Evening star., 1933-09-11
COSTELLO OPPOSES
IMAM RULE HERE
CoIpoys Backs Committee.
man in Sponsoring Repre-
sentative Government.

4Ic SusecSIcO OIlt-uldu Iule lOr CQe
District in place of the present system
of administration by a board of three
Commissioners does not meet the ap-
proval of John F. Costello, Democratic
national committeeman for the District,
nor of John B. Colpoys, chairman of
the Democratic Central Committee OF
the District.
The two leaders Of the local Demo-
cratic organization prefer to see the
people here given a real voice in the
conduct of heir government, if there is
to be any change.
The District has never been happy
under the Commissioner system" said
Mr. Costello. but it is unlikely there
would be any improvement under a
one-man rule. The city manager plan
has never worked well in other cities
and 1t Is not going to work in Wash
ington.
Wants Control by Citizens.
"A system of local government that
will give the control to the citizens Of
the District IS the one and only change
favor here. The citizens of the Dis
trict deserve q voice in the manage
ment of their affairs. The Revolution
was fought on the issue of no taxation
without representation yet citizens OF
the District in the last 10 years have
paid half billion dollars in taxes with
out any opportunity to direct the dispo-
sition and administration OF that
money"
Costello deprecated our "semi-mlli-
&or,, form of UnVernmpnt
THE citizen of the District has few
rights. An inimicable Congress in
which we have no friends controls our
eyery step. The Commissioners have
none to answer to but the President.
And what is worse, one Of the Com
missioners Is an Army man acquainted
only with Army methods, kit appointed
to a post which requires a civilian"
Colpoys likewise hit strongly at the
military element in the administration
of District affairs.
Expensive Luxury"
IT favor a representative government
for the people of Washington" he said.
but if we can't have that yet, would
like to see the Army deprived Of its
influence over the municipality. Not
only are there ethical arguments against
an Army Engineer as District. Com l.
missioner, but it is an expensive luxury.
There are no local projects Of such
moment and intricacy that the so-called
high-type of engineer is necessary to
carry them out. A civilian engineer
with a civilian philosopy is needed"
Would the abolition of the commits
sionership and the installation Of a city
manager be a step eliminating the
Army Engineer Commissioner COlpOyS
was asked.
Il don't see how" he replied. "A
city manager would have to have bu-
reaus under him to carry out the neces-
sary work. There's going to be an en-
gineer whether he's a Commissioner or
bureau chief.
ANY proposed change is meaningless
unless it confers the inherent American
right of voting franchise upon the
iSfied until the District of Columbia
has two Senators in the United States
Senate, a Representative in the House
Of Representatives and vote in the
electoral college"
Backs Vote for District.
Costello declined to conjecture what
the President might be driving at in
his desire to provide the District with a
monarch"
There's only one logical step. That's
to give us a vote. I defy any one to
find in any city higher type of citizen
than those who live here. They are tor
the most part civil service workers.
Before they got their jobs they had to
pass a highly competitive examination
and they had to be proved good citizens
of integrity, sense and worth. They are
hand picked for work which reqlires
high intelligence, and yet they haven't
q thing to say about how their money
| it for them.
There never has been an argument
presented against the District fran
chise and there never will be-"