Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-12

iumbla To obtain beneficial legislation
of any sort should it happen to inter
iere with the ideas of men and women
in the several States on how the Ma
tional Capital should he conducted.
was never before so forcibly demon
strated as during the past few weeks.
when group of New York social
workers have about succeeded in
scrapping this city's carefully pre-.
pared mothers assistance bill in favor
OF one of their own vintage"
This is the view OF John Ihlder
member of the welfare commission APP
pointed by the District Commissioners
10 consolidate various social agencies
in Washington under one head. and
who is now helping other local leaders
To stage valiant fight in the Senate
and House to preserve as much of the
mothers pension bill approved by Dis
trict residents as possible
The mothers assistance bill" Mr.
lhlder declared today, deals only with
the people of the District OF Columbia
and the cost of giving it effect will
come entirely from the taxes of the
District Consequently no other part
OF the country IL concerned in 1t eX-
cept as one State may he Interested in
the local legislation of another State.
Hits Outside Interference
In the case OF State governments
il would be considered the height of
efrontery for one State to seek 70 i'm
pose its Will upon another. But that
is just what is being attempted here.
We have been told by members Of
Congress time and again that if we
would only get together and agree
on what we wanted we could have it.
In this case we have succeeded by
work
lie hearings. in getting a very remark
able unanimity of local opinion prob
ably not to be matched in a matter
OF such importance in other cities or
the States. and We're relying upon this
compliance with congressional wishes
To assure the passage of our bill.
Then At the last minute there APP
pears an outside organiza ton and
seeks To have its bill substituted for
ours. Its only announced reason is
that its bin is a model bill which
it hopes to have introduced in the
legislatures of the 10 States which 1t
says are still without such legisla ton
and il wants the prestige OF a con
sressional enactment to help it with
its State legislation.
Sees New York Domination.
I'm preparing this bill ii did not
study local conditions in the District
did not confer with local officials or
agencies did not take any account of
other pending legisla ton. This out
side orga nization knew that this bill
was being drafted last Winter, but did
not offer its assistance then when 1t
would have been welcomed and when
its proposals could have been dis
cussed in the light of local conditions
but waited until the District bill was
before Congress and then sought TO
secure the substitution of its own bill
which is based upon New York expert
enCe.
In doing this 1t enlisted the serv-
ices OF Senators and Representative
from it's own State. 1t is worthy of
note that this raid has been so ex-
clusively A New York affair. New
York Senators and Representatives
have appeared as the representatives
of their constituents in an endeavor
10 put Washington under a New
York law.
AT the first hearing New Workers.
were given practically all the time.
This was somewhat compensa ted for
by subsequent hearing before the
House committee, at which two or
three local people were asked to
speak. But again at the Senate hear
ing Yesterday the New York group
comma eO. A Ne" Ork senator pre-
sided. the other New York Senator
led the discussion. a New York Rep
resentative took an active part and
the leader Of the New York group
which drafted the bill sat at the table
with the chairman. and In large
measure conducted the hearing.
District Residents on Defensive.
District people were heard, but
We're asked in effect why they should
venture to object to enactment of the
New York bill-their own bill has not
Yet been given hearing. AT yester
DAYS hearing only the New York Sen
ators showed enough interest in the
New York bill to attend the hearing
two others came in for a few moments.
This made more evident than be
fore that one State delegation at the
instance of constituents, is seeking TO
impose It's will upon the District in
order to serve the interests. not OF
the District. but of It's constituents.
It's spirit is evidenced by Senator
Copela nds question of one of the Dis
trict spokesman. Would you prefer
the New York proposal rather than
have the entire subject die In Con-
gress?" That is, the New York dele
cation. If it cannot get what 1t wants
or II the people of the District will
not quietly lie down and be trampled
on. will kill any legislation. We can
take il In New York form or we can't
have IT at all"