Evening star., 1945-04-18
Six District Bills
Approved by
House Group
Ickes' Protest Causes
Delay in Action on
Park Police Curb
BY DON S. WARREN.

Favorable reports were ordered
unanimously today by the House
District Committee on six District
measures, including one to give
added protection to Washington
consumers, but a protest by Secre-
tary of the Interior Ickes temporar-
lily blocked action on a bill to re-
strict the powers of the park police
force in felony cases.
Chairman Randolph announced
House approval of the six bills, five
of which already have been passed
by the Senate, would be sought at
the next District day." probably
next Monday. These bills, already
passed by the Senate, would:
/. Amend the District Weights
and measures law to set up addi-
tional protection to consumers from
short weight or other forms of over
charging by retailers; outlaw sale of
unweighed bootleg coal or coke;
require sale of butter and lard sub
stituteS by avoirdupois weight and
provide for better enforcement of
laws against fraudulent ADVERTISING q
of products.
Longer Temporary Assignments.
2. Permit the appointment of
temporary teachers in the public
schools for a whole year instead of
but for 80 days, as a means of saw
ing bookkeeping.
s. Permit assessment of charges
against the estates or relatives of
persons committed to the District
Training School for Feeble minded
for their care, when it is found after
their commitment that they have
developed sufficient resources.
4. Extend for one year from June
30 the modification of the minimum
wage law permitting women to be
employed for longer than eight
hours a day or 48 hours a week,
where war conditions warrant a
longer work week.
S. Provide a system for the regis
tration with the recorder of deeds
of the discharge papers of war vet
Grams, as a means of preventing
difficulties if veteran loses his
papers.
Fish Bill Reported.
Also reported favorably was bill
to forbid the sale here of striped
bass, or rockfiSh, which measure less
than 16 inches from the tip of the
nose to the fork of the tail. This
measure, designed to aid in prevent
ing extinction of this species of
edible game fish, was urged by for
mer Senator Frederic C. Walcott,
now president of the National Wild
Life Institute, and Charles E. Jack
son, associate director of the United
States Fish and Wildlife Service, |
who protested Washington has been |
a dumping ground" for sale of small |
rockfish, caught before they have
reached spawning age.
The police bill. which would give
members of the metropolitan police
a free hand in dealing with felony
cases occurring in park areas in
the District, was a revised edition
of the bill of Representative Hebert,
Democrat. of Louisiana, originally !
intended to abolish the park police
in the National Capital.
The new Hebert bill, which was
supported by Chairman Mcmillan
of the Police and Fire Subcommit-
tee, would ban use of District funds
for paying costs of park police,
leaving this to the United States. 1t |
would permit continuation of the
park police, but in any case of
felony the control would be vested
in the top officials and members of
the Detective Bureau of the Metro
politan Police Department.
Chairman Randolph today read |
into the record report by Secre-
tary Ickes, who contended that the
section of the new bill dealing with
police jurisdiction was obscure and
indefinite" and that he was con-
vinced the effect would be to impair
rather than improve law enforce
ment. He contended it would re-
quire park police to serve two
masters" and thereby "demoralize
the park police force
Not Less Efficient.
Secretary Ickes argued also that
crime records do not indicate that
felonies are handled less efficiently
in park areas than in other areas
of the District.
Corporation Counsel Richard B. |
Keech explained that in felony cases
the Metropolitan Detective Bureau
now takes charge through a CO.
operative arrangement.
Secretary Ickes voiced fears that
passage of the revised bill might
deprive park police of their present
relief and retirement rights, and
even endanger the rights to their
old jobs of park police members now
in the armed services.