Evening star., 1922-05-21
D. c. SENATE-H0USE
COMMITTEE PLAN
| OF TWO NEW BILLS
Representative Moore Offers
Measures for Handling
Local Matters.
BUDGET JURISDICTION
WOULD BE EXCLUDED
Virginia Member Explains Purpose
in fastening Steps for
Passage.

| TWO measures designed TO change
radically methods in which Congress
deals with important legislation af-
fecting the District of Columbia were
| introduced in the House yesterday
| by Representative r. Walton Moore
| of Virginia. whose district adjoins
Washington
| One OF these is concurrent reso-
luton creating joint. committee on
| the District of Columbia consisting
! of number of senators and a num-
Der of representatives to be appoint
! ed by the President of the Senate and
the Speaker of the House. respec-
/ tiyely, which will select one of its
| members as chairman. II provides
| that to this committee shall be re-
ferred -all proposed legislation re
, lating to the District government and
! that lit shall have exclusive au-
| thority to report thereon to either
| the Senate or the House or both. and
| likewise to consider and report
touching appropriations for the sup
port of. and on any matter affect
ing" the District government II
| specifically provides that. any hill
for raising revenues shall he reported
to the House oe Representatives
alone
| The other is bill to amend tho
! budget act so that the District shall
| be included with the legislative
branch of the government and the
Supreme Court of the Unfts7 States
as exceptions to the budgetfry juris-
| diction.
Haste i'm Taking step.
Introduction OF these measures was
| hurried by Representative Moore be-
cause of the recent action in putting
through a revolutionary change in the
entire fiscal system of the District as
| new legislation on an appropriation
| bill without consulting the District
Commissioners. without hearings and
! without consideration by the proper
existing legislative committees.
Representative Moore had previ-
ously, however. notified his colleagues
| that he was working upon such a pro-
gram for more efficient legislation
affecting the District.
This proposed legislation would
make the new joint committee the
prime committee on all District legis-
/ lation. Representative Moore explains
There is nothing anomalous. he
| argues. in the appointment of a joint
committee. because there are already
the joint committees on the library,
on printing, recently there was one
created on agricultural inquiry. and
on reorganization of the administra-
tive branch of the federal govern
ment. 1t seems to be coming policy
of Congress. he said, in the interests
of expedition and efficiency, TO have
| Joint committees. BY way Of illus
tration he called attention to the way
in which a joint committee got quick
action on the Army pay bill, while
separate committees on reclsssifica-
ton of government employees have for
many months been at work and with
out getting the measure enacted.
| Antagonism Avoided.
The number of senators and con-
|
left blank in order to avoid antago-
MIXING the present membership of the
Senate and House legislative commit
| tees on the District. The appoint
ment by the presiding officers of
| both houses and the provision for
| the joint committee to elect its own
chairman is to avoid, if possible, the
| handicaps of the seniority rule, which
has in notable instances not operated
| for the best sort of legislation and
committee consideration.
The provision for reporting any bill
for rasiing revenues to the House
SIaHe "a because of the constitutional
provision that all revenue-raising
| Legislation must originate - the
house.
The bill introduced by Representa-
tive Moore to amend the budget bill
is not in any sense an attackson the
budget system. Mr.. Moore is warmly
| in favor of the federal budget sys-
tenn. 1t is drafted only because he
believes that the District of Columbia,
over which Congress has exclusive ju-
risdiction. should not come under the
! Jurisdiction of the budget bureau. He
proposes that the joint committee on
the District should receive estimates
for appropriations direct from the
District Commissioners. and that su-
| thorizing legislation and the appro-
priations themselves should be re-
ported to the House from the joint
committee.
Representative Moore during his
1 two terms in Congress has taken a,
conspicuous part in suggesting leeis-
latiye reforms, none Of which has
ever been considered visionary" and
several of. which have been adopted
by the republican majority. An illus
tration Of how his suggestions have
been acted upon is found in the fact
that House Leader Mondell now gives
advance notice of the order of busi-
ness in the House. which Representa-
tive Moore FIRST advocated.
| Actfea Promised.
Prominent members on each side
of the House. republicans and demo-