Evening star., 1937-12-14
District Reorganization.

1t is to be hoped Congress will give
prompt and favorable attention to the
recommendations of the Citizens Com
mittee on Efficiency Of the District Gov
ernment, filed yesterday with the Com
missioners and laid before congressional
committees for action.
Attention Is called to principles of gov
ernment that are so deeply embedded
in the American form that it is strange
they should have to be recalled, par
ticularly as applied to the seat of the
Federal Government But the fact re-
mains that today the more than a half
million residents of the National Capital
are treated on the same basis as aliens,
convicts and the insane. Why? There
is no reasonable answer.
In making recommendations for the
modernization and improvement of the
municipal machinery, this committee of
twenty-one members-representin not
organized groups, but giving good cross
section Of the Districts civic, professional
and business life-has recommended that
Congress provide for an elected, voting
representation in both Houses of Con-
greSs, and for a measure of taxpayer
representation in municipal affairs
This committee did not ask for all that
District residents are entitled to, but
stated principles that cannot be denied.
1t is to be congratulated upon it's ap-
praisal of the complicated nature of the
National Capital and upon the principles
it enunciated It's work is valuable con-
tribution. With a worldly-wise knowl-
edge of conditions and the prospects OF
the District taxpayer, the committee has
made its recommendations entirely prac-
tical.
1t has recognized the exclusive juris-
diction which has been given to Congress,
under the Constitution, over the affairs
Of the seat of the National Government.
1t also has recognized the responsibility
OF all of the citizens of the United States
toward the maintenance and develop
ment of the National Capital. 1t has
stated properly the extra costs borne by
the residents Of the District by reason
OF the fact that this is the National Cap
ital. 1t asks only fair treatment.
At the same time this committee of
tWenty-one, speaking from undoubted
experience and knowledge of the spirit of
the American form of government and its
present strange application here, asks
that Congress grant District voting rep
resentation in the National legislature. 1t
states: THE principle of representation
wherever there is taxation is one
of the fundamental principles of the
American system of government, too we'll
established to require comment" This
could be provided by Congress, and ap-
proved as an amendment to the Consti-
tuition, without depriving Congress of
any OF its exclusive powers over the Dis
trict. 1t should be granted.
The committee also recommends that,
short of complete local suffrage, the Dis
trict taxpayers should be given a meas
ure of control over purely municipal
affairs. This can be done without lessen-
ing any of the prerogatives of Con-
gress. In fact, the committees report
recognizes that Congress has been I'M
duly burdened with the minute details
OF the administration of city of more
than half million persons. It recog-
nizes that there is no sense in having
the detailed items of municipal budget
considered by Federal officials dealing
with the budgets of national bureaus,
with which it has utterly no relation. II
recognizes, also, that the Federal budget
ofiicer should pass upon the size of the
Federal payment toward expenses of the
National Capital
What could be more sensible and
American than such principles? There
may be some argument over the details
of the proposed new setup for the mu-
nicpal machinery. The committee itself
suggests that the Commissioners and
Congress consider the plan in general,
leaving the details of proposed changes
in municipal government for specific
and careful study. as separate PROPOSE
tions.
Friends OF the disfranchised residents
OF the National Capital should give
thoughtful heed to the proposal of this
group OF citizens. for they reiterate gen.
eral principles that too long have been