Evening star., 1954-06-02
Rover Praises
Districts New
Law on Crime
Congress Group
Louded for Measure
Passed Lost Year

T0SSe0 LOST lear
High praise for the Law En-
forcement Act of 1858. passed by
Congress after a couple years of
intensive hearings and study, was
voiced today by United States
Attorney Leo A. Rover at a hear
ing before the Crime subcommit-
tee Of the House District Com
mittee.
Mr.. Rover called the new law
on crime and its punishment
"the Sanest. most effective and
most constructive act" dealing
with the city's criminal code
since its 1901 adoption.
Mr.. Rover added. "You gentle
men made a highly valuable con-
tribution to law enforcement
here" speaking of the work of
the House and Senate Crime sub
committees. With the new law
he said, the District now has a
much more efficient and effec-
tive enforcement of law"
Rover Office Lauded.
In return. Representative.
Davis, Democrat. of Georgia.
who headed the Senate Crime
Subcommittee when the big
crime bill was drafted, praised
the District Attorneys Office and
the District corporation coun-
sells Office 'for their fine work
in putting the new law into use
and effect. It wouldn't matter
much how good was the law"
he declared, without contin-
uous efforts by the enforcement
agencies"
This comment brought a full
agreement from Chairman Tale
and there were mods of approval
from Representative Smith.
Democrat, of Virginia.
Mr.. Rover gave much credit
to Police Chief Robert v. MUIR
ray and called Corporation
Counsel Vernon E. West "tops."
Mr.. Rover said enforcement
agencies had not yet had time
to test all the provisions of the
new law-enforcement act, but
said he regarded all of them as
good.
Tightening Up in Courts.
There has been a Tightening
up all along the line" MIR. Rover
said. Enforcement officers, he
added. have been bearing down
more heavily on multiple Of
tenders: judges Of the courts
have imposed increased penal
ties. and consecutive instead of
concurrent sentences have been
more frequently levied for null
tiple offenders.
He said the District now has
pretty well broken up the after
hours bottle clubs" which had
been sources of serious crimes.
And he said that there has been
unified. Joint efforts by District
and Federal agents against the
narcotics rackets.
Up for consideration was an
amendment to section 4O5 of the
law enforcement act. This di-
rects the Commissioners to ap-
point a qualified psychiatrist and
psychologist to assist the proba-
ton officers of the courts and
the Department of Corrections
and the Parole Board. The
proposed amendment would
make their services available, too,
to the judges of the U. S. Dis
trict Court for the District of
Columbia.
Appointed by Judge Laws.
The amendment was proposed
by committee on improvement
of psychiatric services appointed
by Chief Judge Bolitha Laws.
The group is headed by Judge
Luther w. Youngdahl and in
cludes Judges James w. Nor
ris and Alexander Holtzoff, John
j.. Carmody, past president of
the District Bar Association; DR..
Winfred Overholser, superintend-
ent of st. Elizabeths Hospital,
and Mrs. Louis Gutenberg, civic
worker.
The Tale subcommittee de-
ferred judgment on the pro-
posed amendment for further
study and to await a statement
from Judge Youngdahl..
Mr.. Rover and Assistant Cor
poration Counsel Irving Bryan
indorsed the amendment.