Evening star., 1947-02-06
48-Hour Week
Bill Again Filed
forD.C. FireI1len
Passage Would Bring
Employment Of $50
Additional Men

By Don S. Warren

Proposals for 48-hour week for
Washington firemen, requiring en-
ployment Of about 450 additional
men, once again are before Congress.
A bill calling for a three-platoon
system for the Fire Department,
similar to that already in effect in
the Police Department, was offered
late yesterday by Representative
Beall, Republican, of Maryland. He
is chairman of the subcommittee
of the House District Committee
dealing with police, fire and re-
lated questions.
Similar legislation was presented
to the past Congress, at the request
Of Washingtons fire-f1ghters, but
it failed of adoption when the Com
missioners asked where the money
to pay for it was to be found.
More Hopeful Now.
Firemen are more hopeful this
year, since the Commissioners are
proposing new or increased taxes
amounting to about $4,000, 900, plus
a proposed boost in the Federal
payment toward National Capital
expenses.
Firemen now have a six-day week
barring emergencies-but this
involves 10 hours on the daytime
shift and IA hours on the night
trick.
The Beall measure was one Of
six District matters placed before
the House yesterday, most Of them
being companion bills to measures
already before the Senate.
Curb on Cab Licenses.
Representative Simpson, Repub-
lican, of Illinois, chairman of the
House District Subcommittee on
Utilities, offered measure to for
bid granting of cab licenses to any
one holding a full-time job with
either the Federal or District gov
ernments or with private industry
Representative Klein, Democrat,
of New York sponsored in the
House measure to place the Dis
trict on daylight saving time from
the last t>Sunday in April to the last
Sunday in September each year.
A similar measure is before the
Senate District Committee. The
question was brought up in the
Seventy ninth Congress, only to be
stymied by opposition from farm
ers from nearby rural areas.
The proposal of the Commission
ers to ban free water services here
for the Federal or District govern
ments and to permit the District to
obtain loans from the Federal Treas
ury for expansion of the water
services was put in bill form in the
House by Representative McGarvey,
Of Pennsylvania.
Companion Bill in Senate.
A companion water reorganization
bill is before the Senate, along with
one sponsored by Senator McCar-
ran, Democrat, of Nevada, which
would ban free water service, but
also would set up new water ad-
and would authorize
bond issues, instead of Treasury
loans, to finance expansion work.
Mr.. Simpson also offered bill to
enable the District Insurance De-
partment to regulate insurance
rates here without running into
trouble with the Federal antitrust
laws.
Mr.. Beall and Senator Tydings,
Democrats, of Maryland, both Of
fered bills to liberalize rules regard
ing investment of trust funds.
Mr.. Beall also planned the intro
duction of another bill to require
restaurants and soda fountains op-
orators to serve drinking straws in
individual wrappers. The sanitary
measure also would specifically ban
use of a paper plate or paper cup
more than once in any public eat
ing place.