Evening star., 1926-01-21
COMMISSIONER BILL
STRONGLY OPPOSED
AT HEARING TODAY
CONTINUED from First Pase)

| tContlnueo from First PdEe)
form OF government provided that the
| people can elect that commission and
| go before 1t for fair consideration. -
| Representative Blanton questioned:
! Haven't you had enough experience
with committees of Congress to know
that there Is no chance for this bill
becoming law"
Mr.. Wallis replied. Il am glad to
hear you say so and hope other mem
bers of the committee will kill the
bill so that it will never be heard OF
| again.
Should Have Delegate
Mr.. Blanton said that the enactins
clause would be stricken out imme-
| diately If the bill was ever brought
before the House. Mr.. Blanton also
said that the people OF Washington
ought to be represented by a delegate
to sit in committees and on the floor
Of the House to see that their rights
are properly represented, because
members OF Congress do not have time
for this work.
Mr.. Wallis said that The America n
Federation of Labor views with alarm
hVe bills which are pending this
Commissioners bill especially, which
would put the authority of Congress
into the hands OF administrative Off
GERS.
This bill would create a trium.
virate," he said.
He protested against putting ap-
pointive powers in the hands of ap-
pointed officials.
Outside of giving Washington
some modified form Of self-eoyern-
ment. I see nothing for it but that
this committee must shoulder the
duty OF legislating for the people
here" said Mr.. Wallis. 1t is the
Capital City Of all the people"
Mr. Gilbert, member of the com
mittee. then observed:
1T is obvious that this bill never
can become law We are all busy
men. Is there any objection to our
ba ndoning these hearings?"
II was then explained by Mr. Reid
that Chairman Zihlman had directed
that the hearings should be con,
tinued.
Step to "AutOcracy."
MI Gilbert then suggested TO Mr.
Wallis that if there was anything
wrong with the form Of government
here, his argument seemed 10 be that
the proposed reform was in the wrong
direction Mr.. Wallis replied that the
bill under consideration would carry
the government away from democ-
racy and toward autocracy."
Alexander H. Bell, an attorney, who
said he had lived in Washington Al
years and still always gets a thrill out
OF seeing the Capitol building, en-
phatically opposed the proposed exten-
sion of the Commissioners powers q
very dangerous delegation Of au-
thority.
He expressed the belief that ne
District is the best governed mun.ci-
pality in the United States. and that
opinion is based on many wears OF
experience and contact With the Dis
trict Government.
Clean. Honest Government.
1t is a clean, honest governmenr
he said, but sometimes the admins
trative officers are carried away by
whims brought up TO them from sub
ordinate officials"
Maj. Bell declared that the work of
the District Commissioners is improp-
erly divided.
Quoting the first paraGra ph in sec
ton s Of the bill as showing no linn
1t Of authority or power proposed for
the Commissioners. Mr.. Bell objected
to giving blanket authority 10 widen
or narrow streets. lie illustrated
that the Commissioners had preX ions,
" sought To widen Thirty fourth
street, in Massachusetts Avenue Park
between Massachusetts avenue and
Garfield street. and that he under
stood they proposed 10 carry out this
plan under the language he quoted
The nrinciples on which our Coy
ernment was established" said Nj
Bell never contaminated Congress