Evening star., 1949-10-06
Municipal Court
Expansion0 0Kd
BySenateGroup
Bill Adds ; Judges;
Enactment Sought
By Adjournment

tOQdy approved Ulll 10 dQu lIlIet
more judges to Municipal Court.
The committee, assembling {
quorum on time after two unsuc.
cessful attempt by Chairman Nicely
to meet on schedule. acted on sew
eral other bills and reassigned some
members to subcommittee.
The judges bill was called up by
Senator Johnston. Democrat. o.
South Carolina in his new capacity
as chairman of the Judiciary Sub
committee. The measure was
amended in an attempt to assure
enactment before the end of this
session of Congress, he said.
Residence Rule Eased.
The bill, ordered to be reported
to the Senate calendar. expands
areas from which candidates fol
the bench are eligible to the near
by Metropolitan Area. 1t also re-
quires that nominees have five
years of actual practice if they are
from private life, and that they
have five years of consecutive
service prior to nomination if they
are serving as attorneys in either
the District or Federal Govern
ments.
A somewhat similar bill is pend
ing OH the floor of the House,
but, the Senate committee was
told today, an attempt will be
made to amend it to conform
somewhat to the Senate bill just
approved by the committee.
Senator Mccarthy, Republican
of Wisconsin interposed an objec-
ton to appointing attorneys from
the Government agencies, insist
ing that it would be better to
require that nominees be engaged
in the private practice of law.
Retirement Item Approved.
Senator Johnston explained
that the amendment he presented
was favored by the Justice De-
partment.
Senator Kefauver, Democrat. of
Tennessee, asked whether the
measure would preclude the ap-
pointment of lame ducks" re-
ferring to defeated members of
Congress. But no specific answer
was forthcoming on his question.
The committee also approved
measures which would:
Provide retroactive increased
District retirement benefits of
about $179 each for the one fiscal
year beginning June 80, 1948, at
a total coast of about $4,000.
The measure was approved, de-
spite testimony by Corporation
Counsel Vernon e. West that the
District Commissioners were op-
posed to it.
4 Issue of License OK'd.
Place under the Civil Service
Classification Act of 1923 these
District officials: Superintendent
of Gallinger Hospital, two Public
Utilities Commission members, the
superintendent of the National
Training School for Girls, and
the peoples counsel.
Authorize the issuance Of a
license to practice chiropractic to
Abraham j. Ehrlich.
Eliminate the District residence
requirements for members of the
Commission on Mental Health,
permitting physicians who reside
outside the District but who prac-
tice inside the District to be
eligible.
Extend the time for payment
to two owners of properties on
Eastern avenue for damages re-
sulting from street improvements
there.
SAR Tax Exemption Voted.
Exempt from a personal prop
erty tax of about $500. including
penalties the furnishings and Of
flee equipment of the Sons of the
American Revolution, 1927 Six
teenth street NV.
Authorize the District Commits
sioners to enter into a contract
for removal of sludge from the
District Sewage Treatment Plant.
Some other measures were post
poned for future action. and four
others were not reached on the
calendar because committee men,
bers had to leave to answer a
quorum call on the Senate floor
Chairman Nicely requested that
his bill for establishment of a
commission on human rights in
the District be considered by the
full District Committee instead OF
being referred to subcommittee
Tax Study Scheduled.
Some members favored the pro-
posal while others questioned
whether a full committee could
be obtained for hearings. No ac-
ton was taken on the chairman S
request.
A special subcommittee was
appointed to look into the long,
pending controversy over tax
exempt property in the District
On motion of Senator Hunt.
Democrat. of Wyoming, Chairman
Nicely appointed on the subcom-
mittee Senator Leahy. Democrat,
of Rhode Island, chairman; Sena-
tor Mccarthy and Senator
Kefauver. The committee resolu-
tion would require a report to the
full committee by March l next
year.
This action grew out of dis
cussion on the approved bill to
exempt the personal property of
the Sons of the American Revo-
luton.
Senator Hunt and Chairman
Nicely both emphasized that the
problem of tax exemption in the
District was becoming more vital
each year as the District con-
fip,,ed to 1oSe tay revenue from