 1921, small loan
law, recommendation setting up Board
OF Accountancy; 1923, compulsory au-
tomobile liability insurance; 1925, gun
totlng law. registration Of osteopaths,
auto title law; 1926. allowing women to
serve on juries, and 1929, appointment
OF an additional judge in District
Court.
In 1909. the committee ceased to be
q special committee and became the
Committee on Law. regular standing
unit. Subsequently the title was
changed to law and legislation. In
addition to its work on strictly legal
matters, the committee also reviews
most OF the new legislation proposed
Tor the District, and when requested BY
other board committees it drafts bills
to be presented to Congress.
Lunacy Bill Approved.
Recent actions of the committee in
clude approval Of the principles of
the pending bill to change proceedings
under the lunacy law to provide for a
1unAcy board and the elimination of
jury hearings before commitments un-
less the hearing is demanded.
The committee is on record in favor
OF the civil service law for District
employees, but has recommended that
the District itself should not attempt
to administer details of the law, but
should request the United States Civil
Service Commission to handle this
task. The committee has shown this
Il feasible and would be a great deal
more economical than the establish
ment OF new District department.
In connection with this matter the |
committee has recommended that an
pointments to positions in the mil |
nlcipal government should be made |
from District residents.
Matters Now Pending.
Matters now occupying the COM
,mittees attention include the pro.
posal to abolish the Office of the coro-
.ner and substitute . medical exam
aner. a study Of necessary revisions
: In the zoning law, and the enlarge
ment of the powers of the Board of
Commissioners. No action has been
taken on these questions.
! George w. Of1utt Is chairman of the
committee, and Joseph c. McGar-
'raghy Is vice chairman. Heads of
the subcommittee are the following:
= Paul E. Lesh, Subcommittee on En-
larging Powers OF the Commission
.ers; Ralph A. Cusick, Subcommittee |
on Requiring Foreign Corporations
Doing Business in the District to Reg
! lister and Appoint = Resident Agent;
Francis w. Hill, jr, Subcommittee on |
establishment Of q Separate Civil
Service for the District; A. K. Shipe.
9 Subcommittee on Combining Small |
Courts and the Question of the Mag
.astats system; MI. McGarrashy,
Subcommittee on the Proposed Lu-
macy Law Amendment: Frederick