Evening Star Newspaper, March 29, 1935, Page 4

A4 x 0., PROSECTIG MACHINERY IS HT Procedure Easily Influenced | and Broken Down, Roberts Says. (Continued From First Page.) simplify the procedure in handling all District matters. Such a committee, he declared, should be composed of members of Congress who are keenly interested in District problems. Calling attention to the existing organization of the prosecuting ma- chinery with two separate prosecuting agencles—the corporation counsel and the United States attorney—Robert declared: “It is my opinion that the time is coming when the prosecutions of every offense against the District will be prosecuted by one agency and that will be the attorney general of the District—the corporation counsel.”. | “The dividing line between the Jjurisdiction of the district attorney's office and the corporation counsel is not clear,” Roberts added. “As a result there is a lack of clarity and | both agencies overlap. One refers a case back to the other and it finally disappears by the corporation counsel losing interest. All the criminal prosecutions against the District should be placed either i nthe dis- trict attorney’s office or the office of the corporation counsel.” Penal Code Criticized. Roberts likewise criticized the Dis- trict penal code, describing it as| “obsolete.” He asked for a complete revision of the criminal statutes. | As proof of the need for such a| change, he cited the case of a clerk 1n the District Water Department who had the authority to make out bills. His accounts were found to be in! error and a check-up indicated he| had been guilty of graft. | Roberts cxplained a trap was set for the clerk and as a result he was caught accepting a $15 bribe to stamp a $40 water bill paid. Roberts testified he went to the District attorney’s office, but was told no charge could be found on which to indict the clerk. Later, however,| the man was called before the grand | jury and subsequently indicted on a charge of “soliciting of a felony.” “Actually,” declared Roberts, “the man was guilty of graft.” Roberts skipped rapidly over the whole field of District activities, touching, not only on the ramified activities of various officials, but com- menting on timely matters that have been brought before the committee. In that connection, he brought up the subject of traffic ticket “fixing,” and declared that while he served as an assistant corporation counsel he never “fixed” a ticket, and when that in- formation became generally known he was never requested to do so. Driscoll Is Heard. A. J. Driscoll, president of the Mid- city Citizens' Association, witness, urged the re-establishment of the old second precinct head- quarters, on Fifth street between M and N streets, now occupied by the ‘Woman'’s Bureau. Roberts took the stand immediately afterward and outlined the various civic and official activities with which he has been identified. Afterward he discussed his studies of the or- ganization of the District government, with special reference to the law-en- forcement and prosecuting agencies. Then he suddenly declared: “Any plan to avoid crime in the District must start back of the Police Department—you must go inte the economic and physical ills of the community.” Then, almost as suddenly. Roberts Jumped to a discussion of traffic ticket “fixing.” There is & belief prevalent, he said, that if a man has an official position in Washington he must “fix” these tickets. Didn’t Fix Tickets. “Fixing tickets is only a symptom,” he declared. “I was in the corpora- tion counsel's office for years and I never fixed a single ticket. When people got to know I wouldn't get tickets fixed for them they didn’t ask me. “By fixing, I mean it in the same sense as most citizens do—fixing tickets improperly. There are some cases where it is all right to have tickets go as warnings, and this often does more good than compelling the technical violator to go through all the ramifications in® court.” “I am sorry to see one of my pets 1ail, that is the triplicate ticket system which I had a good deal to do with in its origin. I thought it was fix proof. “Its a good system if it is properly carried out, but this hasn't been done.” Roberts next urged a unified police system in the District after revealing that there are eight police forces in this city—the Metropolitan, Park, White ~ House, Capitol, Capitol Grounds, Soldiers’ Home, Agriculture Department and Zoological Park. Unification Favored. If these various forces were placed under one head, and the appropria- tions for each grouped in one, he explained, effectiveness of policing Washington would be increased mate- rially. ‘These present multiple forces, he insisted, cause conflicts in jurisdiction which are “silly and unnecessary.” ‘While Commissioner Hazen is theo- retically called the police commis- sioner, Roberts declared, his power over the Police Department is limited to the desires of the two other Com- missioners. “Hazen is not the police commis- sioner,” he said. “The Commissioners have no authority as individuals. ‘They must act as a board. To assign one Commissioner to the P De- partment and say that he must have charge of that department is a fallacy.” Next Roberts recommended the creation of a department of public safety, to include fire, police and weights and measures, headed by one civilian. Roberts later declared the Parole Board had been ‘“criticized recklessly by men who ought to know better.” “The theory of parole,” he said, "ni not only a social but an economic necessity. “But,” he added, “you can't have 8 parole system if you are going to select volunteers who get no salary. We need a full-time Parole Board and an adequate staff.” Conducts “Small Court.” Roberts explained that in his posi- tion as people’s counsel he is conduct- ing a small claims court without au- thority of law for people who come to his office about landlord, tenant and other distressing problems. “Hundreds of poor people come to my office for legal aid,” he declared. “There are small storekeepers, house- keepers and people in distress, who hire persons for several weeks and then tell them: ‘You're no good, get the first | THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 1935. Left to right, standin, Women Plan Spring Festival Group of women having tea after a rehearsal of the fashion show that is to be part of the Spring festival to be given Thursday afternoon, April 4, at the Chevy Chase School by the Women's Board of the George Wash- ington Hospital for the benefit of the institution. Left to right, seated: Mrs. MacPherson Crichton, Mrs. Wil- liam H. King and Mrs. Ruby Smith Stahl. iels, Mrs. Tillman Parks and Mrs. John Cabot Stevens. aroness von Pagenhardt, Mrs. Ernest Dan- —Star Staff Photo reach a reconciliation about the amount due.” Roberts said he is preparing a statute to remedy that situation. Roberts declared there is a tendency in the District courts to give short sentences—a custom he said he be- lieved grew up before creation of the Parole Board. He said Congress should carefully review the penalties and sentences with a view to extend- ing the maximum. Insertion of a graft statute in the | District Code also was recommended to prevent minor peculations on the part of persons acting in an official capacity. “Our whole penal code is obsolete,” he declared. “A law for the recodi- fication of the District Code should be passed.” Proposes Collateral Scale. | Roberts told the committee that | fines are the most inefficient way of | punishing a man for a crime, pointing | out that for the same offense a poor man is fined the same as a rich man, | although the former can hardly pay it while the latter scarcely cares. Next he sugzested the possibility of | changing the collateral deposit scales and permitting the precinct captains to use discretion as to the amount of | collateral to be posted in each indi- vidual case. 'PRECINCT TRAFFIC | BUREAUS OPPOSED Trade Board Group Against De- centralization Plan Given Crime Body. Decentralization of Traffic Bureau with the assignment of traffic police- men to the several precincts was op- posed yesterday by the Traffic Com- mittee of the Washington Board of Trade meeting at the Harrington Ho- tel. Attack on the plan advocated before the House Crime Investigating Com- mittee was made by Capt. Milton Smith of the Traffic Bureau; Capt. Eugene F. Mitchell, associated for sev- eral years with the International As- sociation of Police Chiefs; C. Melvin Sharpe and others. Capt. Mitchell said attempts to use such a system had proved failures in other cities and he forecast similar failure here. He also pointed out that decentralization would make ‘“ticket fixing” easier. Capt. Smith also said that the plan might result in less efficiently trained officers and use of the mounted men as messengers rather than active di- rectors of traffic. The committee also approved a plan to publish the names of persons whose driving permits have been revoked. A special committee was named to study the subject. — TWO HELD IN ROBBERY Arrests Follow Alleged Visit of Stranger to Harper, Victim. Frank Harry Acton, 34, of 609 Sev- enth street southwest, and Reuben Rose, 43, of 940 I street, were being detained by police today for ques- tioning in connection with a reported attack upon Fred Harper, 45, local sportsman, in his home at 1833 New Hampshire avenue, March 5, when Harper was robbed of $663 and jewelry valued at $250. Belva Taylor, 28, also of 940 I street, is being held as a material witness. 50 GROSNER of 1325 ¥ Street garment PENALIZING BUYER, BARUCH PLAN FOR WAR PRICE CEILING (Continued From First Page.) lotment of P. W. A. funds for ship- building had been made in June, 1933, while Smith's offer to sell stock to Baruch was in August at the time contracts for shipbuilding were being awarded. “Smith called me by telephone while I was at Vichy, France,” the financier said, “and told me that he had sent up 5,000 shares of stock for me and added that it looked good because the Government was giving out a Ilot of orders and lots of business would be done.” Baruch gave the testimony under questioning by Senator Vandenberg, Republican, of Michigan. The financier explained that Smith, operating through Baruch's broker, sent 5,000 shares of the stock to his New York office. The call to Vichy followed. “I'll tell you what you can do with | that stock,” the financier said he told | Smith over the telephone, adding, with a smile: “And I told him.” Committee members laughed. Denies Knowledge of Activity. “What I am trying to show,” Van- | denberg said, “is that in sales pro- motion the basic claim was that value | was accumulating because of pro- spective Government orders.” “I knew very little about what he was doing,” Baruch responded. “Yet you declined to have any- thing to do with it because it had Government connections?” the Mich- igan Senator pursued. Baruch agreed. Demands that America make its plans now to keep out of any future war among other powers received new emphasis today ‘with a disclosure that Chairman Nye is ready t¢ offer tenta- tive bills to that end. Although Senator Nye did not dis- close the details, the bills were re- ported to deal with foreign travel by Americans in war time, trade with belligerents and foreign loans. The aim is to prevent the United States being drawn into war through such activities. Denies Nationals’ Right. Already Baruch has told the com- mittee “no national has the right to go into the trouble zone and expect this Nation to back him if he gets into difficulties.” Baruch has said “it is most im- trality laws.” o Meanwhile the drive to take profits out of war was carried to a new front with an announcement by Representa- tive Maverick, Democrat, of Texas, that he would introduce in the House anti-war-profits legislation along lines favored by Nye. | It is understood the Nye measure, | which Maverick said he would offer | the House “within a few days” is| similar to the broad taxation plan | presented the Senate committee by | John T. Flynn, economist and writer, Among other things the Flynn plan would lmit individual incomes to | 810,000 a year in war time. Maverick, stocky Texan whose fam- ily name became & word for non | conformity, sharply criticized the war- profits elimination plan offered by Chairman McSwain of the House Military Commitee. Maverick is & | member of the committee. ‘The McSwain bill, among other GROSNER §ays: you can't beat call it a ‘champion’ because it makes a strong-sounding name . .. the firm, even tex- ture that wi thstands the most strenuous wear . . . the free, modern styling and flawless tailoring ‘that in- sures comfort > and the dis- tinctive patterns and colors make it a suit that’s ‘hard to beat’... the SUIT . f 1325 Kuppenheimer *40 Ask About Qur 10-Pay Gharge Plan GROSNER E Street portant that this Nation establish neu- i provisions, would put a “celling” on prices when war broke out. “Why the McSwain bill guarantees bigger profits than ever before,” Mav- erick said. “It gives the President power to fix prices without limit and abrogates the power of Congress. “The Nye bill, now being prepared for presentation, provides for a ‘pay | porters as you fight’ policy that eliminates the profits by taxation.” Hope to Save Experience. Fear that all the industrial tax ex- perience of the last war would be lost—and hope that it would not— by Baruch in an in- heads who went through the war die off before anything is done,” he com- mented. He reiterated a desire to “go along” with the Senate committee to evolve some method of curbing prices and taxing profits that would help the country “pay as you fight,” but not “stifle” production. He explained his proposal for put- ting a ‘“ceiling” on prices—an idea which has been incorporated in '.lul McSwain bill. | That ceiling, he said, would pre- vent the fluctuations which worried industrial leaders during the last war and brought the much criticized “cost plus” contracts. Baruch expressed the view to re- that the Flynn plan of a $10,000 limit on incomes might upset living conditions and industrial ma- chinery so seriously as to affect pro- duction, e “Unknown Land” Is Topic. Right Rev. Msgr. Peter Guilday, head of the department of American church history at Catholic Untversity, will speak on “The Unknown Land” at the National Catholic School of Bocial Service, 2400 Nineteenth street, at 4 o'clock Sunday afternoon. The lecture is the second of a series of three arranged by the Washington Auxiliary of the school. There is no charge. A Bank for the INDIVIDUAL The Morris Plan Bank offers the INDI VIDUAL the facilities of a SAVINGS BANK with the added feature of offering a plan to make loans on a practical basis, which enables the borrower to liquidate his obli- gation by means of weekly, semi- monthly or monthly deposits. (L MORRIS $1.200 $6,000 1935 Under Supervision U. S. Treasury 1408 H Street N.W., Washington, D. C. COOL YOUR HEELS AND TOES It is uot meces- | sary to have had | om account at this Bank i order to borr Loans ari sed within a day or two after filing application—with few exceptions. MORRIS PLAN wotes are usually made for 1 year, though they may | be given for any period of from 3 to 12 months. BANK $100 $500 “Character and Earning Power Are the Basis of Credit® VOLUNTARY ANNUITY PLAN IS ELIMINATED House Ways and Means Unit Cuts Section From Social Se- * curity Bill, By the Associated Press. A section of the administration’s social security bill providing voluntary annuities was eliminated today by the House Ways and Means Com- mittee. The voluntary annuities were to| have beeh available to all persons who | made more than $250 s month and who were not covered by the com- pulsory annuities, for which the bill levies a tax on pay rolls and earnings, Under the proposed voluntary an- nuity system, any one could have bought annuity certificates from the Treasury which would have assured him an income of not more than $50 a month. Several days ago the committee de- feated, 13 to 11, an identical motion to strike voluntary annuities from the bill. Prefer Round Nutmegs. Because Englishmen prefer round nutmegs, Grenada, the West Indian | Island whick grows the oval kind, will mport seeds of round ones from the gast and start new groves. Yoiug e Shop 1319-21 F Street e I T S N Manhattan Shirts, Stetson Hats, Bostonian Shoes This Spring You’ll Wear Sports Pleated -backs Paneled @ Lacy leather—a unique blend of cutouts and perforations. 1933 edition of our famous fashion that puts the world on breezy feet. Blue, black and brown. The Budget For Spring x ok kok k k ok Kk K.k k% How’s this for Famous Names MANHATTAN SHIRTS PACKARD SHOES INTERWOVEN HOSE FAULTLESS PAJAMAS TROJAN-NECKWEAR MEGREGOR . SPORTSWEAR SWANK JEWELRY NS ¥ . % ¥ ¥ ‘%l ok Kk k- E:ST: Buying Plan Will Systematize Your Expenses Clothes . . . . Instead of making a big cash outlay for your Spring outfit— budget the expense! 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