Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-02-27
|City Heads Oppose
Waller Bill for
District Delegate

Inc DlSCrlcC commissioners To-
day reported to the House District
Committee their disapproval of the
Walter bill, which would authorize
election of one delegate" to the
House of Representatives from the
District.
The Commissioners decided to
oppose the plan at a special meet
ing yesterday afternoon, when they
acted on several pending bills re-
ferred to them by the House and
Senate District Committees.
They disapproved the measure of
Representative Walter, Democrat, of
Pennsylvania, they explained, since
they already had approved the
Sumners-Capper resolution propos-
ing an amendment to the Consti-
tuition under which Congress would
be empowered to grant the people
of the District voting representa-
ton in Congress.
A bill by Chairman Randolph of
the House District Committee which
would place the Washington Ma
tional Airport within Virginia, and
describe the States boundaries as
the present high-water mark in
stead of the old 1891 high-water
mark. was approved by the Com
missioners. Two other provisions
prohibiting Virginia from collection
of taxes on gasoline used for flight
at the airport, and establishing GER
tain court jurisdiction boundary
lines, were not acted on.
Randolph Bill Opposed.
The Commissioners disapproved
Of the present form of a bill by
Chairman Randolph to increase
from so cents to 81 the charge for
recording in the Office of recorder
of deeds a lien on an automobile
and to add a new charge of 81 on
the release of such lien. The
Commissioners said. they believed
this was "out of line" with general
practice of the States in such
matters.
They said, however. that if a
question of necessity and wisdom"
could be shown for more revenue,
they would recommend, instead,
that the present fee for recording
the lien be kept at so cents, and a
new charge of so cents be made
for releasing such lien. There is
no charge now for such release.
The Commissioners had a report
from William A. Van Duzer, traffic
director, to the effect that the re-
duction of such revenue was due,
rather. to the fewer number of au-
tomobiles during the war emer-
gency, and that if employees in the
Office of the recorder of deeds were
no longer needed for that work they
could be reassigned.
The Commissioners opposed
measure proposed by Senator Nc
Carran which would forbid issuance
of liquor license to a store within
800 feet of a church, school, play
ground, and certain other institu-
tons. They contended that District
authorities already had power to re-
fuse licenses to any place within
400 feet of such institutions, and
that present regulations were
stringent enough" The proposed
bill, they said, would freeze the
existing locations, with far-reaching
economic results"
Discrimination" Opposed.
Opposed also was a measure for
bidding the advertisement of retail
prices of alcoholic beverages in the
District on the ground that it would
be discrimination" since distillers
outside the District could advertise
prices here.
The Commissioners recommended
postponement of consideration of a
McCarran bill abolishing capital
punishment by electrocution in the
District, and substituting death by
lethal gas. No facilities for the sub
stitute would be available now, it
was pointed out.
Opposing a measure which would
authorize the Commissioners to fix a
specified day for closing barber
shops, to be determined by majority
vote of licensed BARRIERS. the city
heads said it might deprive certain
suburban and night-operated shops
of trade.
Several amendments to the
Weights and Measures Act were re-
approved. They would provide PEN
alties for removal of seals or marks
on weighing or measuring machines,
for overcharging, or charging for
something not received by the GUS
toner, and for bringing under super
vision of the SUPERINTENDENT of