The Washington herald., 1921-06-07
Congress q City Council.

THERE pending before the senate and
and house committee for the District of
Columbia a long list Of purely local measures.
Among these street railway merger. rent law
extension, employers liability, school budget, in
corporation Of the Big Brother and Sister corpora
tion municipal court jurisdiction, regulation of
pawnbrokers, to curb check frauds, extension Of
pathways, regulation of the sale of FIRE arms, etc.
This committee consists of I3 senators and 81
representatives. These "a members of congress de-
vote large part OF their time wholly to District
affairs in fact, to the affairs of the city of Wash
ington. Whatever they recommend is apt to be ac-
cepted by the senate and house, yet frequently this
is only after hours of debate sometimes going over
from day to day taking the time of the s3I MEM
bers of the two houses
This is not only the largest. but the most high
ly paid city council, in the world. 1t is the most
involved and expensive municipal legislative body
in the world 1t commands and gets, the en-
tire time for considerable periods, Of the body
elected to legisate for the 48 and their over
100000 people. This is the only function of the
congress which is not national in its scope 1t cor
responds to that special legislation which took so
much of the time of state legislatures that it was
relesated to cities and counties.
Just why should the "a congressman of the Dis
trict committee and the whole 53I members Of the
two houses concern themselves to whether or not
interest rate should be? Why, in fact should they
be bothered as to the rent regulations? Is there
other way to handle the burden of city legis-
lation than through congress?
1t would seem that some other way could be
- found, On the executive side, Washington has the
commission form of government. 1t is not a novel
ty to include with this legislative council of men
who serve without salary. 1t is not novelty to
give to the commissioners legislative as we'll as
T. l..
Legislature, or following generally statutory form
Would it not be feasible to increase the num-
Der of District commissioners from three to FIVE?
There is enough merely of executive work now for
the ave In addition, the commissioners now have
to give advance consideration, reporting to the Dis
trict committee their decisions and judgment on all
matters of legislation AS fact Also their judg-
ment not only has great weight, but in a majority
of cases is accepted.
II would that congress could grant Wash
ington city charter in general form, which would
relieve it of four-hfths of the burden of the purely
local problems 1t could retain for its own con-
sideration only such matters other cities of the
first class have to take to their state legislatures
A veto power might be lodged somewhere if deemed
advisable, perhaps through appeal to congress
This would greatly expedite local matters of
legislation. Congress would hold the pursestrings
and would have strict accounting of all expendi-
lures for CITY or SCHOOLS lhe citizens OF Washing
ton would have a direct influence through their
many organizations, with they know person
ally The commissioners residents of the city,
would be men in constant touch with all the local
conditions and growth from year to year and de-
eade to decade, which the District committee can
not be to nearly the extent.
Washington should be able to more largely
handle its own affairs. 1t would be fine influence
to have it take this responsibility 1t would lead to
. most active interest in its civic affairs There
would be fewer resolutions and more direct action.
Instead of the few keeping personal contact with
the committee, the many would have the aggregate
associated contact with the commission with feel
ing of more freedom in the approach.