Evening star., 1951-05-02

Nicely 5 Group
Near Agreen1en'
On Bottle
: Five Sections Of Bill
To Curb D. c. Crime
Remain in Dispute

spent an hour behind closed
doors today working on the
Davis omnibus crime-curb bill
but failed to reach agreement on
five controversial sections.
Committee aides said, however
that the committee appeared to
be near agreement on the much
discussed section to license after
hours bottle clubs. A committee
source said it appeared likely that
the committee would accept Cor
poration Counsel Vernon Vests
amendments, which would pro-
vide that a club cannot get a
license unless it was established
at least three months immedi-
ately before applying for the Ii
cense, and fixes a license fee of
$500 a year.
The West amendments also pro-
vide machinery for shutting down
the clubs If they violate Alcohol
Beverage Control Act regulations
Still in the debate stage are
sections fixing minimum sen.
Itences for certain crimes, regula-
tions governing the sale of pistols
elimination of the right of jury
trial in certain cases, and provi-
sion of five investigators for the
United States Attorneys Office.
Police Section Left Open.
A section on the organization
of the Police Department also was
left open for further discussion
committee officials reported. Nc
date was set for another commit
tee session on the bill.
Meanwhile. the question oj
who will head up the Senate
District Committee inquiry into
crime and punishment here was
still unanswered today after the
committee was left with the jot
Of doing its own investigating.
Chairman Neely said he hoped
to find the answer before the enc
of the day.
The Senate Crime Committee
pursuing interstate angles o1
gangster operations yesterday
rejected pleas that it take over
the District crime inquiry.
Anticipating this decision, Sena-
tor Neely joined with Senator
Case, Republican, of South
Dakota, ranking minority mem
Der of the District Committee, in
sponsoring a resolution seeking q
$50, 900 Senate fund for the Dis
trict inquiry.
To District Committee.
This now goes back to the Dis
trict Committee for approval and
If indorsed there, as expected, il
then would be referred to the
Senate Rules Committee for q
recommendation. From there II
would go to the Senate for action
Since the Senate Crime Com
mittee has found it cannot now
at least, step into the crime prob
lens of the National Capital, Sen
ator Nicely seemed more deter
mined than ever to have his own
committee do the work.
"At least that hurdle is passed, >
he said on learning of the O'Conor
Committees decision. "At least we
know that they are not going tc
come into this picture"
The acknowledgements O'Conol
Committee rejected the District
inquiry proposal late yesterday
latter listening to an eloquent ap-
peal from Senator Neely.
Door Not Closed.
The door was not closed to some
possible future study in the Dis
Itrict but Chairman O'Conor made
it clear that local housekeeping
was the responsibility of the local
community-a philosophy en-
bodied in the national committees
interim report released yesterday
AS explained by Senator O'Conor
the rejection by the national in.
Iquiry group was on the unanimous
view that in any matter of strictly
local nature the Investigations ane
corrective actions should be done
on local basis.
He left the door open by saying
that should the Senate District
Committee inquiry at some later
stage develop interstate angles the
Senate Crime Committee ther
would be interested.