Evening star., 1945-04-09
District Weights
Bill Approved
By Senate
Five Other Measures
Passed; Action on
Three Deferred

Six District measures, one OF
which is designed to provide added
protection to purchasers of retail
products, including food and coal,
were passed today by the Senate.
but three other bills encountered
objections and action on them was
deferred.
One of the more important ap-
proved bills amends the Districts S
weights and measures law to protect
retail customers against fraud and
deception. 1t also is designed to
stop the sale in the District of
unweighed coal which at times is
"bootlegged" into Washington. This
same measure authorizes appropria-
ton of funds for purchasing food so
that the superintendent of weights
and measures may check against
Misrepresentation and false adver-
tising. A provision of the bill is that
lard, lard substitutes, butter and
butter substitutes be sold by avoir-
dupois weight.
Park Bill Passed Over.
Another provision sets up penal
ties for the sale of products by the
use of scales not having the ap-
proved inspection seal of the Dis
trict. There also is a provision of
penalties for any retailer charging
for commodities not delivered to a
buyer.
Passed over when objections were
voiced were the following bills:
The Tydings-Bilbo measure pro-
posing an appropriation of S72,5O0
for the purchase of the 2-acre
tract at the southwest corner of
Sixteenth and Shepherd streets
NV. for park purposes, as a means
of ending long legal battle over
the planned erection there after the
war of an apartment house;
A proposed amendment to the
District Code to permit judges in
the criminal divisions of the Dis
trict courts to commit defendants
toNGallinger Hospital for as long as
30 days for mental observation
when the court finds there is rea-
son to believe the defendant may
be of unsound mind. This bill was
passed over on objection by Senator
McCarran, Democrat, of Nevada;
The House se-approved bill which
would outlaw the use of congress
sional tags 80 days after the end Of
a Congress. Members of the Capt.
tol Police Board were advised that
some of the older special tags for
members of Congress had fallen into
the hands of gamblers" and others
after being discarded by Senators
and Representatives.
To Record Certificates.
Other bills passed by the Senate
provide:
That temporary teachers in the
puolic school system may be ap-
pointed for as long as one entire
school year, instead of for only 80
days;
That charges for the care of men,
tally deficient persons committed to
the District Training School, Laurel,
Md, may be assessed against them
or tnelr estates II a1Ler tnelr aQ- !
mission it is found the patients have
come into sufficient funds;
That surplus funds of long list
of District examining and license
boards at the end of each fiscal
year shall be turned into the general
revenues of the District and that
the Commissioners shall have audit
ing control over the funds of such
boards;
That provisions be made to record
discharge certificates of war veterans
at the District Recorder of Deeds
Office, to avoid difficulties for vet
Grams who may lose their original
certificates;
That the District minimum wage
law be modified SO as to permit until
June 80, 1916, the employment of
women for more than eight hours
a day or 48 hours a week, when such
extra work is found essential to war
related activities.