Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-05
Rights Bill Foe
Sees Injury TO
Police Morale
Southern Official
Centers His Attack
On Penalties
By ROBERT X. WALSH

charged COQdy JnaC civil rights
bills being considered by a House
subcommittee would "shake the
very foundation of law enforce
ment" by subiecting States to
Federal supervision and making
local police afraid to arrest
people.
Edward Scheidt. North Caro-
lima motor vehicle commits
sioner who was an FBI agent for
% years. directed his attack
mainly at criminal penalties pro-
vided in bill sponsored by Rep
resentative Celler, Democrat of
New York. Mr.. Celler heads the
House Judiciary Subcommittee
holding hearings this week on
some As civil rights bills.
The witness, a lawyer, as
serted that the Celler bill could
lead to a national police force
and seriously impair morale and
efficiency of State and local po-
lice. He asserted that it would
be IAN open invitation to any
complainant to circumvent local
governmental facilities by deal
ing directly with Federal au-
thorities" merely by claiming
that some civil right was en-
dangered or violated.
Heating Doesn't Agree
Representative Heating, Re-
publican Of New York. sponsor
of a bill backed by the Essen
hover administration. took i'm
mediate issue with Mr.. Scheidt's
testimony. He declared he did
not agree with 1t as applied to
the Celler bill and that he re-
garded 1t as "extrayagant and
almost ridiculous" when applied
to his own bill. The Heating bill.
similar to one passed by the
House last summer, would let
the Attorney General seek civil
remedies such as injunctions in
Federal courts to protect voting
and other civil rights of citizens.
Mr.. Scheidt conceded that the
Heating bill was not so objec-
tionable to him. He nevertheless
claimed that its enactment
would be both unnecessary and
unwise.
In an effort TO overcome what
Mr.. Celler and Mr.. Heating de-
nounced as obstruction" tactics
by some Southern members of
the House in trying to prevent
subcommittee hearings while the
House is in session. the subcom-
mittee started today's hearing an
hour earlier than usual. 1t in
Dictated there might be night
sessions If necessary to complete
the hearings by Friday.
NAACP Aide Testifies
Besides Mr.. Scheidt. other wit
nesses today included:
l. Roy Wilkins, executive Sec
rotary of the National Associa-
ton for the Advancement of Col
ored People. who said his organ
ization supported the Heating
bill as "a first step toward break
ing the congressional stalemate
through the enactment of a min
imum meaningful bill" He noted
that Congress has passed no Fed
eral legislation for civil rights
in more than 80 years. He said
the NAACP believes Congress
should eventually enact much
broader and stricter measures
than the point program pro-
posed by the Eisenhower admin
istration and embodied in the
Heating bill.
2. Andrew j. Diemiller, director
of the legislative department of
the AFL-CIO. who said organized
labor hopes Congress will enact
the Celler bill because "it comes
closer to meeting the many prob
lens requiring action than does
the Presidents program"
Mr.. Biemiller. a former House
declared there can be
no excuse for further failure
to enact some meaningful civil
rights legislation" especially in
view of political campaign
See CIVIL RIGHTS, Page AS