Evening star., 1941-08-03
McCarran Proposes
Creation Of District
Labor Department
Committee to Consider
Accident Prevention
Bill Wednesday
By ]. A. OIEARY.

Creation Of a Department OF
Labor in the District Government
to coordinate the administration
of all laws affecting workers was
proposed last night by Chairman
McCarran of the Senate District
Committee.
At the same time. he announced
the committee would be called to
meet at 10 am. Wednesday to con-
slider the House-approved accident
prevention bill for industrial work.
ers here.
There is no bill before the COM
mittee now for a Department of
Labor, but Senator McCarran said
he is much in favor" of establish
ing one and is considering the prep
aration of such a bill Without
waiting for that development. the
committee probably will proceed to
act on the accident prevention meas
ure, which is only one of variety
of labor programs that would later
60 into the proposed department..
Estimating there are at least 130.-
900 members of labor unions in
Washington, the Nevada Senator
said he felt they constitute a large
enough portion of the community
to warrant separate department.
Amendments Held Likely.
There are indications .the acci-
dent prevention bill may be amend
ed in the Senate Committee. Sen
ator McCarran made known he is
investigating the advisability of
placing the administration of the
accident prevention program under
some existing bcc-d in the District
Government instead of creating a
separate board, as In the House bill.
Meanwhile, Senator McCarran
also will be ready tomorrow to file
with the Senate a written report
setting forth the reasons that
prompted the Judiciary Committee
to vote several weeks ago against
the Capper- Summers resolution for
a District suffrage amendment to
the Constitution. Before making
the report public Senator McCarran
will present it to the Judiciary Com
mittee tomorrow morning.
1t is understood the report will re-
peat the contention advanced by a
subcommittee that the granting of
national representation would be
equivalent to Statehood for the Dis
trict, and that that would be unwise.
AS to local suffrage, the report is
expected to state that Congress al
ready possesses the power to re-
establish election machinery for 10
cal offices, which existed prior to
1874, if it sees fit.
Will Push Other Bills.
Two other bills on which Senator
McCarran will seek early action, fol-
lowing the accident-prevention
measure, are: The House-approved
bill to coordinate recreational facil-
tiles under a seven-man board. and
the measure to authorize children
to take part in theatrical produc-
tions in Washington, under certain
restrictions. The theatrical bill has
been referred to a subcommittee
for study.
The new chairman of the District
committee made it clear yesterday
that in any future revival of the
question of reorganizing the District
government he would favor the
basic principle of centralizing au-
thority in the heads of the munich
pal government.
Whether it be the present board
of three commissioners or a city
I believe whoever heads
the municipal government should
have general supervision over all
boards and agencies" he said.
In the case of the police depart
ment, Senator McCarran said ne
would not be opposed to having
police commissioner, provided he
was a member of the board Of COM
missioners, or under the supervision
of that board.
Senator McKellar, Democrat of
Tennessee, put forward proposal
Friday to set up a police commits
sioner independent of the District
government, responsible to the
President and Congress. This plan
is awaiting study by the judiciary
committee.
The proposed three-member in
dustrial accident prevention board
would be empowered to make regu-
lations to promote the safety of
workers, and to appoint inspectors
to supervise the enforcement of the
regulations.