Evening star., 1922-10-03
Full Duty to Capital
Requested From
C0ngressn,e''.
Delegate and More
School Funds Held
Main Needs.

berS of Congress to do their full duty
to the National Capital, over which
they have exclusive jurisdiction. Rep
resentative Benjamin X. Focht of
Pennsylvania. chairman of the House
printed in the Congressional Record
today outlines Il program of impor-
tant legislation. which should be en-
acted in the next session.
First on this program Chairman
Focht names the proposed conStitu-
tional amendment which would give
the people of Washington voting rep
resentation in national affairs. Then
he emphasizes the need for an ade-
quate school building program. pas
sage of the teachers pay and free
text book bills and other school legiS-
lation, quoting Chairman Madden of
the appropriations committee as say
ing, Il do not know any one any
where who complains of taxes for
schools
Responsible for District.
Chairman Focht in his appeal to
his colleagues to do justice to "the
capital and it's imperative require
ments'' says:
District legislation was virtually
scorned in the earlier sessions of this
Congress, due, in large part to legiti-
mate causes but it is time for us
to redeem ourselves, remembering
that we are responsible to the peo-
pie of the country for the develop
ment of their National Capital, which
should be model for all other Amer
lean communities and the outside
world. The principal legislative pro-
posals. the big things, for the city of
Washington have not received the
consideration We have urged and
hoped for, except in committee,
whereas they would have been re-
garded important business before any
local city government throughout the
country.
THE first thing that we must real
ize is that this federal city is abso-
lutely dependent upon Congress for
thumbs up or thumbs down on
what shall be done here. The people
pay taxes proportionately as high as
in any well managed municipality
elsewhere in the Union. The fathers
feared that the military might be-
come dominant in this federal city
and SO they made Congress supreme
ruler.
las a matter of fact, we ourselves
have made the military pretty nearly
dominant in the District. with an
Army officer as Engineer Commits
sioner in charge of all public works.
and with another Army officer in
charge of public buildings and
grounds. who is also in command of
d special police force.
This city has grown beyond the
dreams of the fathers until today 1t
is not merely Uncle Sans workshop,
the legislative city for the country.
but progressive municipality made
up of the picked men and women of
the nation who have been called here
81 mart To do government
work, and the merchants, shopkeep-
erS, professional men and others
necessary for the proper living of
such a large community.
1T is not the fault of these people
as loyal and true Americans as are
found anywhere in the country, as
proved by their enlistments as SOL
diers and sailors and by their sub
scriptions to all war drives-that
they cannot run their own affairs;
that they have no vote or voice in
their government, local or national;
that they cannot say how the money
they pay in taxes shall be spent.
AxsaiIs Divided Consideration.
I'VE have before this Congress pro-
posals to correct this condition. A
constitutional amendment resolution,
providing for national representa-
ton for the people living in the Ma
tional Capital, is before Congress
There is also a District delegate bill
awaiting action. But there has been
representation bill has been the sub
ject of hearing before the House
judiciary committee and before the
Senate District committee, with nc
authorized representative from any
group of residents or from any ma
tional organization offering one wore
of protest. The District delegate bill
Is before the House District commit
tee. The Senate District committee
has favorably reported both the ma
tional representation constitutional
amendment and the delegate bill.
Something should be done to cor
rect this divided consideration of the
issue in the House. The entire ques-
ton should be threshed out and de-
cided, for the more orderly progress
of legislation in Congress, as well
as to meet the desires of the people
resident in Washington. Without at.
tempting to discuss the merits OF
this uuestion-whether the people OF
the National Capital should have 8
freemans right to vote what shall
be done with the money they raise
in taxes and to exercise the const1tu'
tional right of participation in the
common council-the matter should
decided Personally I see no more
reason for denying the right of suf.
frage to people just because they
live in the federal city than there
was several years ago for denying
it to them on account or sex:
offered by. Representative r. Wa!tor
Moore of Virginia proposing a distinct
system of special consideration FOL
District legislation and appropria.
tions, which will assure the Distrie,
of prompt consideration of its needs
lo lof a1S0 Shnn1f
be considered ON it's merits.
1--WE hear much in Congress by
men who feel that
thew are making votes in their home
districts by parsimony toward tne
District of Columbia and by protest.
their constituents pay 40 per cent, ol
formerly so per cent, of any improve
ments or upkeep here. Just let then
divide the total population of the
United States into 40 per cent of the
total appropriations annually for the
District and see how many postage
stamps. or newspapers, or street cal
rides they could buy with what they
pay toward making their National
Capital the finest city in the world
That is all poppycock. There is not
a man, woman or child IN the country
who would not pay dollars instead Of
cents to make possible the proper
development of their capital-and
speak here with particular emphasis
for the people I have the honor te
represent in Congress. They want
ali that is best for their National
Capital-and hang the expense!
Haggling Over Money.
"And, yet, we haggle over a few
dollars Take the matter of public
education as a glaring example
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The First Thing tn Do