Evening star., 1950-06-21
Group Approves
|Five.Day Week
For Dc. Police
II Bills lndorsed
As Nicely Bottles
Congress DeodIine
By Don S. Worren

A five-day work week for Ma
tional Capital policemen was ap-
proved by the Senate District
Committee late yesterday.
No less than q dozen strangely
assorted bills were sent to the
Senate for action, as Chairman
Neely struggled against the ap-
preaching adjournment Of this
Congress.
Approved bills included liberal
ization Of teacher sick leave, ex-
tension Of rent controls and reg
ulation Of optometrists. profess
sional architects and engineers.
Other bills covered a change
OF title for the District health Of
ficer and listed those who could
sign certificates for the moving
Of the bodies Of the dead.
Measure Held Back.
In addition. the Senate COM
mittee reported bill to rewrite
and liberalize the Districts Un-
employment Compensation Insur.
ance Act. but this was later with
held from the Senate to await
another discussion by members of
the District Committee. This may
be held next week.
This measure, highly contro-
versial. has been opposed by the
Board Of Trade and numerous
other business representatives.
Chairman Nicely. one Of the Spon-
sors Of the bill. said he would seek
action again next week.
There has been no action on
the House side Of this bill and
House sources say the bill will die
with the 8lst Congress. even II It
is passed by the Senate.
reconsideration Asked.
Less than a quorum of men,
bers Of the District Committee
actually was present when the job
less insurance measure came I'D
for action. This quorum point was
not made; but after the measure
had been ordered reported. re-
quests for reconsideration were
made by Senators Darby of Kan
sas and Dworshak Of Idaho, both
Republicans, ofilcials said.
This bill, extensively rewriting
the present jobless insurance law,
would raise the maximum pay
ments from $40 for 20 weeks to
$S3 for 26 weeks. At recent hear
ings. the bill was Endorsed by Ia.
Dor spokesmen. Business groups,
including the Board Of Trade,
asked delays. and some insisted
that ''loopholes for chiselers"
should be plugged before any &C.
ton was taken to enlarge benefits.
Cost Would Be Added.
The proposed flve-day week for
Metropolitan. White House and
Park police would add about
100000 cost to the 1851 District
budget and an annual extra charge
OF about $1.2 million after five
years, officials said. 1t would en-
tail the employment Of about 800
extra men on the Metropolitan
force.
Sponsors, including Pvt. Royce
L. Givens. president Of the Police
mems Association. said the shorter
work week should bring a flood Of
new applicants to police jobs,
where a half hundred or more po-
sitions now are vacant.
Just when the f1ve-day week
would go into effect was left in
doubt. Once the bill said July /.
but 1t was changed to so days
after enactment. AS reported by
the District Committee, It would
be only after necessary funds were p.
appropriated and available"
Leahy Wins Support.
Senator Leahy. Democrat, Of
Rhode Island won support from
Senator Margaret Chase Smith.
Republican, Of Maine in gaining
committee approval Of a broader
sick leave plan for teachers.
The recommended bill would
grant 75-day cumulative sick
leave total, instead of the present
80 days; would allow similar leave
TO regularly employed temporary
teachers and ."pressing personal
business" would be added to sick
ness and emergencies for some of
the excused absences.
Also, five days a year would be
permitted when teachers could be
absent on part-pay and could hire
out of their own SAL
aries. The part-pay leave also
would be permitted to the end of a
school year for. a teacher in
capacitated by illness, when paid
sick leave had run out.
Other Bills Reported.
Among other measures favor.
ably reported by the Senate Dis.
trict Committee were those:
Applying the Districts mini
mum wage and industrial safety
law to men, as well as to women
and minors;
Providing for compacts between
the District and adjoining Mary
land and Virginia counties for
mutual aid fire protection serv-
ices;
Permitting optional courses in
aviation. including fight instruc-
ton for senior high school stu
dents;
Amending the District Boxing
Commission Act to permit retired
to be paid while also
drawing Government retirement,
as would be the case Of Boxing
Commission Chairman Harvey L.
Miller, q retired Marine ofiicer:
Changing the title Of the Dis
trict health officer to director Of
public health Of the District, and
permitting a physician. other than
the attending physician. TO sign
a certificate for the removal Of Q
kAr.dv f0r haHptaI