Evening star., 1938-05-19

tions committee dealing with the
District was quoted by the witness as
saying he would rather have the itch
than to be the chairman Of that
committee"
MIR. Waldrop quoted at length from
the so-called Jacobs report on fiscal
relations between the Federal and
local governments to demonstrate the
ability" of this city to pay for its
own government,
The worst feature Of the local gov
ernment, as shown in this report, he
said, was public health administra-
ton, which could be greatly improved.
he said. 'if we had control over our
own appropriations"
Even though Congress intended the
District of Columbia to participate in
benefits of the Wagner Housing Act,
Mr. Waldrop said an omission of law
had made this benefit impossible and
resulted in a new request to Congress
to correct the deficiency. He pointed
this out as an example of "our anom-
alous position"
Ayers Opens Opposition.
Mr.. Ayers, who opened for the op-
position, spoke briefly and introduced
Mrs. Pryse Mrs. Pryse concluded her
arguments and Mr.. Ayres will resume
tomorrow morning. He told Chairman
Summers he would like to have an
hour and a half in view of the time
already allowed proponements of suf-
frage. Chairman Summers, however,
suggested that all witnesses tomorrow
condense their statements SO the state
ments may be concluded then.
Both Mr.. Ayres and Mrs. Pryse COM
planned that the press of Washing
ton-The Star in particular-had con-
slstently given more space in favor Of
suffrage than against it.
Mrs. Pryse charged that proponents
had shown an unWillingness to debate
the issue. If equal news space and
radio time had been given the oppo-
sition, she said, the result Of the recent
referendum which was overWhelm-
ingly in favor of suffrage, would have
been entirely different"
Mrs Pryse filed with the Judiciary
Committee the minority report signed
by herself. opposing national repre-
sentation, in the District of Columbia
Federation of Women's Clubs, of which
she is legislative chairman. She ex-
planned that the question of national
representation had come to vote in
the District of Columbia Federation
of Women's Clubs and that they had
voted 35 in favor of national repre-
sentation and II against. When this
result was forwarded to the General
Federation Of Women's Clubs. Mrs.
Pryse said, the General Federation re-
ported that because of her strong
minority report 1t did not feel it could
take favorable action on national rep
reSentation.
Her own club, the Marietta Women's
Club, she said. had voted 2 to l against
national representation.
Income Tax Built Up.
Mrs Pryse charged that the Internal
Revenue Bureau had notified members
of Congress to file their income tax
returns in the local district here with
its headquarters in Baltimore. She
claimed this built up the income tax
return for the District of Columbia
unduly because the members of Con-
gress should have filed at home,
In conclusion Mrs. Pryse said:
If suffrage is granted to the Dis
trict of Columbia it would only be
another pain in the neck to Congress
I insist that We already have repre-
sentation, that of the whole Congress
of the United States. I would rather
place the administration of this Fed
eral City in the hands of 435 Congress
| men and 96 Senators than in those of
half dozen local politicians.
Washington is one of the best gov
erned cities in the world Through the
interest of Congress and the spending
| of hundreds Of millions of Federal
funds, it is fast becoming the most
beautiful city in the world. Why
tinker with something that is almost
ideal?
Il submit. gentlemen. that if the
FeCeTdl government we're not lOCdCeO
| here Washington would be no more
than mere village on the Potomac
Mr.. Lesh, vice chairman of the
Citizens Joint Committee. stressed the
cause of national representation at the
| opening session OF the hearing yester-
day District Commissioner George
E. Allen. who is chairman of the
Committee on Congressional Hearings
of the Citizens Joint Committee,
launched the fight with a stirring plea
for District suffrage.
"Irrevocable" Question Raised.
During his comprehensive argument,
Mr.. Lesh was pressed by Chairman
Summers on the point of whether
grants Of suffrage in the pending joint
resolution were ''irrevocable" The
chairman said he thought there might
be more difficulty" in getting through
Congress an "irrevocable provision"
than if the power of control were left
in the hands of Congress"
In response, Mr. Lesh told the COM
mittee that in his opinion the pending
legislation would give Congress the
power to revoke local suffrage, but he
insisted Il don't want to advocate
r. Cash g.. .,-.