Evening star., 1951-04-29
Senate May Act
Week on
D. c. CrimeQuiz
Discharge Petition
Action Awaited on
Home Rule Bill

Also left temporarily unsettled
was the future of the Kefauver-
Taft District Home Rule" bill.
blocked in the District Committee,
but facing Senate action on a dis
charge petition.
Action on both Of these issues
may be taken by the Senate this
week.
The Senate District Committee
voted unanimously last week to in
vestigate crime and law enforce
ment here. But SO far the Demo-
cratic membership of the group
has found no member available or
willing to be chairman of spe.
cial five-man subcommittee.
Democrats Too Busy.
All Democratic members have
said they were too busy with other
affairs. There was some thought
that the whole Investigation might
be taken over by the Senate crime
committee, the life of which has
been extended to September /.
But Senator Kefauver, Demo-
crat. Of Tennessee is to give up the
craftsmanship of the Senate crime
committee as soon as its cur
rent report is filed, and Senator
O'Conor. Democrat, of Maryland,
incoming chairman, has deferred
any decision as to looking into
District crime problems until he
becomes committee head.
If there is to be any Senate Dis
trict Committee inquiry into local
crime there still are two other
questions: How much money can
be obtained for the inquiry and
what staff should be employed.
Case Asks Inquiry.
On these latter points District
Committee Chairman Nicely has
directed his aides to consult with
Senator Kefauver and Senator
O'Conor, and with their profess
sional staff, notably Rudolph Hal
ley. counsel for the crime group.
Senator Case, Republican, OF
South Dakota, ranking minority
member of the Senate District
Committee. was the author of the
committee resolution calling for
a Senate District Committee in
curry into crime and law enforce
ment. His minority group has
named two members of the pro-
posed five-man special Subcom-
mittee. to do the work. These are:
Senators Welker Of Idaho, and
Butler Of Maryland.
n Senator Case said yesterday II
the Democrats can't find chair
man I'VE can provide one. He
said Senator Welker would be an
excellent choice.
May Select Republican.
Chairman Nicely, a West Vir-
ginia Democrat, said "a chairman
viii be found" If necessary. ne
added, he would take over the
chore himself. He said it was
mot beyond possibility" that a
Republican member of the COM
mittee might be named chairman.
There are precedentS in the
Senate District Committee for .
minority member to head sub
committee. Former Senator j.
Howard McGrath, now Attorney
General. for instance, headed q
subcommittee during a Republican
control: and Republican Senator
Margaret Chase Smith was named
chairman of subcommittee dur
ing the Democratic Craftsmanship
of Mr.. McGrath.
Exploratory" Probe Asked.
Senator Case said yesterday he
thought the proposed District
Committee investigation should be
"exloratory" and that its scope
should not now be defined. But
he saw no duplication of the work
already done by the Davis crime
subcommittee of the House. On
this point he noted that most Of
the Kefauver Senate committee
developments as to interstate
criminal links had come to the
surface after the Davis House
subcommittee hearings were con-
Icluded.
He suggested therefore that
there was field to be explored
as to how local crime and law en-
fforcement might fit into the find
|ings of the Senate's Kefauver
committee.
Home Rule Bill Blocked.
The Kefauver-Taft bill for re-
organized and mostly elected city
government was blocked in the
Senate District Committee last
Wednesday when a motion to re-
port the bill was defeated by tie
vote of 6 to 6. The next day Chair
man Nicely fled with the Senate
Ia motion to discharge the COM
Emittee, from action on this bill
and to bring it before the Senate.
This will come before the Sem
ate for decision the next time the
Senate has a morning hour" for
committee reports. and action on
petitions and memorials. This de-
|pends upon when the Senate has
an overnight adjournment instead
|of q recess. This might come this
week but could be sometime later.
On the House side the lengthy
investigation of crime In Washing-
ton by. the Davis crime subcommit-
tee win come to the final drafting
|of the proposed omnibus bill to
tighten law enforcement here.
House Group to Meet.
The full House District Commit
tee Is scheduled to meet Wednes-
day ut 10 am. to go over contro-
versial issues including proposals
for mandatory minimum SEN
fences and what to do about the
after hours bottle clubs.
Other District affairs scheduled
for Capitol Hill this week include
a public hearing for 10 am. Tues
day by the Fiscal Affairs Subcom-
rnittee of the Senate District Com
mittee headed by Senator Hunt,
Democrat. of Wyoming.