Evening star., 1947-05-19
Dirksen Calls
Special Meeting
On Teacher Pay
House Unit Also Pluns
Study Of Sports Bribes,
Western High Tulk
BY Don S. Warren

Chairman DirkSen OF tne
House District Committee today
tentatively scheduled an extraor-
dinary meeting of the group for
Wednesday or Thursday after
noon to act on the compromise
teacher pay bill and the o'Hara
measure to prevent bribery IN
sports contests here.
At the special meeting, the group
also will review in detail reports on
the Western High School lecture
wherein Mrs. Shma Lewis, Russian
born wife Of former code clerk Of
the United States at Moscow, made
pro- Communist remarks.
The District Committee at q ses-
sion this morning favorably reported
five relatively minor bills to the
House for action at the next District
Day, but delayed final action on the
sports bribery bill until the extra
meeting this week because the re-
vised measure, sponsored by Repre-
sentative O'Hara, Republican Of
Minnesota, was not introduced In
the House until today.
Provides Heavier Penalties.
The O'Hara bill, a combination
and development OF the Hebert, Al
len and Bradley bills, on which the
O'Hara subcommittee held hearings,
provides heavier penalties and is
broader In scope than the earlier
bills. It was given general support
at today's committee meeting.
1t provides Imprisonment for one
to five years plus fine up to $4,000
for any one bribing or attempting
to bribe any official or participant
in any game or sporting event. The
maximum punishment for any
player or oficial In a contest would
be imprisonment for year, plus
fine of 5000,
Representative Jones, Democrat.
of Alabama, wanted to know why
"a lesser punishment was provided
for the player or official than the
gambler. Mr.. O'Hara and Chairman
Dirksen explained that the gambler
was the one who inspired attempts
to throw a game. Mr.. Jones came
back with the thought that the
player or ot1icial carrying out bribe
conspiracy would be guilty of two
acts. soliciting or accepting a bribe
and performance in the contest.
Would Apply to Juveniles.
Mr.. O'Hara answered this by say
ing the bill was so broad it would
apply to bribery in games involving
young high school players and he
could not see the need to apply the
sitter penalty to such juveniles.
Mr.. Dirksen asked Mr.. O'Hara
and Mr.. Jones to confer and arrive
at an agreement.
Representative Miller, Republican.
of Nebraska. informed that the bill
would apply to wrestling exhibitions,
commented that everyone knew
these were all fixed in advance as
to whose turn 1t was to win and
therefore constituted nothing more
than burlesque show. When he
wondered what effect the anti
bribery law would have on this
business. Mr.. Ohara replied. I'm not
sure, but at least it will make them
sweat over ii"
The committee accepted, but
took no formal action on the report
of the Beall subcommittee concerning
protests over the Dupont Circle
Underpass project. The subcom-
mittee, in effect. recommended no
action be taken and that the Com
missioners be permitted to go ahead
with it.
/ Provides Police band Fund.
The five bills sent to the House
are:
| l. To provide District government
| financial support for the Metro
politan Police Department band,
with authority to employ retired
| military officer as full time direc-
tor, with a provision for pay above
his retirement pay A similar bill
was blocked in the House last year
by Representative Case. Republican,
! of South Dakota.
| 2. To credit for retirement pur.
poses time spent in military service
in the last war to members of the
Metropolitan Park and White
House police and the Fire Depart
ment, provided they pay salary de-
ductions for such periods.
3. To re-establish prewar stand
ards for the selection of members
of the White House police from the
ranks OF the Metropolitan and park
police. with an amendment limit
| ing the maximum White House
force to ITO men.
4. To authorize the District to
sell land in the bed Of e street
IS.W. to the Pennsylvania Railroad
Co
5. To require the Commissioners.
when they abandon condemnation
proceedings on land acquisition, to
pay a reasonable amount to cover
the expenses incurred by the prop
erty owner.