Evening star., 1944-02-15
Congress Due
1oAct Today on
lad. {. Bills
Grant Of Powers
To Commissioners
Included in Slate
BY DON s. WARREN.

BY DON s. WARREN.
Fourteen District bills were sched-
uled to. be acted on by Congress
today-l0 in the Senate and four
in the House.
OF special importance are three
bills recently reported favorably by
the District Committees which
would grant additional administra-
tive powers to the Commissioners,
strengthen sanitary controls over
restaurants and empower the Dis
trict superintendent Of insurance to
regulate fire and casualty insurance
rates.
Action on the Senate side depend
ed on what progress was made down
the list Of measures on the calendar,
where District measures are inter-
mixed with national bills, but in the
House the four District items were
to be called up by formal arrange
ment made yesterday.
Randolph to Call Up Measures.
In addition to the bill of Repre-
sentative Hehert, Democrat, OF
Louisiana, to increase the powers of
the city heads, Chairman Randolph
of the House District Committee
planned to call up measures to place
the appointment OF District notaries
public with the Commissioners; to
authorize the sale of shad In the
District in December; and to return
to District credit the $10,927 from
the sale 20 years ago OF a piece OF
District-owned land, enormously
credited to the United States.
For the last two items, there are
companion bills awaiting action in
the Senate.
The Hebert bill would confer on
the city heads the power to name or
change the name of any highway,
circle, bridge, building or other
public place or property under the
jurisdiction of the Commissioners
and to waive payment of annual
fees of persons while in the military
services.
It would also give them power to
make and enforce regulations re-
quiring certain licensed businesses to
furnish bonds conditioned on per-
formance in accord with District
law and regulations; to rent Dis
trict buildings, land or personal
property when not needed by the
niefr}ct. ~ nrovt rASyoco k1n ,>>rv,. a. -
for laying Of steam pipes and the
like; to suspend municipal en-
ployes with or without pay and to
delegate such powers to subordinate
to charge fees for copies
of orders, permits and transcripts;
to prescribe penalties up to a fine
Of $500 or imprisonment up to 80
days for violation Of regulations
under the new act; to appoint con-
tracting officers from the District
personnel to handle contracts total
ing less than $1,000.
1t would also enable the city heads
20 consolidate responsibilities Of GER
tain engineer divisions under the
director Of inspection; to purchase
in keeping with the rules
Of the Procurement Division Of the
Treasury; and to effect settlement
through title companies of land
for public purposes.
McCarran Sponsors Sanitation.
The McCarran measure to
control over sanitary
conditions in restaurants has the
ajor purpose of setting up grad
ing of restaurants according to san
itary standards which will bring
the power of public opinion to bear
as an agency for enforcement of
sanitary standards" as the sub
report of Senator Over
ton. Democrat, Of Louisiana, states.
This measure brings restaurants
in Government buildings under reg
ulation, but to avoid conflicts of au-
thority directs that their inspection
be made by the Public Health Serv-
ice and prosecution would be by the
United States attorney.
The powers of the District health
officer would be strengthened. He
would be empowered to suspend or
revoke restaurant permits for re-
peated or serious violation of sani-
tary rules. subject to appeal.
Under the McCarran fire insur-
ance bill the superintendent Of in
surance would have authority to
adjust premium rates when investi-
CATION showed that the profit for a
five-year period was "ex-
cessive, inadequate, unjust or un-
reasonable" The report on hear
ings conducted by a subcommittee
headed by Senator Burton, Repub-
lican, Of Ohio, declared that during
the 20-year period ending with 1912,
only 31.5 per cent of the premiums
here went for payment of fire losses,
leaving the remainder for profits
and expenses,
Other Senate Bills.
Other bills on the Senate calendar
are:
To amend the charter of Provi-
dence Hospital to permit expansion
of its facilities.
To change the name of Conduit
road from the District line to Great
Falls to Macarthur boulevard. -
To provide for clearing doubts
from the titles to properties sold at
District tax deed" sales.