Evening star., 1957-03-28
City Aides Split
Holding Up Bill
On Nonsupp|ort
BY MIRIAM GUTENBERG

A behind the scenes fuss
among city officials over pro-
posed legislation dealing with
runaway fathers has temporarily
stymied Capitol action on the
bill. it was learned today.
House District Committee
Clerk William N. Mcleod jr.,
said the bill had been scheduled
for a hearing yesterday by a
subcommittee headed by Rep
resentative Abernethy, Democrat
of Mississippi.
Mr.. Mcleod added that the
hearing was put off when he
was informed Corporation Coun-
sci Chester Gray had planned
to testify against the measure.
He said Mr.. Abernethy told him
to postpone the hearing till all
affected officials made up their
minds what they wanted.
CO-Operation With States
The proposed legislation would
establish cooperation between
the District and the States and
territories in locating and getting
payments from supporting
fathers who have fled the juris-
diction. The District would COL
lect money from fathers located
here to send to families in other
States and the States would
make the collections from Dis
tri fathers who have fed to 9TH
er places.
Two weeks ago, Representa-
tive Smith introduced reciprocal
non-support legislation. 1t would
switch the responsibility in the
runaway father cases from the
United States Attorneys Office
and District Court to the Domes-
tic Relations Branch of Munich
pal Court and the Corporation
Counsel's Office.
AT the time the Smith bill was
misunderstanding similar
bill he sponsored in January
United States Attorney Oliver
Gasch said it represented the
combined views of himself, Chief
Judge Leonard Walsh of Munich
pal Court and Mr.. Gray.
Considerable" Cost
Mr. Gray said today that at
the time he discussed the bill
with Mr. Gasch and Municipal
Court judges he had not had an
opportunity to determine how
much it would cost the District.
He said he then determined that
1t would cost quite a consider
able amount of money" and he
asked the Commissioners for in
Structions.
He said he took the view that
the measure was mot adapted to
use by the District
Commissioner Robert K. Nc
Laughlin said when Mr.. Gray
raised his objection earlier this
week I'VE told him categorically
that we want this law Mr.. Nc
Laughlin noted that Welfare Di-
rector Gerard NJ. Shea says the
great burden of public assistance
is the number of fatherless
families.
A welfare spokesman estimated
today that about 440 families now
on relief have a breadwinner
known or believed to be living
outside the District.
This. is the means of doing
something about these fathers. II
Commissioner Mclaughlin said.
Il can't understand why there
should be a disproportionate bur-
den on the District-why there
would be more deserting fathers
coming here than deserted fam
lilies here"
Seeks Technical Changes
MI. Gray then said he wanted
to make number Of technical
changes in the bill. He said he
hoped these changes could be
completed in a week although
this measure was only one Of a
number Of things requiring the
attention of his Office.
If my Office is going to be
enforcing this, he said, Il want
to start out with A workable
law. There are still some bugs
in it That's what has caused
the delay"
He said If the measure were
enacted, it would require two or
three more assistant corporation
counselS, four or FIVE more clerks
in his office and staff of about
IA in the court.
Gasch Comments
Mr.. GaSch, pointing out that
the same load of cases is now
handled by one assistant United