Evening star., 1949-07-10
Final Action Expected
This Week on Judges
Pay, Widows Benefits
By Harold B. ROGERS


plete action on legislation to
raise the income of municipal
judges. sick school teachers and
widows and orphans of policemen
and f1remen.
Measures to this effect have
passed the House. have been
amended in the Senate, and have
gone back to the House. The
House will be asked to agree to
Senate amendments or to send
them to conference to compose
differences in House and Senate
versions.
Meanwhile, Congress, pushing
toward a summer recess, plans to
consider a number of other Dis
trict bills, and may send more
measures to the President for
his approval before adjournment.
No date has been set for the end
of this session, but estimates vary
from late in August to early Sep
tember.
Enactment of the annual city
appropriation bill and the new
District revenue law. including a
2 per cent sales tax. has solved
the citys dire financial predica-
ment to the point where Congress
sional District leaders feel the
way is clear for passage OF more
city legislation involving expen-
ditures.
Tomorrow will be District Day
In the House, but the leadership
has announced no District bills
are scheduled for action. This
does not mean, however, that
Chairman Mcmillan of the House
District Committee would be bar
red from calling up the measures
sent back to the House by the
Senate.
There are indications the House
may be asked soon to concur IN
Senate amendments to four bills.
Judges Pay Bill Revised.
On the municipal judges pay
measure. the House had raised
salaries of associate judges OF
both the trial and appellate
branches to $4,000 and the chief
Judges to $13,500. But the Senate
changed this to provide $14,50O
for the chief judge and $14.0 900 Tor
associate judges of the appellate
court; $13,500 for chief judge OF
municipal court and $4,000 Tor
its associate judges.
The teacher sick leave bill pro-
vides for one day a month SICK
leave with pay and up to 20 days
retroactive leave, as approved by
both bodies, but the Senate raised
the amount of cumulative sick
leave from the House figure OF
so days to 80 days.
Senate amendments to the bill
for pensions to survivors of police
men and firemen include a $500
funeral payment for deceased
members of the forces and new
"hero's award" of $1,000 to the
heirs of those killed in line OF
duty or dying of injuries received
in action.
House Committee to Act.
A minor amendment was added
by the Senate to House-paSsed
bill to require stop orders on
bank checks be made in writing.
The House District Committee
will meet at II am. tomorrow to
act on five bills approved by SUBJ
committees. They would: Revise
the Districts corporation law to
bring it up to date; authorize the
Commissioners to destroy weeds
on private property; admit pay
patients to the Home for the Aged
and Infirm; permit members of
the District Mental Health Com
mission to be appointed from the
metropolitan area instead of the
District only, and permit DR.. Abra-
ham Ehrlich to practice chiro-
practy.
A public hearing on several bills !
will be held at 10 am. Tuesday
by the House District subcommit-
tee on Public Utilities, Insurance
and Banking. They would: Per-
NIT credit unions to make un-
secured loans up to $500 instead
of the present $50; authorize
banks to combine small trust
accounts into common trust funds;
permit banks here to invest in
securities of the international
Bank; amend the Life Insurance
Act of 1884 to effect uniformity
with certain provisions of the Fire
and Casualty Act. and enlarge the
field of group life insurance to
make it comparable to laws in the
States.
District Items in Bill.
House and Senate conferees
hope to meet sometime this week
on differing versions of the bill to
add three more judges each to
District Court and the Court of
Appeals here. The Senate bill con-
tains certain qualifications for
nominees which have been op-
posed by House conferees.
Three important District items
In the Independent Offices Appro-
priation bill will come up for
action on the Senate floor, prob
ably late this week. They include
$5,O00,000 for the new Federal
Courthouse, $5,000,00o for the new
General Accounting Office, ana
$50,000 for the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission
to prepare a master plan for slum
clearance.
Several District bills, approved
last week by, the Senate District
Committee probably will be acted
on by the Senate If and when the
calendar is called, probably late
this week. Among them Is the
measure to provide two permanent