Evening star., 1946-12-13

Levy Of Between One
And Three Per Cent
Would Provide Clinic
Establishment OF an alcoholic
clinic in Washington maintained
by a tax on liquor dealers here
will be proposed IN a bill to be in
troduced in Congress next month.
The tax would be not less than
one per cent nor more than three
per cent, to be levied on the gross
daily sales Of liquor sold in the Dis.
trict.
Representative Hebert, Democrat.
Of Louisiana, will introduce the bill
the opening day OF the new Con-
gress, he said yesterday after .
meeting of the committee appointed
by the House District Committee
several months ago to draft penal
legislation for the District.
Provides Sentencing.
The money obtained from the tax
would provide director and what
ever assistance is necessary and
would maintain the clinic. Chronic
alcoholics would be sentenced by the
courts to the clinic instead Of to
Jail, and the minimum sentence
would be 80 days. The measure,
Representative Hebert said, was
patterned after the Federal Drug
law.
Mr.. Hebert said the records show
5000 alcoholics year pass through
the local courts, and he thought tho
liquor dealers in Washington would
promote temperance by paying such
a tax. He said conditions here were
the same as those which brought
on the prohibition law. It is to pre-
vent the possibility of the return Of
prohibition that he favors the meas
ure, he pointed out.
Hearings Planned.
The committee was to have held
its last executive session yesterday
to complete the legislation. It was
then proposed to have public hear
ings. before the legislation was in
troduced In Congress. Mr.. Hebert
said, however, that, owing to con-
hict on a proposed new juvenile
delinquents law, the committee will
have to meet again next Thursday
afternoon and the public hearings
on the bill will have to be postponed
until after the bill has been in
troduced.
Mr.. Hebert said opposing sides
had not been able to agree on
transferring delinquent children
from the jurisdiction Of the Board
of Public welfare to the Department
of Corrections, but that the Well
fare Board had promised to come
to the next meeting with a plan
that would appease those In favor
of the transfer.
Opposing Views Given.
Those in favor of putting the
juvenile delinquents under the cor
rections department claimed the adj
ninistratiye machinery Of the We'll
fare Board was not adaptable to ths
efficient and decisive administration
of institutions; that conditions in
these institutions have been bad,
and that upkeep Is poor, the num-
Der Of runaways large, personnel
poorly paid, and standards generally
low.
The opponents said the depart
ment of corrections is "custodially
minded" and not inspired by .
''rehabilitative approach" to the
handling of children, and that chill
dren are tainted If they come under
the supervision and control Of .
corrections" setup.
Another argument in favor Of the
proposed legislation was that the
correctional services are more likely
to get the funds and support neces-
sary to build up institutions and
administer them properly. The Cor.
rections Department, it Is main.
tanned, would be a definite respon-
sibility of the District Commission
ers, and the public could put .
finger on the persons responsible II
services were to break down.
Those favoring the Welfare Board
answered this charge with the state
ment that the board now has some
funds for a new Receiving Home
and new unit in the proposed
children's center. They also said a
new schedule Of salaries for per-
sonnel has recently been put into
effect at the Industrial Home School
and elsewhere.
Board Points to Trend.
The champions of the Corrections
also maintained that
some of the most progressive States
place the corrections system and in
for juvenile delinquency
in the same department, while the
Welfare Board maintained the ac-
cepted trend is to place juvenile in.
stitutions in Department of Public
Welfare.
The committee met yesterday aft
ernoon in the Office of Representa-.
tive Hebert. Mr.. Hebert Is the
only member Of Congress on the
committee.
The others are Chief Justice
Bolitha Laws Of the District Court,
Edgar Morris, chairman of the Dis
trict Welfare Board; Corporation
Counsel Vernon e. West and James
v. Bennett, director Of the Federal
Bureau of Prisons.
Donald Clemmer, director Of the
District Department of Corrections,
and Ray L. Huff, director of the
Department Of Public Welfare, sat
with the committee yesterday.
Districts half Of the money. to be