Evening star., 1960-06-23
Bible Introduces Bill
To CurtaiI Rackets
Home Repairs
Frauds Target
Of Proposal
BY MIRIAM GUTENBERG
Star STAFF Writer

ate District Committee today
introduced legislation to pro-
.ect Washington homeowners
against unScrupulous home i'm
contractors.
He told the Senate that he
hoped the legislation could be
examined at hearings by the
Senate District Committee be-
fore the close of Congress.
The measure has already
been introduced in the House,
where Chairman Mcmillan of
the House District Committee
said that Representative Dowdy,
Democrat of Texas, would pre-
side at a hearing next week.
Senator Bible, in a Senate
speech explaining his proposed
legisla ton to require bonds for
home improvement contractors,
said the bill was designed to
provide needed protection for
unwary homeowners of the Dis
trict of Columbia who have
been victimized by a growing
practice of some unscrupulous
home building and repair con-
tractors"
Star Series Told of Need
The practices which the leg
islation is aimed at correcting
were spelled out in The Stars
recent "Homeowner Beware"
series.
Senator Bible said the press
was to be congratulated for its
public service in bringing these
practices to the attention of
Congress.
1T is apparent" Senator
Bible said, that the laws of
the District of Columbia pres
emily do not require fly-by-
night home Improvement con-
tractors to meet ordinary good
business or ethical standards.
Instead these builders, skilled in
evading liens and inadequate
protective features of con-
tracts, are costing the families
in the Nations capitol city
thousands of dollars by Their
sharp practices"
Regulations Proposed
Senator Bible told the Senate
that the District Commissioners
have examined this problem at
considerable length and have
proposed curbs set forth in the
legislation to empower them 10
impose more stringent regula-
tionS.
He added that law-enforce-
ment officers of the District
and of the Metropolitan Area
have been marShalled to assist.
This was a reference to two
sessions scheduled for today
meeting of United States At
torney Oliver GaSch with all
the prosecutors of the nearby
areas and a meeting of Cor
poration Counsel Chester Gray
with representatives of the bar,
home-building industry and the
home-improvement contractors.
Senator Bible explained that
by requiring bonds of home
improvement contractors, the
legislation protects homeowners
who pay IN advance for home
improvement work which is
never done.
Bond, Accounting Required
He pointed out that not only
would the posting of a bond
be required, but also an ac-
counting at regular intervals
of how the advance payment is
spent.
A third provision, he ex-
planned, would protect home
owners from mechanics liens
filed by subcontractors in cases
where the homeowner has paid
the prime contractor but the
latter has failed to pay his sub
contractors. Under this pro-
posal, proof of payment to the
contractor would be defense
against the mechanics lien.
District officials have pointed
out that bonding requires ac-
tlon of Congress but that regu-
.lation Of home improvement
contractors can be done by the
District Commissioners.
Mclaughlin for Licenses
Meanwhile, District Commits
sioner Robert E. Mclaughlin
said today he favors moving
ahead with licensing regulations
to wipe out INSCRIPTIONS home
improvement contractors here.
A two-hour meeting of the
Commissioners and top aides
was called to iron out provisions
of the regulations under con-
sideration. Mr.. Mclaughlin
said no final decision was made.
He said the various District
officials who participated in the
brought a number of
differing views on how the
regulations could best attack
the problem.
Because of the varying views
and the need for further con-
of what the regula-
tions should contain, Mr.. Nc
Laughlin called for a similar
meeting to be held Tuesday