Evening star., 1939-06-04
BY JESSE c. SUTER.


breaking heat, but the milk in
vestigation is being given the
credit for producing a real civic
sensation during the past week.
While milk is generally regarded
as a non-explosive fluid, no mat
ter what the bacteria count may
be, it has once more been proven
that milk Investigations are high
ly explosive affairs.
Disclosure of some aggressive
lobbying resulted in a flare-up
which threatened the very ex-
istence of the House District
Committee itself. The trouble
appears to have blown over for
the time being AS the real
trouble is fundamental, a major
operation will, in all probability,
be required.
Civic meetings are daily be-
coming more scarce Last night
the Federation of Citizens Asso-
Citations held its last regular
meeting until October. While
these regular activities are being
suspended for the summer some
of the special civic jobs are just
getting under way.
A testimonial dinner is being
arranged to mark the completion
of so years in the official service
of the District government of
Commissioner Melvin C. Hazen.
This will be held at the Hotel
Mayf1ower on Wednesday, June
%. Lawrence E. Williams, the
new president of the Board of
Trade, is the general chairman of
the Dinner Committee and the
required subcommittee are being
appointed.
Another of the special activi-
ties is the Presidents Cup Re-
gatta, which will be held in Sep
tember. President John A.
Remon of the Regatta Associ-
alton has announced tie sched-
ule of committee luncheon meet
ings which are to continue until
the time of the regatta.
District legislation is making
little progress at either end Of
the Capitol The Senate Appro-
priations District of Columbia
Subcommittee is about ready to
begin marking up the Senate
version of what the District ap-
preparation bill should be. Sem
ator Overton is reported still to
be set on trying to get an increase
of the Federal payment. This
is sought particularly to permit
replacement of some of the old
and inefficient public school
buildings.
The House District Committee
at a meeting on Thursday voted
to report out several House bills.
Among these were the following:
A bill divorcing the District Un-
employment Compensation Board
from the Federal Social Security
Board. This will lead to a re-
duction in the present per cent
pay roll tax on local employers.
A bill to establish a so-called
fair trade practice" law was or
dered reported out, despite the
Presidents request for delay.
Another bill would authorize the
Commissioners, with the approval
of the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission, to sell Dis
trict-owned property no longer
required for public purposes. A
bill would transfer from the
Office of Recorder of Deeds to
the Department of Vehicles and
Traffic the duty of recording liens
and releases on motor vehicles
upon which certificates of title
have been issued. The final bill
in the group would include La
fayette Park within the provision
of existing law giving to the
Commissioners and the Fine Arts
Commission authority to control
the height and exterior design of
private and semi public buildings
in the vicinity of certain specified
public buildings and parks.
Political and Fiscal Equity
Outrank All Other Problems.
Analysis of the leading local
civic problems now pending be-
fore Congress for solution indi-
Gates that the difficulties are
fundamental and require to be
dealt with as such. Legislators,
earnest and able, are struggling
with problems with which they
are not familiar and without the
Senefit of the viewpoint of the
local people, who are most di-
rectly concerned by any local
legislation.
In the making of plans for a
reorganization or "streamlining"
the District government the
whole process would be greatly
simplified if the District people
had their duly elected members
of the Senate and House of Rep
resentatives to voice and vote
their ideas as to the setup. That
would be the American way of
doing the job and the abortive
attempts have proven conclusive
ly it is the only way. Many of
the District people believe with
Lincoln that no man is good
enough to govern another man
without that others consent.
From the beginning the men in
Congress have tried to govern
the National Capital from the
dictator angle, but they have
failed. The voteless people Of the
nistr{rt consider fhA fai11IrA to he