Evening star., 1921-11-09

. Copyright National Newspaper Service)
the Senate and House will not vote for
the constitutional amendment giving
US national representation at this
time. But an overwhelming majority
Of both houses will support the dele-
gate BILL"
He quoted Senator Penrose OF
Pennsylvania as favoring a District
delegate in the House, and also as
favoring the plan to allow the resi-
dents OF the District to vote for Presi-
dent and Vice President.
delegate" asked Senator Sheppard OF
Texas.
Favors Popular Election.
"By popular election" answered
Mr.. Claflin. He said that in 1916 the
Poindexter delegate bill had been re-
ported fatorably to the Senate from
the District committee. Senator Pom
creme of Ohio making the report,
though the bill had not been acted
upon in the Senate.
At this point Senator Ball suggest
ed it would be well to put into the
record the character of government
given the District OF Columbia when
local suffrage was in vogue here, as
well as during the operation OF the
present law.
I'VE want to give you the best pos
sible form Of government" he said.
Mr.. Claflin said that other speakers
would cover that subject.
Senator Jones Of Washington, re-
ferring to the report Of the Poinde1-
ter bill in 1916, said:
ut was my opinion then and 1t Is
my opinion now that the Senate
should not act on a proposal to have
a District delegate elected to the
House until after the House has acted
upon it. The House should decide
who shall sit in it; and the House is
Jealous of it's privileges.
That" said Mr.. Clafiin, "fs mat
ter of procedure that is up to you.
Labor Man for Delegate Plan.
The next witness was w. w. Keeler,
representative of organized labor. He
said that the labor organizations
throughout the District were In favor
of suffrage for the District. He spoke
in favor of the election Of the District
Commissioners, the Public utiiitles
Commission and the board OF educa-
tion. as well as OF the election OF
Senator Jones asked If they did not
want q delegate in the Senate, too,
and the witness replied he supposed
they wanted all they could get, but
at present it was only a House dele
gate they were pressing for
the District bad" asked Senator Jones,
.or do you merely want to participate
in your own government
I'VE merely want hand in our
government" replied Mr.. Keeler.
Labor people are jealous OF their
rights as American citizens
They are not alone In that, sug-
eested Senator Jones.
VI know that" replied Mr.. Keller
adding that labor was keenly In
terested in the matter.
E.. c. Brandenberg at this point
asked the witness If labor organtza-
tions here had not gone on record In
sentation.
Have Changed Views.
Mr.. Keeler said they had, but re-
Gently they had favored the delegate
bill as the more expedient plan.
Mrs. May Wright johnson OF the
Federation of Women's Clubs was the
next speaker She explained that
the women Of the District were par
ticularly interested in the election Of
a District delegate to the House be-
cause they were interested in hav-
ing the problems relating particularly
to the children properly handled in
Congress. They are interested also
in the Borland act, relating to paving
expenditures, which she said was not
just, and the water situation here.
Referring to the days when WASH
ington had a mayor, Mrs; johnson
good job, though he left the District
in debt, when he cleaned up the place,
did away with the old Tiber creek
and gave the city good sewerage IA
cilities.
dent Of the Federation of Citizens
Associations, told the committee that
the people here are looking for
prompt action, giving them a voice
at least in their government. The
people, he said, are not united as to
what they want, but are divided as in
other places on public questions.
Some time ago, he said, they united
on national representation for the
District, and he said he believed they
all want that today.
People Demand Delegate.
But many think national represen-
tation would be very hard to- obtain
at this time. he added, and they want
this delegate bill in the meantime.
people, as well as to members of
Congress, to have delegate in the
House who could speak authorita-
lively for the District, and explain
the needs of the District. He said
that all the people are pretty well
satisfied with the form of govern
ment here, but they want some voice
in it. They have confidence, he said.
in Congress.
Frank B. Lord. former president Of
the National Press Club, said he
thought it unnecessary to argue be-
fore the Senate committee, whose
members. are elected by the people in
their own states, in favor Of the ex-
tension Of the franchise in limited
way to the people of the District.
The people Of the District, he said,
are as Intelligent as the people Of
other communities in this country.
He gave it as his opinion that It
was largely the fault Of the people
of the District themselves they have
not obtained some voice in their own
government; saying that they have
not been able to unite on any plan
and advance it successfully. It had
only been In recent years. he said.
that there has been any concerted
action by the people, when Col. Jones
started the national press commit
tee for suffrage in the District.
He said that the delegate bill was
"kind Of compromise measure"
which the supporters of suffrage have
agreed on. Mr.. Lord added that he
thought Senator Jones' suggestion
that the Senate should wait until the