Evening star., 1939-11-27
City Law Officers
Asked 10 Help Drive
On liking
Justice Aide Urges
Reports on instances
Of Uniform Bids

City attorneys can help the De-
partment of Justice restrict price
fixing in the building trades and at
the same time possibly save money
for their municipalities by report
ing cases of uniform bidding on city
projects, Gordon Dean, Special As
sistant to the Attorney General, to-
day told the National Institute of
Municipal Law Officers at the May
flower Hotel.
Mr. Dean cited the case of Pitts
burgh. where bids on municipal
construction projects, he said, used
to be the same With Department
of Justice representatives on the
scene. Pittsburgh already has saved
$1,000 in the first quarter of its
new fiscal year, Mr.. Dean said.
In his luncheon address, Mr.. Dean
avoided reference to the building
trades controversy in the District.
Mr.. Dean recently was placed in
charge of prosecution of labor union
leaders for violation of antitrust
laws under indictments growing out
of the building trades investigation
of the Department of Justice.
Cities Told to Act.
A committee on taxation of the
institute. declaring that from 1915 to
1881 cities over 100000 population
were drawing so to IS per cent of
their income from property taxes,
said:
"The problem of cities is to get
provision in all State laws on this
subject that cities are to receive
back at least so per cent of all in
come taxes collected by the State
from persons earning their income
within the city's corporate limits
The committee was headed by City
Attorney Joseph w. Anderson of
Chattanooga, Tenn.
Barnet Hodes of Chicago, presi-
dent of the institute, proposed a
10-point program for bettering city
government:
l. Broad municipal home rule to
encourage local responsibility and
initiative.
2. Permanent machinery for ham
ding the relief problem.
8. Spreading of the tax burden
for supporting local government, to
tighten the load of property owners.
4. City control over tax levying
and tax collecting.
S. Development of proper housing
to eliminate slums.
s. improvement of city personnel
by in-service training for students
and encouragement to research.
Z. Confidence-inspiring machinery
for preventing and adjusting labor
disputes.
8. Integrated city planning, both
social and engineering.
9. Establishment of "clear stand
ards TOR preserving civil liberties"
10. Public recreation as a major
city activity, with greater park and
playground areas and supervised
public recreation.
Housing Bill Backed.
At the afternoon session the in
stitute's committee on housing urged
adoption of resolution advocating
passage of the housing bill pending
before Congress. The bill proposes
expansion of the U. S. H. A. program
by increased authorization of loans
and subsidies.
Corporation Counsel Elwood L.
Seal was to speak late this after
noon on Permissible Limits of Del
egation OF Legislative Power by
Congress"
Other speakers in general sessions
today were: John A. McIntire, execu-
tive director of the institute and
professor of law at the George
Washington University Law School,
who reported on the organizations
activities during the past year; J.P.
Wenchel, general counsel of the
Bureau of Internal Revenue, who
discussed Reporting of Income
Under the Public Salary Tax Act of
1882; Mr.. Anderson, City Solicitor
Joseph Sharfsin of Philadelphia,
City Solicitor F. T. Van Liew of Des
Moines, Iowa, and Corporation
Counsel James c. Tormey of Syra-
cuse.