Evening star., 1952-05-20
Citizens Views
Voiced atFirst
Town Meeting

commissioners Hear
Opinions on Proposed
District Regulations
District citizens told the Com.
missionerS yesterday what they
thought about some proposed new
regulations the city heads hao
drawn up.
More than so persons living In
voteless Washington went to the
District Building to a town meet
ing" called for the purpose OF
finding out what the public
thought about upcoming regula-
tionS.
Commissioner r. Joseph Dono-
hue. in welcoming the citizens
said the gathering was "a sort OF
town meeting" in which the audi
ence could consider and discuss
proposed regulations.
las such, it is a step toward
self-government." he said.
The Commissioners will hole
similar sessions once each month
when residents of the District can
make their wishes known.
BARRIERS Protest Regulation.
Up for consideration yesterday
were proposals dealing with barber
shops, travelling shows, BIB guns
and hypodermic needles.
District BARRIERS and members
Of the BARRIERS Board, a District
agency, told the city heads they
didn't think much of a proposed
regulation which would require a
District barber with residence
elsewhere to appoint a manager
or legal representative living here.
Such a requirement would mean
extra expense, and would be par
ticularly oppressive to owners of
one and two chair shops, they
said.
The Health Department sought
this requirement because of some
difficulty encountered in the past
In serving health violation war
rants on nonresident owners.
Some Of the citizens approved
q proposal which would require
operators Of carnivals, rodeos, tent
shows. circuses and such to obtain
written consent from 80 per cent
Of the residents within 500 feet
Of the site of the show.
Present Requirement Cited.
Under present law operators
must get permission from rs per
cent Of the nearby residents be-
fore license can be issued.
The proposal attracting the
largest number. of witnesses
about 25-was one which would
tighten regulations against air
guns here.
Under the suggested regula-
tions the sale or transfer" of air
guns to children under 18 would
be Unlawful. Children would not
be 3ll0Weas to carry the guns on
puhlic property, either.
Edward Bennett Williams, rep
resenting the District Society for
the Prevention of Blindness, said
the proposal was fine as far as
1t went.
But. he added, his organization,
which has spear headed the drive
against air guns, wants them
banned from the District COM
pletely.
He said there have been 80 eye
injuries from BIB guns in the
Metropolitan area recently. Phila-
delphia, he said, had a similar
record until the city outlawed the
sale, possession or use of the rifles.
Since then, he said, there has
been only one reported eye acci-
dent there.
Backed by Other Groups.
The society's support of the pro-
posed measure was backed by rep
resentatives Of the District Medi-
cal Society, the Episcopal Eye, Ear
and Throat Hospital staff, the
Wonen's Bar Association Of the
District, Lions International and
the Federation of Citizens Asso-
Citations.
The only defender Of the BIB
guns was Frank Daniel, assistant
secretary Of the National Rifle As
sociation. He said his group had
recognized the problem" of air
guns. and set up programs of "su-
pervised shooting" for the younger
sportsmen. He wanted to be sure
the regulations would not be SO
inclusive as to prevent any such
programs here.
Citizen opposition was expressed
on a proposal to prohibit possess
sion Of hypodermics by any one
except doctors and other profess
sional people, and those persons
who carried a doctors certificate.
Every one agreed they wanted
to eliminate the narcotics problem
here. But this proposal, they
warned, would cause a lot of con-
fusion with no guarantee of re-
suits.
Mrs. Allan Sheppard of the Pro-
gressive Citizens Association OF
Georgetown and A. Julian Bry-
lawski, himself q diabetic, pro-
tested q visitor here who needed
to carry a hypodermic would be
in violation of the law If he didn't
known about the certificate re-
quirement. Mr.. Brylawsh said q
citizen here might be embarrassed
If he left his certificate in another
coat.
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