Evening star., 1938-03-27
Americanizing Washingtonians
To Be the Subject Of Hearing.

CHAIRMAN HAITIAN w. SUM-
NERS of the House Committee
on the Judiciary has advised
Theodore w. Noyes, chairman Of
the Citizens Joint Committee on
District of Columbia National
Representation, that hearings will
be held on the Norton -Capper joint
resolution either the first or second
week in May. This joint resolution
proposes an amendment to the
Constitution Empowering Congress
to grant voting representation in
the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives, the vote for electors Of
President and Vice President and
the same rights to sue and be sued
in the courts of the United States
as possessed by the citizens of q
State and by aliens.
Chairman Summers, in announc-
ing the decision of his committee
to hold hearing, stated that it is
about time that Congress finally
disposed of this question. He
believes that they should do what
ever is right for the American
citizens resident at the seat Of the
Federal Government. On another
occasion Representative Summers
said that the idea of fellow Ameri-
cans being deprived of the right to
vote and to be represented in their
Government is most repugnant to
him.
Agitation for suffrage by the
residents of the District of Colum-
bia appears to be approaching
high peak. Repressive taxation, in
adequate legislation and a disre-
gard Of the desires of the local
residents has materially stimulated
an insistent demand for the right
of participation in both the coun-
cils of the Nation and in local
affairs. Some citizens have held
back because of a fear that being
given the vote and representation
would reduce the Federal share in
the expenses Of the District and
bring about increased taxes. They
now realize that these dangers are
imminent and still we have neither
vote nor representation. Taxes con-
tinue to rise and the Federal share
to dwindle to near nothing.
The large assembly of delegates
which gathered at the Chamber Of
Commerce of the United States on
March l8 on the call to conference
by the District of Columbia Suf-
frage Association was an impressive
gathering of earnest people. All
shades of opinion on the suffrage
movement both national and local
were represented by the delegates.
There one could see veterans long
identified with the movement and
many who are new recruits.
1t is too early to predict Just what
the outcome of the conference will
be. The declaration of purpose
adopted by the meeting was very
broad and laid a foundation for
painstaking study. A number Of
the delegations were present simply
as observers and will have to report
back and get authority from their
organizations.
A Resolutions Committee of Is
members was intrusted with the
grave responsibility of studying the
multitude of proposals and formu-
latlng a plan upon which the COM
munity can unite in support Of
remedial legislation. Too much
emphasis cannot be placed upon
the gravity of the responsibility
resting upon those on this commit
tee or the opportunity for real
service. Among those who have fol-
lowed this movement for a long
time there is a hope expressed that
these committeeman will rise above
all pettiness and produce report
outlining q course of action which
will unity the forces and advance
rather than retard the movement
for the Americanization of the
Washingtonian.