Evening star., 1940-08-18
Capital SideIights
BIZ Will P. Kennedy.

The legislative mill sometimes grlnds
slowly, as is illustrated in two matters
of importance to District people which
are current news. r. Walton Moore, now
counselor of the State Department, ad-
vocated in 1921, while he was member
of the House and active in District az
fairs that the District should have the
right to submit its own budget, without
being subject to measurement by the
Federal yardstick and detailed examina-
ton by the Budget Bureau. Now the new
director of the budget Harold D. Smith.
has ruled that the responsibility for the
District budget rests primarily with the
District Commissioners and that his own
supervision is strictly to conserve the
Federal interests and to safeguard
against an unbalanced budget. This is
exactly what Congressman Moore argued
10 years ago.
Even more timely Is the activity In
Congress, resulting from the Democratic
platform plank on District suffrage. to
put through q resolution to grant the
District representation in Congress.
Leonidas c. Dyer Of Missouri, while
chairman of the House Judiciary Com
mittee more than IS years ago, spon-
sored a similar resolution and Repre-
sentative Earl c. Michener of Michigan,
still a member of the Judiciary Commit
tee and also of the Rules Committee, CO.
operated with Mr.. Dyer at that time.
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While the residents of the National
Capital, who do not maintain a voting
residence in some State even though they
are in fact bona fde permanent resi-
dents of the District. are disenfranchised
completely, individual citizens. for cause,
NAV be disenfranchised in Al States
all but Michigan-for upward of so rea-
sons State election laws in South Caro-
lima disqualify voters for % reasons and
in Alabama for Is reasons. Disqualified
tions are in two main classes-convic-
ton for certain crimes, insane persons,
idiots, incompetents illiterates and pau
pers. Other qualification for voting in
clude-age, residence and registration
requirements and payment of poll tax.
Forty States bar their voting booths to
persons convicted of felony; "a States
for conviction of electoral bribery. All
but four States prohibit soldiers and
sailors from voting in States in which
they may be stationed.
The only United States municipality
which operates a weather bureau is San
Jose, Calf. which took it over seven
years ago when the United States Wealth
er Bureau decided to close its shop there
due to reduced appropriation. The city
took over the equipment records and re-
tanned the Governments meterologist.
Concrete made skid-resistant through
acid treatment which etches and rough
ems the pavement is being tried out in
various parts of the United States ac-
cording to cloakroom gossip of Con-
gressmen.
Representative Louis Ludlow Of IN
diana calls attention to the fact that in
cooperation with the War Department,
Pan American Airways, which has en-
joyed airmail subsidies, now expects
within IA months to turn out from its
training school in Miami 1850 superbly
qualified long-range navigators"-as
national defense factor.
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Legislatures of II States are now US
ing electrical roll call machinesAsimilar
to one tried out in Congress more than
a decade ago. Virginia and Louisiana
use the machines in both House and
Senate. Nebraska, the latest State to
adopt this method Of recording the vote,
has only a single legislative body. On
minor matters the electrical roll call may
take only 10 seconds.
Johnny McCake, Republican chief
page in the House and big brother to all
the more than so boy pages, had them as
guests at his annual picnic on his farm.
They rode horses bareback, tackled
creased pigs, had a watermelon eating
contest, pitched horseshoes and enjoyed
all farm sports. George w. Mexican,
foreman Of the folding room at the Capt.
tol, helped Johnny to haul the boys and
the picnic supplies out to the farm and
back. "Fishbait" Miller, Duke" Belote
and Cotton" Kitchings are sample
nicknames.