Evening star., 1939-10-18
Consolidation
: Of Two Courts
Considered
Reorganization Plan
May Involve Police,
Municipal Tribunals
BY DON S. WARREN.

Consolidation of Municipal and
Police Courts of the District, to
place them under the control of one
presiding judge. is being seriously
considered" as probable addition
to the new municipal reorganization
plan, now being drafted, it was
stated today at the District Building.
One other new idea, developed
during recent days of intensive
study would provide at least the
basis for a new and modern system
for chartering corporations in the
District. Some civic and profess
sional groups have been urging such
a step. one objective being to enable
the District to collect fees now 60
ing to States with more liberal or
more modern laws.
Corporation Counsel ElWood H.
Seal, chairman of the Commission
ers' Committee on Reorganization,
is expected to incorporate both pro-
visions in his tentative draft of the
bill. This, he hopes, will be ready
for formal action by the commit
tee. the so-called kitchen cabinet"
by sometime next week. After the
committee has acted, it is to be for
Warded to the Commissioners.
Would Retain Other Courts.
The suggested plan for merger of
Municipal and Police Courts would
not be intended to disturb the indi-
vidual functions of any of the exist
ing units of the two courts, Mr.. Seal
said. He emphasized the plan would
not entail the abolition of the Small
Claims Court or Traffic Court or the
regular branches of Police Court.
Rather, he said, the plan is in
tended to increase efficiency by per-
mitting the presiding judge to assign
the five judges of Municipal Court
and the four judges of Police Court
in the manner dictated by the re-
spective needs of the various units.
Mr.. Seal is understood to be con-
sidering proposal to place the fill
ing of incorporation papers or char
ters either in the Law Department
or possibly the proposed new District
license department.
He has received representations
recently from some members of the
District Bar Association who en-
phasiZed that the present District
law discourages incorporation of
business organizations under the
District law. Many are chartered
in Delaware or other States. though
the District may be the principal
place of their activities.
Locher Raises Objections.
Meanwhile, some objections to the
scope of the proposed labor depart
ment have come from John Locher,
president of the Central Labor
Union, who is member of the Dis
trict Unemployment Compensation
Board.
Spokesmen for both the A. F. of
L. and the Congress of Industrial
Organizations early this year urged
creation of labor department for
the District, but disagreed over the
terms.
Mr.. Seals tentative plan calls for
labor department to be under the
direction of board of five men,
bers, two representing labor, two the
employers and the fifth the general
public 1t would take over the func-
tions of the District Unemployment
Compensation Board, the District
Employment Center of the United
States Labor Department, the Mini
mum Wage Board and enforcement
Of other labor laws here.
Mr.. Locher said he preferred
board of three members and OBJ
jected to inclusion of the Unemploy-
ment Compensation Board and the
Employment Center.