Evening star., 1947-06-13
Bill 10 License
Morticiians Gets
DC. Unit 0kay
House Group Reduces
Number of EmbuImers
Passing on Applicants

A House subcommittee today ap-
proved an amended bill for the Ii
censing of undertakers and en-
balmers in the District.
Representative Miller, Republican,
of Nebraska, chairman of the well
fare subcommittee of the House
District Committee, said his group
had amended the measure to re-
duce the participation of under
takers or embalmers in the commit
tee set up by the act to examine
applicants for licenses.
The bill introduced by DR.. Miller
originally provided that the COM
mittee to examine for licenses should
consist of seven persons, six of
whom should have been under
takers or embalmers for five years.
This was changed to establish a
committee of five, not more than
two of whom would be undertakers
or embalmers. This group would
serve without compensation.
Two Bills Are Tabled.
The bill provides that the Dis
trict Commissioners shall issue Ii
censes and also may refuse to issue
or renew licenses. They may sus-
pend or revoke a license for fraud
or Misrepresentation in the appli-
cation for license" or for misconduct.
The Miller subcommittee tabled
two other bills and postponed con-
sideration on three measures. It
was decided to postpone action on a
bill by Representative MacKinnon,
Republican, of Minnesota, which
would apply the District laws relat-
ing to the insane to dangerous
habitual sex offenders"
Mr.. MacKinnon explained the op-
eraton of similar law in his home
State, where, he told the commit
tee, 90 such offenders had been con-
fined up to one year each. He said
that among those released there had
been no occurrences of offenses. The
committee will await more informa-
tion to be presented on the subject
later by Mr.. MacKinnon.
One of the three measures to be
considered later is one for continual
ton to June 80, 1943, of the day
care program for children of work
ing mothers.
DR.. Miller set 10 am. Thursday
for a hearing on a similar bill re-
ported yesterday by the Senate Dis
trict Con,mittee with substantial
amendments.
The Senate day care measure was
reported out of the Senate District
Committee yesterday after report
by Senator Cooper, Republican, of
Kentucky.
$150,000 Would Be Provided.
Senator Cooper told his colleagues
the bill would authorize $3.50 900 to
be spent for the operation of the
centers, where low-incone working
mothers can leave their children
during working hours.
Although this amount is consid-
erably less than the $500 900 author
lzation proposed in an earlier bill,
Senator Cooper said he felt the
$500 would take care of the low
income group for whom the service
was designed.
The centers now are operated with
District funds by the Board of Pub
lie Welfare, but authority for the
project expires June 30.
Commissioners Oppose Program.
The Commissioners have opposed
continuance of the centers as not
being a proper expenditure of public
funds.
A bill to prohibit the serving of
straws at drinking foun-
tains and eating places was put
over by the Miller subcommittee
to await reports on some scientific
experiments now under way. The
bill provides that drinking straws
must be enclosed in wrappers.
The committee tabled two bills,
one to restrict BARRIERS in the Dis
trict to 4S-hour work week and
another to authorize the killing of
starlings under special permit from
the Police Department.