Evening star., 1936-04-23
HOUSE CHAIRMAN
PLANS APPEAL TO
PARTY COMMITTEE
Will Request Action by Plat
form Group at Con.
vention.
NEED OF SQUARE DEAL
FOR RESIDENTS CITED
Alternate Suggestion Calls for
Delegates With Status of
Those From Hawaii.
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

convinced the District will not get
square deal in Congress until the
shackles of disfranchisement are re-
moved from the residents, Chairman
Norton Of the House District Com
mittee, announced today she would
appeal to the Democratic National
Committee to include a plank in its
new platform pledging the party's
support to the national representation
movement.
Mrs. Norton plans to attend the
Democratic National Convention in
Philadelphia in June. at which time
she will urge the Platform Committee
to include the national representation
plank.
Sponsor of a joint resolution now
pending in the House to grant ma
tional representation to the people of
the District, Mrs. Norton said she is
determined to push her fight for its
adoption. She believes if the Demo-
cratic party itself will indorse the
resolution, action on it may be expe-
dited at the next session of Congress
power.
u am going to the Democratic con-
vention with the firm hope Of getting
support for the national representa-
ton resolution" said Mrs. Norton.
Il am satisfied the people of the Dis
trict will never be treated fairly in
Congress until they have their own
representatives to battle for their
rights"
Suggests Alternative.
Mrs. Norton explained that II she
fails in her effort to get a national
representation plank, she will suggest
as an alternative the party go on
record in favor Of giving the District
the privilege of electing delegates to
Congress who would have the same
status as those from Hawaii and
Alaska. These delegates have vir.
tually the same privileges as men,
Der Of the House. except they are not
permitted to vote.
The attitude of the House toward
District legislation, especially appro-
priation measures, has served to in
tensify Mrs. Norton's belief that only
through national representation will
the people of the Nations Capital be
given just treatment. She is par
ticularly bitter over the House cuts
made in the 1887 appropriation bill,
as we'll as the 100000 reduction in
the share of the Federal Government
toward the expenses of the District.
People of Washington do not have
vote and therefore their problems
must be assumed by representatives
from all over the country who actually
represent their own district and have
but nominal interest in the District"
! said Mrs. Norton. THE business Of
the House is for the most part con-
Quoted by the membership Of the
House resolved into committees. Each
bill introduced is Immediately referred
for consideration to the committee
that has jurisdiction over that par
ticular phase of legislation.
District Committee Cited.
ut is easily seen that each member
Of Congress is desirous of being placed
on that committee which can be of
service to his own district. The COM
mittee on the District of Columbia
receives all bills affecting the District
Of Columbia. This committee is COM
posed of 19 men and women repre-
senting 20 States.
THE committee on the District of
Columbia is in no way connected with
any problem that has to do with any
members own district. 1t is con-
cerned entirely with the municipal
work of the City of Washington.
Therefore, membership on this COM
mittee is of necessity a patriotic
service.
ANY member of Congress can in
troduce bills affecting the District of
Columbia and any citizen of Washing
ton can request any member of Con-
gress to introduce a bill. Therefore,
it is easily seen that the District of
Columbia is factually at the mercy of
a Congress whose membership in
many instances utterly disregard their
duty to the District of Columbia.
There is only one solution to the
problem and that is for the people of
the District to have their own rep
resentatives in Congress"