Evening star., 1925-03-09
Gamer and the District.

CdppeT anu tuc DioeiiS''
II is a cause for deep satisfaction
that in Senator Capper, who succeeds
Senator Ball as chairman Of the Sen
ate District committee, the National
Capital has a friend with intelligent
and sympathetic understanding OF It's
needs. Both the intelligence and the
sympathy of his understanding were
made manifest in an interview with
Senator Capper published in The Sun
day Star. He recognizes the difficult
ties, both of Congress and of the Capt.
tai, in obtaining satisfactory handling
of District affairs under present cir
cumstances, and enumerates as three
steps which he believes would bring
about a change for the better:
First. The election of delegates or
members of Congress to represent the
District, and to act as its spokesmen
on the floor and in committees.
Second The delegation OF greater
power to the District Commissioners
over certain legislative matters which
are of Importance, but which Congress
could well leave to the Commissioners.
Third. The consideration of District
legislation by joint Senate and House
District committees or subcommittee,
following the plan which was adopted
with so much success during the last
session of Congress with respect to
many bills.
The third of these proposals was in
effect at the recent session of Con.
gress, and to that fact is attributable
in no small degree the enactment of
so large a volume of beneficial Dis
trict legislation. Senator Capper an
nounces purpose to confer with
Chairman Zihlman of the House Dis
trict committee with d view to con-
tinuing the joint consideration of Dis
trict matters. Senator Capper also is
a member of the District subcommit-
tee of the Senate committee on ap-
preparations, and if he could bring
about joint consideration of the an
Hual District appropriation bill, it
might operate both to save time and
for greater harmony and consistency
On various items of expenditure.
The comforting of larger authority
long been advocated by those con-
verSant with Capital affairs as thing
which would both benefit the District
and save the time of Congress. Sena-
tor Capper makes plain the absurdity
of the Congress of the United States
taking up its time to determine such
matters as the opening and naming of
streets. Along with this enlarged au-
thority and responsibility, Senator
Capper believes, should go more ade-
quate compensation for the Commits
sioners, and to this suggestion resi-
dents of the Capital will heartily sub.
scribe.
Senator Capper is in sympathy
with the Districts aspiration for COM
plete representation in Congress. but
he sees no reason why a measure of
representation should not be granted
without waiting for an amendment to
the Constitution. A simple act of
Congress would grant the District
the right TO elect delegate or dele.
gates to represent the District as
Alaska is now represented, and it ap-
parently is Senator Capper's belief
this could be done without prejudice
10 the eventual attaining Of repre-.
sentatives who would have votes as
we'll as voice in the deliberations of
the Congress.
The Senator regrets failure of the
welfare bill, the insurance code bill
and other measures which he thinks
might have been passed but for the
Senate rules against which Vice Pres
ident Dawes complained, and he
makes the constructive suggestion
that when Congress meets next Fall
he will endeavor to bring about
conference of the Senate and House
District committees with the District
Commissioners and Capital citizens in
an effort to agree in advance upon d
program OF legislation. He believes
the adoption of such a program not
only would save time and reduce the
chances of important measures being
sidetracked, but that it would make
for more intelligent legislation.
From all angles the views, expressed
by Senator Capper are cheering to
residents Of the Capital, who always
have believed that nothing was need.
ed to assure harmonious relations be-
tween Congress and the Capital com.
munity but an intelligent understand
ing Of the Capitals needs.