Evening star., 1945-07-09
Truman Veioes Bill
Changing Park Police
Status in District
Objects to Provision
Shifting Felony Cases
To D. c. Authority

President Truman today We
toed a bill which would have
revised the status of United
States Park Police forces in the
District.
In a message to the House, the
President objected to provisions OF
the measure giving the Metropolitan
police jurisdiction over felonies COM
mitted within the park areas in the
District, and stipulating that District
funds could not be used to pay the
salaries of the park police.
Mr.. Truman declared that "appro-
val of the bill would unsettle the
practical working arrangements al
ready set up" for cooperation ir
the handling of felonies committed
in park areas, and would deprive
the park police of the necessary
means for the pay of its personnel.
Goes Back to Committee.
AS soon as the veto message wa:
read to the House, Chairman Ran
dolph of the House District Com
mittee moved that the bill and the
veto message be referred to his
committee, for consideration.
This was voted without objection
Capitol officials explained that
while there usually is immediate
action on veto, this is not neces-
sary, and decision may be deferred
This is the effect of the Randolph
motion, which the House adopted.
Whether members of the District
Committee will decide to seek to
override the Presidents veto, was
not indicated Immediately.
There was some reason to believe
that fight may be avoided. 1t was
recalled that the measure went
through the House with objection
from several members, but they did
not persist in their arguments.
The bill went through the Senate
without an objection. The bill was
hotly championed by Representative
Hebert, Democrat, of Louisiana, who
protested it was illogical to have so
many police departments operating
in one city, and that it was unfair
for District taxpayers to carry the
cost Of park police, who were under
the exclusive control of a Federal
department.
Hebert Out of City.
Mr.. Hebert is out of the city and
his office said he probably would not
return until September.
Secretary of the Interior Ickes
who has jurisdiction over the Park
Police, objected strenuously to the
measure, as originally proposed, as
we'll as finally passed by Congress
and 1t was assumed that his OBJ
jections influenced the President s
veto.
Mr.. Truman in his message to
the House said he is convinced the
effect of the legislation would be
to impair rather than to improve
law enforcement" in the park areas,
The bill would "unsettle" the ar
now under way for CO.
operation between the FBI, Metro
politan Police and Park Police, the
president said Furthermore, he
charged thesbill would remove the
Park Police from authority of the
Secretary of the Interior, who is in
control of National Capital parks.
Pointing out that both the Inter
ior Department Appropriation Act
and the Second Deficiency Appro-
priation Act, already passed by Con-
gress, make no provision for 10
members of the Park Police force,
the President said the proposed
measure, in effect, would repeal pro-
visions in the District of Columbia
Appropriation Act providing for the
municipality to pay park officers.
Therefore, the President said, the
Park Police concerned would be left
without any funds.