Evening star., 1938-03-24
HEARINGS IN MAY
0ND.C. vOTEPLAN
Hope for Definite Action
on Issue Voiced by
Chairman Summers.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

Hearings will start early in May,
probably the first week, on the Nor
ton-Capper Joint resolution which pro-
poses to grant full national representa-
ton to the residents of the District of
Columbia on the same basis as resi-
dents of State, through a constitu-
tional amendment.
This was announced today by Chair
man Hatton w. Summers of the House
Judiciary Committee, who expressed
the hope definite action will at last be
taken on this subject.
ut is about time that Congress
finally disposed of this question We
should do whatever is right for the
people resident at the seat of Govern
ment," he said. MY committee has
authorized me to arrange for these
hearings, as requested by delegation
from the Citizens Joint Committee on
National Representation.
The delegation was headed by Dis
trict Commissioner George E. Allen.
Chairman Summers explained that he
will consult with Theodore w. Moves,
chairman. and other representatives
of the Citizens Joint Committee re-
garding witnesses who will be invited
to testify at the hearings.
Resolutions Identical
House Joint Resolution 232 was in
troduced by Representative Norton,
Democrat, of New Jersey, former
chairman of the House District Gov
mittee, in February, 1887. It is
identical with Senate Joint Resolution
l3, introduced by Senator Capper, Re-
publican, of Kansas, former chairman
of the Senate District Committee The
resolution proposes an amendment
to the Federal Constitution empower
ing Congress to grant voting repre-
sentation in the Senate and House to
District residents, and to give them
the right to elect presidential electors
equal to the aggregate of the Districts
representation in Senate and House.
It would also grant to District resi-
dents the same right to sue and be
sued in the United States courts
throughout the country as possessed
by the citizens of the States and by
aliens.
This resolution, in almost identical
form, has for years been introduced
in each successive Congress. Hear
ings were held before the House Ju-
dietary Committee in 1921, 1926 and
1928, but that committee has never
reported out this measure. In the
Senate there have been several hear
ings before the District Committee,
which in 1922 made favorable re-
port, which was reffiarmed few
years later The resolution is now
pending in the Senate Judiciary Com
mittee, whic hhas never held hear
ing on the proposed constitutional
amendment.
The amendment to the Federal Con-
stitution sought under the Norton
Capper joint resolution Is sponsored
by the Citizens Joint Committee on
National Representation for the Dis
trict of Columbia, of which Mr.. Noyes
is chairman.
Hearing Committee Members.
Arrangements for the forthcoming
hearing are in charge Of a subcom-
mittee of the Committee on Congress
sional Hearings and consists of Com
missioner Allen, Jesse G. Suter and
Paul E. Lesh. Other members of the
hearings committee are NJ w. Bas-
tian, Miss Selma M. Borchardt, w.
NICK. Clayton, Frank J. Coleman, Ed
ward F. Colladay, John B. Colpoys,
Robert j. Cottrell, Guilford S. jane
son, Mrs. William Kittle, Thomas E.
Lodge, Malcolm s. McConihe, Newbold
Noyes, Mrs. Louis Gutenberg, Eta L.
Taggart, Evan H. Tucker, Mrs. Harvey
w. Wiley. Mrs. Evalyn Walsh Mclean,
Lowell Mellett, Eugene Meyer, Mrs.
Eleanor Patterson and Mrs. Charles
H. Weston.
The amendment has the support of
several hundred local, national State
and regional organizations, including
local-Washington Board of Trade,
Federation of Citizens Association,
representing IS organizations; the Bar
Association, Central Labor Union, rep
resenting organized labor; national
Chamber of Commerce of the United
States, American Federation Of Labor,
National League of Women Voters,
American Federation Of Teachers and
National League Of Young Democrats
Of America.