Evening star., 1926-11-26
BY WILL. KENNEDY.

Legislation peuunig in both House
and Senate to enlarge the powers of
the District commissioners by allow
ing them to enact ordinances with
reference to a great many matters Oh
purely local concern. which are now
dealt with by Congress. is TO De
pushed in the coming session or Con
gress with the support of the GIBSON
subcommittee of the House District
committee, which has been making
special study of the municipal admin
istration.
This fits in with a definite program
of affirmative proposals, on when Il
big ma ajority of the citizenship of the
provement of the local governme mt.
Primary considerations are given
below:
National representation in the law
making body and equitable and just
determination of the fiscal relations
between the Federal Government and
the taxpayers in the National Capital
are the rockbottom needs for putting
the administration of the municipality
of the District of Columbia on II truly
American basis OF absolute justice ana
the establishing of a desirable en-
tente cordiaie between the residents
of the District of Columbia ana
Congress.
The acknowledgements of the voteless
residents of Washington and the ac-
acknowledgement by Congress of its
moral obligation to contribute proper
tionately to the support of the Capital
are linked together. because, in 1878,
Congress, by statute, admitted its op-
legation toward the Federal city i'll
adopting the tiftytifty principle OF
sharing the costs, as an important and
essential part of the contract which
took away all rights of local suffrage,
then enjoyed. from District residents.
dents. 1t has recently, indirectly.
abrogated the percentage principle or
sharing the costs, but has not rel1n-
quished it's complete domination by
restoring the right of suffrage to the
people.
Wider Powers Urged.
In order to expedite legislation for
the District, especially since Congress
still retains authority in even the
minute details of municipal admins
tration, and to obviate the irritation
and veXation of members of Congress
because they are so frequently
bothered by relatively trivial matters
for the District when matters of great
national and general interest are
pending, there should be established
Il joint committee of House and Sen
ate to handle the District Legislative
budget and dispose of it with less
bother to Congress. This would mean
expediting District business and keep
ing Congress in a pleasanter frame
of mind, besides leaving more time
for more, important general legisla-
tiOn.
So now We come naturally to the
third step in the interests of justice
and of economy and efficiency in the
administration of the District Gov
ernment-enlarging the powers of the
District Commissioners.
This legislation was framed as a
result of the unanimous opinion of
members of the Senate District com
mittee that many matters of local
character might properly be dealt
with by the Commissioners and thus
relieve Congress of such responsible
ity and duty. A subcommittee COM
posed of Senators Ball, Capper and
King on February 2, 1924. asked the
cooperation of the District Commits
sioners The Commissioners appoint
ed a committee consisting of the cor
poration counsel, the secretary of the
Board Of Commissioners and the
auditor who in turn held a confer
ence of the heads of various depart.
ments of the District government, SO
that the pending bill represents the
best inside information as to what en-
larged powers should be given the
District executives.
Many Obsolete Laws.
These recommendations are based
on this line of reasoning; That Con-
eress as the National Legislature is
concerned with such a vast variety
of subjects of National importance
that merely local municipal matters
should be left to the municipal au-
thorities, who can act promptly on
situations demanding redress.
The bill as drafted by the District
government interdepartmental com
mittee would give the District Com
missioners power to set aside antl-
olated or outgrown laws of Con-
gress that do not fit the present-day
conditions. This refers to great
many laws passed by Congress in the
nature of municipal ordinances, some
away back in the early 70s, which
are entirely unsuitable for present
axigencieS Congress Will, as 1t
should, be most careful in giving any
such blanket authority to set aside
acts of Congress. What Congress
should do, and probably will do. is to
call on the corporation counseIS Of
flee to present a statement on all of
these out date laws SO that they
can be corrected by specific legisla-
tion, and this will be checked over
carefully in connection with the codl
fication Of District laws which is be-
ing made for the House committee
o,, reyiSiop Of the laws,
Another authority asked for the
District commissioners is to appoint
the Judges of local inferior courts,
police. municipal and juvenile. and
the officers and members of all local
boards. recorder of deeds, Board OF
Education, etc This has met with
considerable opposition by local citi-
zens' associations and is a moot
question. 1t is one that infringes on
the appointive power of Federal Of
ficials.
Would Handle License Fees.
imposition Of license fees upon
trades and professions is a strictly
municipal function generally exer'
cised by mum icipal authorities
throughout the country, and should
be controlled by the Commissioners.
This is because the Commissioners
are better acquainted with local CON
djtions and are qualified to adopt
regulations for the conduct OF such
trades and professions, and can do
so promptly when circumstances re
o,lire an adjustment to meet chang
ino conditions. Inequalities existing
under present law could thus be