Evening star., 1947-07-27

bill, the House accepted a Senate
amendment providing for the 10
per cent increase in liquor license
fees s.si setting the receipts aside in
a separate fund for the financing
of the clinics.
The House District Committee
earlier had considered a special IL
quor tax for the purpose but laid 1t
aside when the District Commis-
sioners objected to the establish
ment of a separate fund.
The concealed weapons bill, while
leaving guntoting in the misde-
meanor class of offenses, authorizes
police to arrest and search any per-
son without warrant when they
believe he is violating the law. The
bill as finally enacted. however, in.
cludes a provision that if the per-
son searched is found not to be
carrying a concealed weapon, police
may not use against him any evil
dence Of any other violation Of law
which they might uncover in theil
search.
The recorder of deed bill is q
very much whitfield down version OF
reorganization bill approved in
recent weeks by the House. AS first
passed by the House, it gave the
District Commissioners power te
regulate the recording of deeds anC
to fix fees for the service and tc
require that the operation of the
Deeds Office be audited by the Dis.
trict auditor.
: Authority Decision Delayed
In the Senate, the bill was stripped
down to mere authorization fol
the recorder of deeds to purchase
and use photostatic equipment ir
the transcribing of recorded docu'
ments.
Funds for photostatic equipment
were included in the District Appro.
priation Act for this fiscal year.
This decision leaves until next
year a congressional decision as tt
whether the Recorder of Deeds Office
should be made at least partially
subordinate to the heads of the city
government.
The undertaken licensing measure
would set up a board of five mem.
bers, including representation from
the professions, to license unde-.
takers and embalmers meeting min.
timum standards of training or ex.
Tperience. Those now operating here
under a system of Health Depart.
ment registration would be licensed
on a mere showing they meet basic
qualifications.
New Revenue Program.
This years District legislative pro.
gram was highlighted by enactmen
of new revenue program designed
to produce about $12,500,000 mor'
for the Districts Golfers and tn,
biggest appropriation bill in his
tory.
The spending bill called for al
outlay of approximately $95,000,0
Notable features of the 1874
Revenue Act were a $4,000OOO in
crease in the Federal paymen
towards District expenses, a boos
in the real estate tax rate from SIT!
to 50 per 500 of value, a rs pc
cent increase in water rates, an in
crease Of l cent in the District gas
oline tax, the levying of a per cen
tax on unincorporated businesses
and a modification of the individual
income tax.
Officials of the District commit
tees in Congress also point to tn
House hearings on District govern
ment organization and home rule a
a major item in this years program
These were held by a subcemmitte
headed by Representative Auchin
Gloss, Republican, of New Jersey.
i A huge record of testimony ha
been compiled in series of hear
ings that ended last week and vii
be used as the basis for propose
legislation to be introduced earl
next year.
Somewhat surprisingly, in view O