Evening star., 1953-04-15
Omnibus D. {.
Crime Measure
Being Shaped
Some 40 Provisions
To Be Incorporated;
Hearing Planned
By Miriom Gutenberg

House ana senate OlSCrlC6
Committee stats today began
wrapping up some 40 different
provisions into one major attack
against the District lawbreak-
erS.
The decision to present o
united front behind a single big
anti-crime bill was reached at q
two-hour session of House and
Senate District Committee mem.
berS yesterday.
The quartet of legislators came
out of the closed session ex-'
pressing confidence that a bill
acceptable to both chambers
could be worked out.
Senator Barrett, Republican, Of
Wyoming. chairman of the SEN
ate District judiciary subcom-
mittee, said the crime bill al
ready approved by the House
District crime subcommittee will
be used as a base. Added to it
will be the eight crime bills in
troduced in the Senate by Sen
ator Nicely, Democrat, of West
Virginia.
The House bill, sponsored by
Representative Davis, Democrat,
of Georgia. contains some 35
different provisions and Is
similar to one that passed the
House in the last Congress but
died in the Senate District
Committee. It stemmed from
the House District crime investi.
cation in 1850.
Target Date Monday.
The House and Senate COM
mittee stats hope to have the
combined bill ready by next
Monday. Senator Barrett said
a joint meeting of his Judiciary
subcommittee and the House
District crime subcommittee will
be held late next week to hear
witnesses. He said it will prob
ably be a night session.
when we're through with the
hearings" he said, I'VE hope to
come out with a bill incorporat-
ing the desirable features Of all
the bills"
Although both the House and
Senate measures have some con-
troversial features, yesterdays
ccnferees showed no disposition
to knock out any of the provi-
sions at this time.
Senator Barrett said he thought
Representative Davis had done
a very good job in drafting q
bill which, if enacted, would have
a very good effect as crime
deterrent.
Representative Davis, who at
tended the session with the
House District crime subcom-
mittee chairman, Representative
Tale, Republican, of Iowa. said
in turn that I'VE feel we can be
enthusiastic about these Senate
bills"
Case Sees Earnest Effort.
Chairman Case of the Senate
District Committee and a mem
ber of the Judiciary Subcommit-
tee said he thought it was aus
picious for the two groups to
work together. He said the Joint
sessions represented an earnest
effort to try to conserve the work
of the Davis crime investigation
and last years Senate crime in.
vestigation
During yesterdays meeting, the
legislators went over the Davis
bill section by section and also
discussed the Nicely bills. They
obviously devoted considerable
time to the most controversial
of the provisions-the one fixing
mandatory minimum sentences
for certain serious crimes.
Mr.. Davis told the others that
the lack of mandatory minimums
such as exist elsewhere is an
invitation to criminals to come
to Washington. Senator Barrett
said he had reached no conclu-
sion on the fixed minimums but
pointed out that witnesses for
and against them will have q
full opportunity to testify. Mr..
Davis indicated he would not
risk the death of the whole bill
by being stubborn" about the
mandatory minimums, although
he still strongly favors them.
The legislators agreed to SUBJ
stitute the language of the after.
hours club control bill as it has
passed the House for the bottle
club provisions of the Davis bill.
Control for Pistols.
Both the Davis and the Nicely
bills seek tighter control over
pistols. The Nicely bill on weap-
ons is similar to the Davis bill
except that the Senate version
also would provide that no one
could own a pistol without a
certificate from the police chief.
Representative Davis said he
would go along with that.
In addition to fixing minimum
sentences, the Davis bill also
would increase maximum penal
ties for some offenses, increase
the arrest and search powers Of
police, make gamblers autos and
other personal property subject
to confiscation, make it illegal
to be a habitue of a dive" OUT
law the Switchblade knife, give
more protection to victims Of
threats, strengthen the laws
against receiving stolen prop
erty, require bondSmen to keep
more detailed records. make it
illegal to possess the implements
of crime and provide various
other changes to strengthen law
The Nicely bills would rewrite
all the gambling laws, control
weapons. provide sitter penal
ties for dope peddlers and con-
troll hypodermic needles to keep
them away from dope addicts,
limit forfeiture of collateral in