Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-03
Member Of the Associated Press.
Surrender of a Principle.

The declaration of independence by
the House District committee on the
police and f1remen's pay bill amend
Rents is like Boston tea party with
the patriots remaining safe ashore and
emptying their own tea cups down the
sink The motion to adjourn sine die
rs q protest against the fact that
the committees recommendations were
trampled upon does not mean a great
deal at this season: if it means any
thing, it is that a few pieces Of District
legislation may be lost that otherwise
might have been favorably acted upon
But this form of protest was presum-
ably the only one left to the committee
To have dumped the tea overheard and
made stslwart fight against the de-
cision by the House leaders would have
meant that the whole police and fire.
mems pay bill would be dumped over
board, too. The committee graciously
accepted half loaf in behalf of the
police and firenen and surrendered a
principle
Aside from the merits of the amend
ments themselves, the principle at stake
was this: If the members of the Iegis-
lative committee in charge of the bill
decide, after hearings. that they prefer
the bill as 1t is written, while one mem
Der Of the appropriations committee
decides that the bill should be amend
ed, whose views should triumph? Mem
beers Of the legislative committee con-
tended that they should be given the
opportunity at least of placing the
matter before the House for final de-
cision. But Representative Simmons
OF Nebraska, who commended for the
amendments, threatened that If this
were done he would throw the House
into a debate that would consume val
liable time. The House leaders do not
believe IN discussing things, If the dis
cussing requires time. Such discussion
throws the we'll oiled machinery of the
House out of gear. develops a piston
knock and slows up progress. Their
attitude on measures affecting the po-
litically impotent District is that pro-
ponents and opponents of legislation
may choose between the alternatives OF
compromising their differences behind
closed doors or else losing the whole
shebang.
The District of Columbia has suffered
from this procedure more than once.
II matter is controversial" 1t is
stamped as something to be avoided
and let alone. The democratic prin-
ciple of putting the decision in the
hands of the ajority becomes a hollow
farce and while monarchies have their
good points, especially in an unwieldy
House, the District of Columbia usually
comes out at the little end OF the horn,
II at all.
AS for the amendments themselves,
the police and firemen may consratu-
late themselves on having won an in
crease i'll pay that will Immediately
beneft men of good record and long
service, and that ultimately will reward
those who stick to their jobs and
demonstrate their ability. Instead of
q blanket increase in pay, the measure,
as rewritten and agreed to by the
House, applies only to those whose
seniority now, and whose good service
from now on, will make them eligible
There are other features of the re-
written bill that the firemen and police
men feel are unsatisfactory. But the
test of these will come later and II
there are faults that demand remedy
it is comforting to remember that there
is always another Congress just around
the corner.