Evening star., 1943-01-17
Citizens Federation
Asks Strengthening
OF D. {. Police Force
More Duties for Auxiliary
Or Larger Municipal Unit
Suggested by Group

/ The Federation of Citizens As
soclations last night voted to sup
port report of its Police and Fire
Protection Committee recommend
ing that provision be made for
strengthening the police protection
OF the city, either through increas-
ing the Metropolitan Police force
or through defining and enlarging
the duties of the Auxiliary Police ,"
The civic group accepted an
amendment which called for the
arming of auxiliary police after
proper training" The amendment
was presented by Walter Wasson,
first vice president, who has served
as captain in the auxiliary of pre-
cinct No. 3.
Referring to the recent order of
the Commissioners limiting duties
1 of auxiliaries to raid tests or raids,
the committee stated:
"As for the legality of the opinion
of the Corporation Counsel and the
order of the Commissioners stem
ming therefrom, there seems to be
little doubt. AS to its wisdom there
is considerable.
Four Recommendations Made.
The committee report included
these recommendations:
That the Commissioners be au-
thorized to call upon, for limited
special service as may be thought
necessary, members of the auxiliary
force.
That while on such duty the
members of the auxiliary force shall
have the full power of members of
the department, but that members
of the auxiliary, except when so
called, shall not have police power"
That provisions be made through
special appropriations for compen-
sating members of the auxiliary force
who may be injured in the line of
duty or for his dependents in the
event of death.
That provisions for compensat-
ing and hospitalizing any member
of the auxiliary police who are in
jured in line of duty be extended
to include all members of the pro-
tective forces of the Civilian De-
fense who serve without compensa-
ton.
President Harry S. Wender ruled
that it would take three-fourths
vote to introduce the motion of
Percival J. Ableman, chairman of
the Police and Fire Committee, call
ing for an investigation of Civilian
Defense in the District. 1t failed to
gain the necessary votes.
In report of the Consumer In
terest Committe on the fuel oil sit
uation it was charged that the pres
ent fuel situation was due to an
acute shortage of oil in the city
and to the cumbersome and i'm
practical formula of the OPA.
Committee Opinion Voiced.
your committee is of the opinion
that the primary purpose of the
authorities should be to bring into
this defense area Washington q
greater and more nearly adequate
supply of fuel. This and only this
could relieve the present condi-
tions," the report said. b
The federation backed the Con-
sumner Interest Committee in urg-
ing discontinuance of the practice
of paying farmers less for milk in
excess of an allotted quota. The
report also demanded that "any in
crease cost in the production of
milk be absorbed by more economi-
cal practice of distribution, such as
the substitution of cartons for glass
bottles ="
: 1t further called for the stabiliza-
ton of the price of milk at "the
present level" and urged that low
cost milk distribution should be
continued in District schools.
Calling attention to the fact that
SO skid pumps have been delivered
to the District and that they were
useless because no trucks have been
made available for them, a Police
and Fire Protection Committee re-
port accepted by the federation de-
manded that the Commissioners and
OCD work out an arrangement
which will solve the difficulty.
The federation adopted the fol-
lowing recommendations of its Edu-
cation Committee: That the present
playground site at the Walter Pat
terson School is insufficient and
that the whole site should be cleared
and graded; that District Court JUS
- rl<,a I4}a 1f
consideration of persons for the
School Board and invite suggestions,
and that teachers should receive a
$400 increase in pay for the dura-
ton and six months afterward.