Evening star., 1931-12-14
A Frank Statement.

II Is with real regret that the retire.
ment of Senator Vandenberg of Michigan
from the Senate District Committee Is
noted, for the Senator has shown him
self to be sympathetic and energetic
worker for the residents of this COM
munity. The unrepresented taxpayers
Of the Capital need such men on the
committees to which are intrusted
measures directly affecting their welfare.
The reasons prompting Senator
Vandenberg's retirement from the Dis
trict Committee are significant. II have
requested release from the committee
because Of my inability to find time in
the midst Of my other responsibilities" +"
he writes, Ito give affairs of the District
the attention they deserve. Without
going into the question whether the
District ought to have complete
autonomy, at least the Commissioners
ought to have an autonomy that would
take care of all purely administrative
functions"
The Senator is to be commended
for his candor. Everybody realizes
the heavy responsibilities that fall to
the members of Congress as the repre-
sentatives of the constituents who send
them here, and as members of the
legislative body directing national
policy in national affairs There can
be no complaint against the member
who states with Senator Vandenberg's
frankneSS that these responsibilities and
the press of duties they incur prevent
their attention to the District of Co.
lumbia. The real complaint is against
those members of Congress who feel
what Senator Vandenberg has been
honest enough to admit, but who con-
tinue to go through the motions of
giving affairs Of the District the at
tention they deserve" without really
doing it
The affairs of the District are far
too important to be a mere by-product
Of the spare time OF a Senator or Rep
resentative," says Senator Vandenberg
But he, and everybody else, knows
that unfortunately that is what they
have come to be- With a few such
notable exceptions as Senator Capper,
to whom Senator Vandenberg pays a
just tribute for his faithfulness to his
duties as chairman Of the Senate Dis
trict Committee, the large majority of
members Of both houses of Congress
treat District affairs as rather tire
some detail, to be considered when and
If there is spare time afforded by an
mterlude in the consideration of other
minority that chooses to seek promi-
nence by adoption of petty and bully
Raging tactics toward the politically
impotent members of the District COM
munity, an attitude that is possible for
those who have been given a tempo
rary position of authority and who are
notably unified to gain any other sort
of prominence.
partial remedy may lie in giving
to the Commissioners more authority
for the transaction of routine admins
trative duties. Their lack of such au-
thority is absurd. But even possessing
such authority, there is no guarantee
that the relief from routine thereby
provided for the legislators at the
Capitol would gain for the people of
the District any tangible benefit. Ger
tainly partial transfer or delegation
of authority in minor matters from the
Congress to the Commissioners would
serve as no substitute for the right of
the Americans who live and pay taxes
in the District OF Columbia to be rep
resented, according to the American
tradition, in the councils Of their rulers