Evening star., 1942-07-01
Subcommittee
Reports District
B|ackout Bill
Delay to Receive
War Department
Amendment Avoided

The Districts blackout bill was
reported favorablv today by the Ma
tional Defense Subcommittee of the
House District Committee after it
refused to approve an amendment
limiting the power Of the Com
missioners to the authority specif1-
cally granted in the act.
Delay in getting the bill to the
House floor was t.-reatened this
morning when War Department
representative, 1t. Col. Earl S. Pat
terson told the subcommittee that
the War Department had at least
one important amendment, and sug-
gested that the Secretary of War be
asked to make report on the bill.
When Col. Patterson told Chair
man Hunter of the subcommittee
holding a hearing on the 81 600, 900
loan authorization that the report
would require several days to pre-
pare and get through the Budget
Bureau the subcommittee chairman
said that If the War Department did
not have its report by Monday the
bill would be considered by the
House. and the amendment could
be offered in the Senate.
Seeks Action Monday.
Mr., Hunter said he would ask
Chairman Randolph of the full COM
mittee to call special meeting on
the bill so that it could be re-
ported out and considered by the
House Monday.
Col. Patterson did not disclose to
the subcommittee the nature of the
amendment the War Department is
interested in and said that ''it af-
fects some of the military activl-
ties with which I have not been in
touch"
While the subcommittee was still
In session a letter was sent to Sec
retary of War Stimson inclosing
the bill and asking for a report at
'the earliest possible date" Several
members protested at any delay in
getting the bill to the House floor
after Corporation Counsel Rich
mond B. Keech had told them i'm
mediate action on the measure was
necessary since the District has
exhausted defense emergency funds
and has been asked to protect the
water supply from Great Falls at
a cost of 100000. Mr.. Keech SAID
he was surprised that the War De-
partment had never seen the Dill.
Two Amendments Rejected.
Two amendments the subcommlt-
tee refused to approve were ootn
sponsored by the Federation OF Cltl-
zens Association. One of them, pre-
sented by James A. Crooks, chair
man of the Federation's Law and
Legislation Committee. was the pro-
vision limiting powers granted TO
the Commissioners, and the second,
introduced by Harry Wender. execu-
tive vice president of the federation,
would have directed the Commits
sioners to equip warden posts at
their discretion up to 100000.
The committees action in reject
ing the amendment came in execu-
tive session after the hearing re-
ceived assurances from Mr.. Keech
that no community would be left
without equipment through its own
inability to raise money to buy 1t.
Discusses Fund Raising.
The question of fund raising was
introduced by Mr. Hunter, who said
he realized that in the past Civilian
Defense Committees soliciting funds
from individuals for equipment
shave done considerable good anc
have made a noble effort. but de
feel it Is asking too much for in
dividual groups to go out and raist
money and I feel provision for such
expenditures should be made
He was assured by Mr.. Keech
however, that provisions already II
the bill give the Commissioners
power to provide equipment fol
warden posts. Mr. Wender late
said he was sure that "if the bill
is passed without the amendmen
not one cent will be spent TO
civilian defense organization"
Asked by Mr.. Hunter to express
his personal opinion on whethe
civilian defense committees should
continue to raise funds, Col. Lemue
Bolles said it had been his expert
ence that public funds were Difficult
to get but "if the funds can b.
made available, it certainly woul'
be relief for some communities.
THE burden of this war will en-
tail many expenditures by citizen
that cannot be provided by publ
funds" ne added,
Others Testify.
Also testifying at the hearin
were Mrs. Leslie B. Wright, exec
utive secretary of the Northwes
Citizens Council who objected t.
the provision in the bill alloWin
the Commissioners to take posses
sion of private property, Mrs. Mar
Wright johnson, chairman of leg
islation for the District Federation
of Women's Clubs who said she wa
in favor of giving the Commission
ers full power in the interest of ma
tional defense, and Leonard Tucke
CIldIII Ildu VI tile SlNludH bclcilS
Committee in the Friendship are;
who described the successful fund
raising campaign in his area.
A major amendment in the bi
today requires that the Distrit
pay interest on the Treasury Dt
partment loan beginning July
l943. The loan was also formal
increased from s600,000 to 81 900, 90