Evening star., 1941-07-25

purpose the Commissioners should
Immediately advise the full COM
mittee of their recommendations for
standards of eligibility.
We recommend that the Commits
sioners prepare an amendment to
the act approved December S. 1919
al Stat. 363) to accomplish the
purpose outlined herein, and in con-
formity with our suggestions on the
standards of eligibility.
Pickup Squad.
In connection with the enforce
ment of the proposed new vagrancy
law. your committee believes that
there should be reorganized a special
enforcement squad whose territorial
assignments shall be co-extensive
with the boundaries of the District,
and whose duties will be the strict
enforcement of this new act, assist
ed by all the members of the Metro
politan Police Department.
Medical Examiner.
Your committee is of the opinion
that the office of coroner should be
abolished and that there should be
created new office entitled "the Of
flee of medical examiner for the
District of Columbia
In the opinion of the committee,
the effective crime detection in
homicide cases must begin with the
finding of the body. Here in the
Nations Capital we continue to
maintain the Office of coroner, a
wholly unSuited office to present-day
needs. Formerly this officer was
appointed by the President, by and
with the advice and consent of the
Senate. BY the act of June 80, 1902
(32 Stat. 520, authority to appoint
the coroner became vested in the
Commissioners of the District of
Colombia. His principal function,
and one which virtually character
ICES his Office in modern times, is
that of investigating death when
the manner and cause of death shall
not already be known as accidental
or in the course of nature" 81 Stat.
l22D. There is no authority in the
District that attempts to regulate or
supervise this Office
In this District the coroner's juris-
diction extends to all deaths from
homicides, all from trafic and all
where the persons were not at
tended by private physicians within
a period Of 10 days.
During the fiscal year ending June
80, 1910, 1892 bodies were trans
ported to the morgue. In the same
year 100 autopsies were performed.
These appalling figures indicate
that Is per cent of the total deaths
for the fiscal year ending June 80,
1910, required the attention of the
coroner. The coroner and his
assistant maintain their own Offices
for private practice of medicine and
cannot possibly give all these cases
careful consideration and effective
investigation.
The total appropriation for this
office for 1912 is $l4620. This pro-
vides a salary Of the coroner, two
deputy coroners, chief clerk, morgue
assistant morgue master,
one clerk-stenographer and three
laborers.
The committee is convinced that
this is definitely a weak spot in
effective criminal investigation, and
in the committees opinion this
office should be abolished, and the
medical duties now vested in that
office should be vested in the oflice
of medical examiner. Adequate
salary that will attract men of
special training and ability and a
competent staff specializing in toxi-
cology and bacteriology and other
sciences is necessary in the scientific
investigation Of the cause of death.
This committee recommends that
the Commissioners of the District of
Columbia be directed to prepare a
bill abolishing the of1ce of the
coroner and creating the ofice of
medical examiner for the District of
Columbia.
Promotion Eligibility Standards.
Under this heading we desire first
to invite attention to the fact that
the Commissioners are without au-
thority to denote officers and mem
bers of the Metropolitan Police De-
partment, except through the me-
dium of finding by the Police Trial
Board for some offense committed in
violation of the manual or law and
regulation in force in the District of
Columbia. Your committee believes
that the act of December S, 1919 al
Stat. 363) should be further amended
by investing the Commissioners with
authority to denote officers and
members of the Metropolitan Police
Department for cause. This authority
they now have over all civilian
employees.