Evening star., 1922-02-08

Voting representation for the Dis
trict of Columbia in both branches
of Congress and presidential elec-
ticns was strongly urged by Repre-
sentative r. Walton Moore of Vir-
ginta together with a definite pro-
gram for improving consideration of
Legislation affecting the National.
Capital by Congress, just before the
| District appropriation bill passed the
| House late yesterday.
Representative Moore made it plain
that he does not believe in institut-
ing local self-governmcnt. but that
voting representation in Congress
and in the electoral college would
| give the District a political status
that would tend to assure it more
| c imprehenSive and tolerant treat
! ment" by Congress.
J., Suggests -Four Changes.
While waiting for that reform.
Representative Moore suggested a
program for four changes, which he
| thought would result in improved
llegis.ation affecting the National
lCapital-the federal city, over which
Congress has peculiar and exclusive
Jurisdiction. His four proposals are:
A Joint legislative committee repre-
| senting the Senate and House. in
: stead Of two separate committees,
which duplicate hearings, etc.
; More opportunity for District legis-
. lation to be discussed on merit in the
House. possibly through giving it
| half of the time now consumed in
general debate
That the District Commissioners in
Il a.
i directly with the appropriatinE COM
mittee instead of through the budget
| bureau.
| That the joint committee might be
better informed to handle the District
appropriations for the District than
| Summary Of Proposals.
| In summarizing his proposals Rep
resentative Moore said:
| 1.-The machinery for bringing legis-
| lation before Congress would thus
| consist of the Commissioners and one
| joint committee. instead of the Com
/ missioners. the bureau of the budget.
I two standing committees of the House
and one standing committee OF the
Senate. 1t would be only a modifica-
| ton of procedure. The House would
surrender no single element of power.
Nothing could be finally done without
the approval of Congress. The last
act and the last word would rest with
| Congress"
| When Chairman Madden of the ap-
propriations committee asked II 1t
would not simplify matters to leave
/ 1t entirely to the District Commission
ers, Representative Moore replied:
| THAT would divest Congress of
| any final authority. which no one sug-
| gests. and. of course, it Is not to be
| thought of.
Should it be said that the plan out
lined would be a deviation from the
| general system of procedure now in
! force and a sacrifice of the theory
pervading that system. the reply is
that in conducting government differ
| ences of environment and circum-
stances cannot be ignored, but must
| always be reckoned with.
| IA sound political philosophy IS eX-
pressed in the we'll remembered lines
| of the great author who declared in
substance that the government which
Is best administered is best. We
| should all desire for the District the
! best character and methods of gov
ernment that can be devised"
| Too Much Put ON Senate
| Having spoken with particular ref
| erence to the failure of the House to
| make appropriation for new con-
duit to- make the District water sup
ply safe and adequate, as the water
has been shown to be the purest in