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REMOVAL OF RESTRICTION ON RESIDENCE OF MEMBERS
OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT

MAY 9, 1935.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed

Mr. ELLENBOGEN, from the Committee on the District of Columbia, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 3642]

The Committee on the District of Columbia, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 3642) to amend section 483 of the Code of the District of Columbia as to residence of members of the police department, having considered the same, report it back to the House with the following amendment and recommend that the amendment be agreed to and the bill do pass:

Page 1, line 9, strike out the period at the end thereof and add thereto the following:

Provided, That for the purposes of this Act, Washington, District of Columbia, metropolitan district, shall be held to include the District of Columbia and the territory adjacent thereto within a radius of twelve miles from the United States Capitol Building: And provided further, That any member of the police department living outside of the District of Columbia shall have and maintain a telephone at all times in his residence.

The purpose of this legislation is adequately outlined in the following report submitted by Ernest W. Brown, major and superintendent, Metropolitan Police:

WASHINGTON, February 5, 1985.

To: The Corporation Counsel, District of Columbia.

Subject: H. R. 3642, a bill to amend section 483 of the Code of the District of
Columbia as to residence of members of the police department.
Report: Section 483 of the code reads as follows:

"Residence of members of the police force: There shall be no limitation or restriction of place of residence to any member of the police force other than residence within the Metropolitan Police district."

Compliance with the provisions of this act was required of all members of the department until the period during the World War, and as a result of the inadequate housing facilities during that period the Commissioners of the District of Columbia permitted some members of the department to make their residence

H. Repts., 74-1, vol. 2———44

outside the Metropolitan Police district. This was continued until May 6, 1930, when an order was issued to the force as follows:

"On and after this date no member of this department will be permitted to reside outside of the District of Columbia except those who have already established homes in nearby Maryland or Virginia as the result of the war-time housing conditions."

At the present time 132 members of this department have residences outside the District of Columbia.

While members of the police department are assigned to certain hours of duty, they are subject to call for duty at all times in case of emergency, and members of the department residing within the District of Columbia have been more readily available for emergency service than those members of the department residing outside of the District of Columbia. Members of the department living outside the District of Columbia have not had the benefit of the services of the members of the board of surgeons except when they are able to visit the clinic, and it is very essential that the board of surgeons have supervision over the members of the department who are absent on account of sickness.

With the improved means of transportation in recent years, and the fact that 132 members of the department now have residences outside of the District of Columbia, and other members of the department are desirous of establishing homes in nearby Maryland and Virginia, I am inclined to favor the passage of House bill no. 3642, providing that in the event of its passage, all members of the police department residing outside of the District of Columbia be required to install telephones, that they may be immediately reached in case there is need for their services, and the expense of these calls if a toll charge, be charged to the officer's phone; and that provision be made that they will have the services of members of the board of police surgeons attending them at their residences outside the District of Columbia when they are unable to report to the clinic.

ERNEST W. BROWN, Major and Superintendent.

In view of the fact that members of the police department were permitted to live outside the District of Columbia on account of the housing shortage during the World War, and the further fact that a similar shortage exists at present, your committee believes the restrictions on residence should be removed.

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1st Session

No. 856

SPANISH WAR MEMORIAL PARK, TAMPA, FLA.

MAY 9, 1935.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. PETERSON, of Florida, from the Committee on the Public Lands, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 7085]

The Committee on the Public Lands, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 7085) to provide for the creation of a memorial park at Tampa, in the State of Florida, to be known as "The Spanish War Memorial Park, and for other purposes, after careful consideration, reports favorably thereon with the recommendation that the bill do pass the House with the following committee amendment:

Page 2, lines 6, 7, 8, inclusive, beginning with the word "the" strike out all of the language up to and including the figure "$500,000" and substitute the following in lieu thereof:

the American forces in the War with Spain. The cost of establishing such monument or memorial, of constructing suitable sidewalks and approaches, and of landscaping such site, may be paid from any fund or moneys available for such purpose, except from the general fund of the Treasury.

Facts concerning the proposed legislation are set forth in the favorable report of the Secretary of the Interior under date of April 26, 1935, and the report is herein below set out in full and made a part of this report, as follows:

Hon. RENÉ L. DEROUEN,

Department of THE INTERIOR,
Washington, April 26, 1935.

Chairman Committee on the Public Lands,

House of Representatives.

MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: I have received your letter of March 29 enclosing copy of H. R. 7085 entitled "A bill to provide for the creation of a memorial park at Tampa, in the State of Florida, to be known as 'The Spanish War Memorial Park', and for other purposes", and requesting a report thereon.

The purpose of this proposed legislation primarily is to authorize the erection of a monument or memorial in Tampa, Fla., on land to be donated therefor by that city to commemorate the patriotic services of the American forces in the War with Spain, which with landscape treatment of the grounds, sidewalks, and

suitable approaches, shall not exceed a cost of $500,000. Provision is also made in the bill to authorize the acceptance of the land, understod to be about 40 acres, or so much thereof as may be found necessary for the emplacement of such memorial and its designation as the Spanish War Memorial Park to be under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service of this Department. Additional authority is provided for the emplacement of other monuments or memorials, harmonious with the general plan and purpose under certain conditions and restrictions which are considered in the best interest of the memorial.

An examination of the site has been made by the National Park Service. It is considered one of the best in the city of Tampa and thoroughly suitable for the purposes. Up to the present time no national memorial has been erected in the United States for that purpose. As Tampa was the principal point of embarkation for overseas service in that war, it would seem an eminently fitting place in which to construct such a memorial. If in the opinion of the Congress such a memorial at this time is desirable, it is believed the terms of H. R. 7085 are such as satisfactorily to insure that purpose.

I am advised by the Acting Director of the Bureau of the Budget that while the bill does not specifically authorize an appropriation from the general fund of the Treasury it would seem to accomplish the same purpose by authorizing the construction of monuments and memorials. It is further stated that the proposed legislation would not be in conflict with the financial program of the President if modified to eliminate that portion of the bill which would contemplate expenditures from the general fund of the Treasury for any other purpose than of administration, protection, and maintenance of the park. However, as one of the main purposes for the establishment of this memorial park is the erection of a monument or memorial to commemorate the patriotic services of the American forces in the War with Spain, this Department would be unwilling to assume jurisdiction over the area unless assured that funds for the construction of the monument or memorial can be obtained from some source.

Therefore, if H. R. 7085 is amended as indicated above, and also to provide for the conditional establishment of the park upon funds being provided for the erection of the monument or memorial from sources other than from the general fund of the Treasury, I recommend that the same be given favorable consideration.

Sincerely yours,

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