Evening star., 1953-07-31
ReVisedD.C.Bi|I
In Treatment OF
Addicts Backed
House Committee
Seen Ready to Okoy
U. S. disqualification
BY Miriom Ottenberq

Legislation to send the Dis
trict's dope addicts TO Federal
hospitals moved a big step for
ward today when Chairman
Wolverton of the House. Com
merce Committee said his COM
mittee was unanimously in favor
of the Eill.
Mr.. Wolverton made the
statement after an executive
session of his committee. He
said the committee will approve
the bill as soon as a clean"
bill is introduced.
The committe, he saiG, is PLAN
ming meetings both late this aft
ernoon and tomorrow morning
and will approve the bill as soon
as the revised draft is ready.
Thereafter. he said. unanimous
consent will be sought to get the
measure through the House be-
fore the week end.
Applies Only to ID. C.
The clean" bill will carry the
amendments suggested by the
Health, Education and Welfare
Department and approved by the
Budget Bureau. The bill in it's
original form applied to admis-
sion of dope addicts from all the
States to the Public Health Serv-
ice hospitals. The clean" bill
applies only to District addicts
and carries other limitations.
Earlier, Chairman Case of the
Senate District CommitCee said
he would seek speedy action on
the measure in the Senate
should it pass the House. ~
The bill has come up in the
last-minute congressional rush
through this series of actions:
Late last fall, community con-
Germ about the increasing na.-
cotics problem here led to a bill,
introduced by Representative
Miller, Republican, of Nebraska.
to provide for the court commit
ment of non-crimiral dope ad-
diets for compulsory treatment.
Enabling Act introduced.
This measure passed the
House. During Senate hearings.
it was brought out that a sepa-
rate mea sure would be required
to authorize the Public Healt'l
Service hospitals to accept and
hold addicts committed under
the compulsory treatment bill.
So, a companion bill-ap en-
abling act-waS introduced in
both houses.
The compulsory treatment
measure passed Congress and
was signed by President Eisen-
hover on June "a. At that time,
however, the President, the
Budget Bureau and the Health,
Education and Welfare Depart
ment all registered their oppo-
sition to the companion bill to
put the District addicts in Fed
eral hospitals.
The opposition was based
mainly on the fact that the
companion bill applied not only
to District addicts but also to
those of all the States. There
was also an impression-since
diSproved-Lhat the District had
its own facilities for them.
Amended Bill Offered.
The District found itself with
an urgently needed new law to
compel treatment of addicts.
but>no place to treat them. The
new law goes into effect in
December.
Late Wednesday, DR.. Miller
was notified that a compromise
had been worked out. With Bud
get Bureau approval, the Well
fare Department sent up an
amended bill. This would limit
the bill to District addicts.
would allow a maximum of so
patients committed under this
bill to be hospitalized in the
Federal institutions at any one
time and would limit the auth
ority to use the Federal hospi-
tails to three years. The Dis
trict would pay. for transporta-
ton and care.
That is the bill which the
Commissioners and members of
the House, and Senate District
Committees-which put through
the compulsory treatment law
are hoping will win approval be-
fore adjournment.
1t was pointed out that il
Congress fails to act, the Dis
trict will not be able to start
committing addicts under the
new law for lack of a place to
treat them.