Evening star., 1932-06-05
DISTRICT CAN BEST
GOVERN SELF, SAYS
MRS. MARY NORTON
Representative, in Radio In
tervieW, Makes Plea for
Vote Here.
HITS AS INSULT DEFENSE
OF RULE BY CONGRESS
Sees Victory for Representation
Near if Citizens Will Unite and
Manifest Interest.

Manifest Interest.
ut is an insult to admit that Wash.
ington can be governed better by Con.
gress than through representatives o.
citizens interested in the CITY," Mrs
Mary T. Norton, chairman of the
House District Committee, declared il
a radio interview over Station WMAL
| conducted by Betty Jane Evans" las
night.
Taking her position that her sever
years service as a member of the Dis.
trlct Committee has taught her that the
business of the District IS 'nobody's
business" Mrs. Norton championed the
cause of national representation for the
| District
Members Of Congress who are ap-
pointed to serve OH the House Distric,
| Committee" she declared. usually are
new members, and are from every part
OF the entire country They are strang-
ers to the District, excepting that they
know the District as the Federal City
! AS such 1t should be a patriotic duty
| OF every American to do what he or she
can for the progress and benefit Of this
! fair city. 1t is not a personal task. In
other words, they are not responsible
to any one.
Regarded as Stepchildren.
| Members are elected to serve the
| districts from which they come; their
service on the District Committee is just
an addition to the many other problems
they must consider of benefit to their
| own constituency; and so. in a sense
| the people of the District have more
| nf ralo nF
! 1T always has been my impression
! that to do a job effectively you must
have your heart in the work, and GER
| tainly the new members of Congress
! find 1t difficult to serve people they
know nothing at all about, excepting
what they rave read about them and
what the tholhand-and-one complaints
coming from people of the District in
dicate
Just how many of these complaints
are justified Is question that admits
much doubt. Therefore, it is abso-
! lutely necessary to take the word OF
somebody who is interested in the Dis
! trict. The District Committee usually
! has decided that the District Com
missioners, appointed by the President
| should be the court of last resort as
to what is good or bad for the Dis
trict. In other words. the RESPONSE
bility must be placed somewhere and
! it would seem that the Commissioners
are better able to judge all these diff
ferent points than any other authority
! Commissioners Should Be Qualified
! But the question then arises-just
how much do the Commissioners know
! about the District. since very often
they are appointed largely because of
| M +La,,
are familiar with or particularly in
! terested in the affairs of the District
! If the people were voting for men to
| represent them, would they vote
j for those who are representing them =?
| Il think OF the government of the
F, District much as I would think OF
the government of my home city.
where every one will admit the best
/ results come from the closest cooper
| alton between the people and the city
commissioners
If the Commissioners were respon-
sible to the people instead Of to the
President. it would seem a better type
Of government. I believe representa-
tive government cannot be had through
! appointments made by the President,
who is elected every four years and at
| the termination of his Office another
set of Commissioners may be ap-
| pointed"
Asked If she thinks there is much
opposition to granting votes to Wash
! ington, Mrs. Norton replied:
Opposition From Wealthy.
"I have heard of opposition from
| only one quarter, and that is the
, wealthy residents of Washington, who
are perfectly satisfied with the present
| form of government-and from those
! others of the leisure class, who, having
retired from active business, come here
to enjoy their remaining days in an
atmosphere Of culture and beauty.
Il believe the majority of working
people here. as we'll as property owners.
| would be glad to have the opportunity of
selecting their own representatives" "
Asked if she thinks there is any i'm
mediate chance of victory in the cause
OF national representation, Mrs. Norton
replied encouragingly:
Il think there is every chance Of
victory if and when the people inter-
! ested will make their interest manifest
United Action Necessary.
ut Is the obligation of every man
and woman who desires a change in
the form of government not only to
make their opinion known. but to Or
ganize in united effort the objective
of which would be either a modified
form of governing representatives in
the Senate and House, or. if they de-
sire to go still further, to elect city
commissioners and place the response
bility for the conduct of government in
their hands as is done in every large
city throughout the country"
advantage to the rest of the country
if votes were granted the District, Mrs.
Norton said:
1T would seem that there would
accrue no disadvantage to the rest Of
the country to Americanize Washing
tonians. but the residents would have
to recognize that this is the Capital
City and entitled to every considera-
ton as SUCH"
AS to the effect on the District of
granting a vote, she declared:
That question is rather difficult to
answer. The effect would entirely de-
pend on the kind of government de-
sired. The people would have many
problems which are now decided for
| them. Whether or not this would work
out to their advantage or disadvantage
is matter that only time could tell.
However, it is worth trying"
Asked about what detrimental effects
the vote could have on the Capital, she
said:
1T could be detrimental if the people
elected to represent the District were
not fitted for Office This is chance
that always must be taken"
Discusses Taxes.
Taxation Of property may be higher