The Washington times., 1937-03-19
GREATER LOCAL
RULE FOR DC.
ISURGED

and in their places a single sub
committee be named to inquire
into both of these questions stimuli
taneously.
Revamping Is Studied
Later in the day, Representa-
tives Mary T. Norton Cd, of New
Jersey, chairman of the House Dis
trict Committee, and Ambrose
Kennedy CD, of Maryland, chair
man of the tax subcommittee, in
weighing the advisability of the
Nichols proposal, touched upon the
new idea of having a new single
group appointed to launch the in
quiry looking to the entire revamp-
ing of the municipal governments S
set-up in Washington.
They are believed prepared to
bring this matter before the Dis
trict Committee at its meeting
neXU wednesday.
Meanwhile, the hearings before
the subcommittee named to study
the contents of the Presidents
committee report have been
recessed pending a determination
of what course the study will take
from now on.
The hearings were brought to a
temporary close yesterday after
the subcommittee had concluded
it's questioning of George Nc
Aneny, chairman of the Presi-
dents committee, and j. L. Jacobs,
who dire"-0d the study on which
the fiscal report was based.
Quiz Yields Little
Little was developed from the
questioning of these two witnesses,
partly because the few members
of the subcommittee present had
read the report before the hear
ings started and therefore were
not in a position to quiz the wit
neSses closely.
One of the arguments of the
witnesses which apparently con
vinced the members of the Dis.
trict subcommittee was that the
District should be given much
greater powers of self-government
and that reorganization of the
present setup is necessary for the
sake of efficiency and economy.
1t is because of the agreement
of the members of the subcommit'
tee with this argument that the
new idea of making the wider
study resulted.
In the discussion between Mrs
Norton and Mr.. Kennedy yester
day it was suggested that the new
subcommittee be composed of only
three members and that the sub
committee be provided with an ad
wiser familiar with the details Of
the District government and the
local problem. This adviser, it was
suggested. would be employed tc
aid the subcommittee in drafting
the proper legislation to carry out
the broad program suggested.
The name of William Roberts
former Peoples Counsel of the Dis
trict, who several years ago aided
in the preparation of a report
which provided for a drastic reor
ganization of the local govern
ment, was suggested as a posi-
BILE candidate for the advisers 20
sition, as was the name of E. Bar
rett Prettyman, who recently re
signed as corporation counsel for
the city.
Such an inquiry, 1t is suggested
by Kennedy, could develop and put
through legislation which would
give Washington authority to pre-.
pare its own budget and submit it
directly to Congress and would per
NIT the city heads-which, Incl
dentally might be changed to a
city manager or city council form
of supervision-to act on many of
the problems which now can be
made law only by acts of Congress
$4,000 Asked for Inquiry
A similar plan already has been
outlined on the Senate side of the
Capitol but has been held up to
await House action.
The Jacobs report was referred
in the Senate to the Appropria.
tions Committee instead of the
District Legislative Committee
Senator Carter Glass Cd of Vir.
ginia, chairman of the full com
mittee, and Senator Elmer Thomas
(DD of Oklahoma, chairman OF
the District subcommittee, will con
slider the report in the regular way
when the 1888 supply bill comes
over from the House.
Despite the fact that the report
has not been put in the jurisdic
tion of the legislative committee
Senator William H, King CD of