Evening star., 1949-07-06
Juveni|eCourt
Bi||Approvedby
SenateGroup
Amended Measure
Sets Qualifications
Of Permanent Judges
By Don S. Worren

Senate District Committee ap-
provsl was registered today for a
bill to provide two permanent
judges for the city's Juvenile
Court.
Sent to the Senate for action
was bill by Chairman McGrath,
modified in several respects by the
committee.
AS to qualifications. the revised
bill requires candidate to have
been member Of the District bar
for five years prior to appointment
and to reside in the Metropolitan
area of the Capital. The area
was defined to include the District
and portions of Maryland and
Virginia within a radius of 20
miles of the boundaries of the
District.
The radius finally recommended
was suggested by Senator Hen
Erickson. Republican. of New Jer-
sey. This was compromise be-
tween a suggestion by Senator
Margaret Chase Smith, Republi-
can. of Maine for a radius of 20
miles from the Capitol. and a
recommendation by Chairman
McGrath to include all of the
surrounding counties and Alexan-
dria, Va.
Other Qualifications.
Other qualifications for juvenile
Judge are that the candidate must
have a knowledge of social prob7
lens and procedures and an un-
derstanding Of child psychology.
The bill also provides for publicity
of statistics as to the courts busi-
ness. but without revealing names
of persons involved.
In other business today. the
Senate committee reported favor
ably bills to correct inequitieS in
the application of the pay scales
and placement of District school
teachers, to reorganize and rede-
fine the powers of the National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission and to raise the District
license fee for podiatrists from So
to S5.
A long string of minor bills also
was sent to the Senate
A clash of views between Dis
trict officials and spokesmen for
the planning commission devel-
oped over the measure to broaden
the scope of the commission to
cover the Metropolitan Area.
Commissioners Lose.
Corporation Counsel Vernon E..
West, speaking for the District
Commissioners, made a fight for
larger District representation on
the planning body, and to elimf-
nate a provision that the City
Government would have to OBJ
tain planning commission ap-
proval for projects built in
suburban Maryland or Virginia.
After considerable discussion,
the views of the Commissioners
were rejected. The measure was
reported almost exactly as recon-
mended by the Budget Bureau in
a report on study ordered several
years ago by President Truman.
Speaking for the bill were Mai
Gen. U. S. Grant III. former
chairman of the planning COM
mission, and A. E. Demaray, rep
resenting the National Park
Service.
In other actions, the District
Committee sent to the Senate for
approval bills that would:
Prohibit the sale in the District
of rockfish weighing more than
IS pounds. a conservation measure
proposed by Senator McCarran,
Democrat. of Nevada.
Would Amend Contract.
Amend the contract retent pro-
VISIONS of present law so as to
permit the Commissioners to use
greater discretion in the amount
of payments made to contractors
after building is more than half
completed, but before the last
work is finished.
Provide for the appointment of
a deputy disbursing officer and
assistant disbursing officers for
the city government.
Permit investment of funds of
insurance companies here in the
obligations of the International
Bank for Reconstruction and De-
velopment.
Obviate the necessity for Dis
trict residence for members of the
Commission on Mental Health.
Action was delayed, for further
study. on bill by Senator Tyd-
ings, Democrat. of Maryland to
exempt from District taxation the
property of the National Society
of the Colonial DANES of Amerjca