Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-05
Gray Proposes
Amending All
Statutes
BY MIRIAM GUTENBERG
Star stan Writer

run afoul OF the Corporation
Counsel, it was learned today.
Corporation Counsel Chester
Gray has suggested this alter
native: Amend all the licensing
laws now on the books.
The survey was ordered in
the first place because of pub
lie complaints against some I'M
licensed businesses and because
small businessmen complained
of exorbltant license fees. One
Commissioner said there was
too much licensing.
Committee Report Approved
In July. it was learned, the
Commissioners approved a re-
port from a committee APP
pointed more than a year ear
lier to make a comprehensive
study of business licensing in
the District.
The committee, headed by
c. T. Nottingham, District SUI
perintendent of licenses and
permits, recommended replac-
ing Gil existing business licens-
ing legislation with a single
general license act. Unoer
this act. the Commissioners
would develop a set of regula-
tons to be published in a sim
gle volume. The Commissioners
would decide which businesses
should be licensed on the basis
of a set of criteria emphasizing
the public interest. The Com
missioners would have more
leeway in fixing license fees
and could require bond to pro-
tect the public from f1y-by-
night operators.
In recommending a new APP
proach to the knotty problem
of protecting the public with
out penalizing business, the
committee pointed out that
there are now approximately
200 laws and regulations deal
ing with licensing business now
on the books. The License Act
of 1882 set up Sc license cate
gories The Commissioners add
ed 81 more categories, is other
categories are set up by sepa-
rate statutes and II licensing
bills are now before Congress.
Enforcement Conflicts Noted
The Commissioners were told
that experience in the adj
ministration and enforcement
of all these laws and rules has
pointed up numerous conflicts:
that the Commissioners lack
authority to revise most license
classiflcations, and cannot re-
quire bond or insurance withA
out going back tc Congress.
On the basis of the lengthy
survey, the Commissioners told
the corporation counsel to
draft a general license act to
replace existing laws.
Mr.. Gray has now come ub
with arguments against this.
In the first place, he told the
Commissioners, the commit
tee did not "set forth with par
ticularity the language of the
desired legislation" nor accom-
pany its draft with a detailed
justification.
In the second place, he said,
the business community has
become accustomed to func-
tioning under existing laws and
regulations and would object to
change.
In the third place, he added,
the Commissioners would have
to overcome these objections by
writing complete sets of new
regulations before repeating the
existing laws and Mr.. Gray
would need at least three at
torneys and three secretaries to
do all that.
while I recognize" said Mr..
Gray, that the infleXible char
acter of certain of the provi-
sions of these laws renders
their administration difficult
and burdensome, I believe that
the problem may be taken care
of by relatively simple amend
ments."
Prefers Limited Approach
II think a limited approach
of the kind I have just de-
scribed would tend to create
less turmoil and confusion in
the collective mind of the busi-
ness community; would be less
Objectionable and meet with
less resistance; would be easier
to justify, and would achieve
the same end as the recon-
mendations of the Business Lii
censing Committee"
Mr.. Nottingham, who has
not yet.bee informed officially
of Mr.. Gray'S roadblock. ex-
pressed surprise when he heard
about it. He pointed out that
the Commissioners had not
asked Mr.. Gray for an opinion
but had specifically directed
him to prepare legislation
THE committee felt this
type of legislation was neces-
sary to eliminate as quickly as
possible the antiquities, in
equities and inconsistencies Of
the present laws" Mr.. Noting
ham said. Amending of many
acts would take years-even
longer than it now takes to get