Evening star., 1922-06-12
JONES RESOLUTION
NOT BROUGHT UP
Not Within Authority of Dis
trict Committee to Call
1t in House.

~ III IIOuSC.
Contrary to announcement by Chair
man Campbell Of the rules committee
that the Jones resolution for investi-
cation by Congress of the fiscal affairs
of the District of Columbia would be
called up on District day in the House,
and contrary to the action of the House
District committee in instructing Chair
man Focht to call up this measure,
sideration today because it is not w.t.
in the authority of the District COM
mittee to bring it up.
This developed al the opening of the
session today when Representative
Napes OF Michigan, former chairman
OF The District committee, raised the
question of jurisdiction, asking Chair
man Focht ii he intended, as had been
reported in the newspapers, to c4il up
the Jones resolution. Chairman Focht
replied that he has no intention oficall-
ing the measure up today.
When the house went into commit
tee of the whole for consideration of
the Fitzgerald bill to establish COM
pulSory and industrial insurance in
the District, Chairman Focht made a
statement explaining the misunder-
standing that had arisen. He said
that as chairman of the District COM
mittee he had no intention of assum-
ing authority or jurisdiction which
did not belong to his committee. He
said that if the parliamentary sit
uation was as described by Chairman
Campbell of the rules committee. he
was prepared to call up the Jones
resolution.
Focht Reviews History.
Chairman Focht reviewed the his
tory Of the accumulation of the S.
100000 surplus to the credit Of the
District in the federal Treasury.
The fact Is undenisble," he said,
that the surplus has been accumu-
lated from the District taxpayers"
He then explained the various con-
tentions advanced on the subject. He
outlined the new fiscal plan embodied
in the pending District appropriation
bill.
Chairman Focht next explained the
purpose of the Jones concurrent
resolution for the appointment of a
joint congressional committee to in
quire into the status and proposed
expenditure of this fund. saying that
until such an inquiry is conducted
controversy will continue and en-
barrassment will arise.
Queries Regarding Audit.
Representative Mapes questioned
Chairman Focht regarding an audit
of the District books made while
Representative Johnson of Kentucky
was chairman of the District com
mittee, and a previous investigation
by a joint committee on District fis-
cal affairs. He asked Representative
Ia hty,lr a a-si
cation can tell Congress anything il
does not already know on this sub
ject?"
Representative Focht explained
that Congress knew great many
things, but failed to act. Repre-
sentative MapeS asked if he thought
Congress would act any quicker fol-
lowing a new investigation. Chair
man Focht said he believed that Con-
gress is now actuated by higher
sense of justice than ever before and
is ready to do what is right toward
the District. Then Mr.. Mapes asked
if he meant to imply that earlier
Congresses were not actuated by q
sense of justice. Chairman Focht re-
piled that politics might have some
thing to do with the situation. He
said that now both houses of Con-
gress and the executive office were
republican and that he believed the
to clean up the entire situation and
do full justice toward the District
taxpayer.
Not Myth, He Contends.
Representative Reed of West Vir-
ginia contended that the s5,O00.OoC
surplus is not myth; that it repre-
sents money actually raised by taxes
Chairman Focht agreed with him.
Representative Roy c. Fitzgerald
of Ohio, father of the workmen's
compensation act for the District OF
Columbia. explained the purposes OF
this legislation. All of the employees
OF the government are already COW
cred by the federal compensation act
he explained. All of the states, eX-
cept five, have passed legislation fol
industrial insurance, and the purpose
of this bill is to take a foreward steI
so that employees outside of the gov
ernment service may receive sucf
compensation.
All of the opposition to the bill, he
said, has come from the organized
opposition of insurance companies
In pointing out that conditions In
the District of Columbia make ar
insurance fund desirable, Representa-
tive Fitzgerald said that for the
comparative small area and the linn
tied number of employees, about 10S,.
900 to be covered by this Legislation
in the District. the exclusive fund is
especially recommended. competi-
tive fund, such as those which In
some larger areas share the h''~'-
ness with private agencies might
not, with SO limited a numDer o. ~-..-
ployes to be protected. have sufficient
coverage to make it sound propo'
sition. This fund, he said. would bt
in effect a mutual organization fol
the purpose of meeting newly
created insurance obligation in thu
most secure and economic way.
The government, he explained. will
not subsidize ,the insurance fund by
paying it's administrative expenses
The bill provides that all the ex
penses Of administering the fund !!
ultimately to be paid out Of premium
income. In other words, the fund II
I to be entirely self-supporting.
He emphasized that representative
of the American Federation of Labor
and of labor organizations in the Dis
trict appeared before the House Dis
trict committee in support of his bill
end in deaunciation of any compensa'
-. Isl, in which private insure n -