Evening star., 1943-11-30
|McCarran Calls
For Wide Probe
|0f Liquor Here
District Committee
Head Also Asks Action
On Pending Questions
BY DON S. WARREN.

by DUN ,. WAhhEN.
Suggestions that there be q wide
investigation of the liquor situation
in Washington by Subcommittee
Of the Senate District Committee
were advanced last night by Chair
man McCarran as he called for
action by the District group on this
and other pending questions.
On the House side, meanwhile,
Representative Hebert, Democrat,
Of Louisiana, chairman of a House
District Subcommittee, announced
public hearings would be started at
10:30 am. Thursday on his bill to
broaden the powers of the Commits
sioners over municipal affairs.
Asking that subcommittee
headed by Senator Reynolds, Demo-
crat, of North Carolina hold public
hearings soon on his bill to restrict
granting of liquor licenses here and
to ban advertisement of liquor
prices, Senator McCarran said:
1T is possible that in connection
with such hearings, the subcommit-
tee may proceed along lines which
in some respects will parallel the
Nationwide investigation provided
for by the Scrugham resolution"
Other Clauses in Bill.
The McCarran liquor bill IS. 1907
in addition to banning price advor-
tising, would prohibit issuance of
additional permits for places within
600 feet of a school, church, play
ground, public library, housing for
the INDECENT, Soldiers Home, Army
post, the Navy Yard or Marine
Barracks, excepting hotels having
more than so rooms for transients.
The full District Committee is
called to meet at 1890 am. Friday
to consider disposition of a number
of pending matters. These include
the report of Senators Holman,
Buck and Bushfield on the probe of
Gallinger Municipal Hospital and
the till calling for sanitary grading
OF Washington restaurants and pro-
viding for Federal inspection of eat
ing places on Government property.
Chairman McCarran announced
subcommittee would be named to
conduct hearings on the House.
approved bill to license and reg
ulate baby brokers
Fire Insurance Rate Control.
A supplementary hearing on the
McCarran bill to empower the Dis
trlct insurance superintendent to
control fire and casualty insurance
rates here has been scheduled for
80 am. Thursday by the Burton
subcommittee. Objection to the
measure has been filed by an Ohio
insurance company doing business
here, it was reported
Chairman McCarran anticipates a
favorable report would be filed soon
by subcommittee which has con-
sidered a bill granting teachers
credit for time spent in the armed
services.
Possibilities that the bill OF Chair
man Randolph of the House District
Committee to settle the old District
Virginia boundary issue may run
into trouble when it comes before
the Senate were outlined by Sena-
tor McCarran. He recalled he Of
fered S. 19 (for the same purpose
except that it would declare the
National Airport within the District
instead of in Virginia.. but had not
sought to revive the boundary issue
while there was pending his other
bill, S. 936, to extend District juris-
dlction to certain Federal areas in
Arlington County. Hearings on the
latter bill have been deferred, he
said, as a courtesy to Senator Glass,
who asked that it go over until he
was able to be present.
Assuming that Senator Glass in
terest in the boundary question
would be equally as great as in the
jurisdiction bill, Chairman McCar-
ran said. Therefore it is likely ac-
ton on the boundary bills may also
have to be delayed"
Home Rule Hearing Plans.
Reviewing plans for public hear
ings beginning next Tuesday on
the McCarran home rule" bill and
the Holman charter commission
measure. Senator McCarran said he
was confident the District Subcom-
mittee would approach the oues-
tions with fair and impartial
attitude and with the one aim of
determining what the people of the
District want in the way of self
government, what they are entitled
to and how far the Congress can
go along such lines"
Chairman McCarran, who has re-
ceived number of proposed modi-
fications of his "home rule" bill,
said he did not propose to introduce
revised measure for several rea-
sons. First, he recalled he had
stated he was not welded" to any
of its provisions and is ready to
adopt suggestions that will improve
the bill without opening up unnec-
essary controversy.
To offer a revised bill before
hearings, he said, might be taken
to mean he would approve only
such changes as incorporated in the
revised bill. Further, he said, to
offer revised bill might lead some
to think he was "arrogating to my
self" powers which should be exer-
cised by the subcommittee. He said
he would prefer to let the subcom-
mittee rewrite the bill, if it is to be
rewritten.