Evening star., 1938-11-27
Proposal to Create
Local Municipal Assembly.


A bill has been drafted by the
District Suffrage Association for
the creation of an elective local
municipal assembly. The assem-
bly, would consist of Is members
who would represent a like num-
ber of election districts aind five
chosen at large. Members would
serve a term of two years and
receive salaries of $1,000. The
president and vice president.
elected from the members, would
each receive an additional $500.
The assembly would have these
seven powers:
/. To levy taxes for municipal
purposes and cause taxes to be
assessed and collected.
2. To appropriate money for
municipal purposes.
8. To exercise all of the powers
for making codes and regulations
now held by the Board of Com
missioners.
4. To exercise jurisdiction over
streets. alleys and property Of the
District.
S. To ordain the election laws
of the District and define the
election districts.
6. To ordain and cause to be
enforced within the District all
other laws and regulations rea-
sonably needful for the safe
guarding of the peace, security,
health and general welfare of the
Districts inhabitants; to prescribe
penalties for the breach of any
ordinance by fine not in excess of
$500 or imprisonment for not
more than six years or both.
7. To make recommendations to
Congress concerning legislation
affecting the District, including
such legislation as may be neces-
sary to effect economy and eff
cheney in the District government
and to provide for the effectual
participation by District citizens
in governmental affairs.
The District Suffrage Associa-
ton does not propose that its ad-
vocacy of the assembly bill shall
in any way interfere with its sup
port of'the proposed amendments
to the Constitution of the United
States for District of Columbia
national representation. It is ex-
pected the assembly bill, when
introduced, will be referred in
both Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives to the Committees on
the District of Columbia, as no
constitutional amendment is in
volved. In these committees it
will very likely be considered in
connection with numerous pro-
posals for the reorganization of
the District government.
The proposed amendments to
the Constitution, which would
give the District. voting repre-
sentation in both houses of Con-
gress and the electoral college,
are invariably referred to the
Committees on the Judiciary.
There Is wide difference of
opinion regarding the form in
which the District government
shall be reorganized. The coun-
cil-city manager form has nu-
merous supporters. This form is
much at variance with the as
sembly plan for q body Of 81
MEMBER. 16 Of whom shall repre-
sent q like number Of election
districts.
The council-manager plans
which have been put into opera
ton In number of cities nearly
all have a council of nine elected
al large for staggered terms. The
council possesses all Of the legis-
lative powers proposed for the as
sembly and in addition appoints
the manager.
Representative Kennedy, Demo-
crat, of Maryland has been CIV
ing a close study to the problem
Of modernizing and republicaniz-
ing the District government. Just
what is embodied in his plans for
reorganization have not been dis
closed. For many years there has
been an annual crop Of plans for
reorganization Ct the local gov