Evening star., 1935-02-17
VOTE FOR DISTRICT
URGED IN SPECIAL
CITIZENS REPORT
Representation in Congress
and Elected City Council
Advocated.
FEDERATION WILL ACT
SOON ON PROPOSAL
Commission Form of Government
Would Be Retained, With
Major Changes.

ton of an elected city council OF
bona fide local taxpayers was pro-
posed last night by a special COM
mittee of the Federation of Citizens
Association in a preliminary report.
A formal report by the group is to
be presented to the federation next
month. the plan being for the citi-
zens' body to take action at the
ensuing meeting.
While the committee, headed by
George E. Sullivan, urges retention OF
the present commission form OF Gov
ernment, several important, changes
are proposed. One of these provides
that one of the three Commissioners
be nominated by the proposed city
council and another that members OF
the various citizens boards such as
the Board of Education, Board of
Library Trustees, be appointed by the
council.
Undecided on School Board.
There was a division of opinion
among the committee as to whether
the City Council should appoint men,
bers to the Board of Education, or
whether that board should be elected
bv direct vote of District residents
Four members of the committee pro-
posed the appointive power for the
council, two supported the School
Board election plan, and one did not
vote.
National representation for the Dis
trict was listed as the first proposal
of the committee. This calls for
representation in both the House and
Senate and in the electoral college.
and is in keeping with the joint reso-
luton now pending before Congress,
calling for amendment to the Consti-
tuition to give representation to the
disfranchised residents of the Dis
trict.
Years Residence for Voter.
The proposed City Council would
be elected by bona-fide residents OF
the District, who have lived here
for at least one year without voting
elsewhere during that period. The
members of the council would have
to be taxpayers and bona-fide resi-
dents of the District for at least five
years, without having voted else
where.
The majority vote of the committee
was to give this council the following
powers:
Nomination of one member of the
Board of District Commissioners, to
be appointed with the advice and
consent of the Senate.
Appointment of members of the
District civilian boards.
Power on Money Bills.
To propose or oppose items in the
District appropriation bills at any
stage of the consideration thereof,
before the Board of Commissioners,
Bureau of the Budget or the Appro-
priation Committees of Congress.
To hold hearings concerning or in
ouiring into any branch of municipal
activity as a basis for recommends
ton for increased efficiency to the
Board of Commissioners or Congress,
the council being empowered to re-
uuire attendance of witnesses in
ployes and the production of papers
or records.
1t also was proposed that any new
police, traffic, municipal, building,
or health regulations be submitted to
the council for its recommendation
before adoption by the commission.
Commission Form Favored.
The committee also urged the re-
tention of the Board of District Com
missioners in preference to creation
of city manager, mayor or other
new form of government, but stipulated
that all three Commissioners be civil
ians, District taxpayers and actual
= residents of the National Capital
without voting elsewhere, for at least
five years prior to appointment. The
committee also stipulated that all
three be appointed with the consent
of the Senate, and that all three shall
be full-time officials. without super
added official duties, and without
private employment or business con-
nections.
The committee urged that the Pub
lie Utilities Commission be composed
exclusively of full-time members,
having no super-added duties and
no private business connections, and
that one member Of the commission
be nominated by the council.
Abolition of Old Act Sought.
Abolition of a feature of the or.
ganic act Of the District of 1878 was
proposed by the committee, this be.
ing the one which gives the Commits.
or to consolidate two or more offices,
and In lieu thereof the committed
proposed that municipal Offices shall
be definitely fixed and protected b!
law and subject to change only b!
Congress itself.
Other members of the committee
In addition to Chairman Sullivan, are
Henry I. Quinn, William j. Neale
Thomas E. Lodge, Harry N. Stull
Edwin S. Hege and Mrs. George Cor
bin.
New Bridge Sought.
The federation, at its meeting las
night, asked that funds be provided
for a new bridge over Pennsylvania
avenue southeast, to replace the pres
ent aged structure, declared inadequate
to handle the heavy traffic flow be-
tween the District and Maryland.
Lodge, who is chairman OF th'
committee on law and legislation
called attention to two bills recently
presented in Congress authorizing ap'
preparation Of 100000 to refund pay
.ments made to the collector of take!
for allegedly illegal assessments fol