Evening star., 1943-10-18
Holman Offers
DC. Suffrage
BiIIin Senate
Plun Provides for
Public Referendum
On Government Here

On Government Here
Another step to bring citizens of
the District closer to home rule was
taken today by Senator Holman, Re-
publican Of Oregon, who introduced
Into the Senate resolution which
would give Washingtonians an op-
portunity to select their own form
of government.
The need for an autonomous legis-
htive structure in the District was
Impressed on Senator Holman, he
said, during the recent hearings in
connection with the alleged mis-
management of Gallinger Hospital
by Senate District Subcommittee
of which he is chairman.
Under the terms of his resolution,
chairmen of the Senate and House
District Committees would Jointly
appoint a supervisor of elections for
the District at specified annual
salary. Such an official would make
provisions for holding a general cleo
tlon IN which citizens of the District
would be given an opportunity to ex-
press themselves on the type of
government they prefer.
Would Ask Proposals.
Proposals for various charters
would be solicited from among citi-
zens' associations and other civic
bodies. Senator Holman made it
clear that any group would be in
vited to submit proposed charters to
appear on the ballot. Such proposed
charters would be made available
Tor public inspection, digested and
distributed to interested groups and
prepared for submission to the cleo
torate.
ANY question dealing with con-
stitutionality of such proposals
would be submitted for final de-
cisior to the chief justice of the
District Court.
Qualifications of voters, under the
Holman resolution. would be far
more stringent than those set up in
the home rule bill introduced by
Senator McCarran, chairman of the
Senate District Committee, on Octo-
her 7. Whereas the McCarran bill,
which would give District citizens
the right to elect a board of seven
commissioners, sets up a residence
requirement of one year, Senator
Holman would define a citizen as
any one who pays income, real or
personal property taxes in the Dis
trict or who has resided in the Dis
trict continuously for five years and
at the same address for one year.
Such citizens must not claim resi-
dence in any State.
Explains Reasons for Move.
Senator Holman said it was in
excusable" that bona fide citizens
of the District have no voice in the
form of government under which
they must live or in the operation
Of that government"
Il would remedy that" he said,
'by setting up the machinery where
by the people of the District can
recommend to the Congress within
the limits of the Constitution the
kind OF government under which
they choose to live"
The legislator said he was i'm
PEELED to propose his plan to avoid
the danger of home rule in the Dis
trict becoming showed under in a
tangle of different resolutions Of
fered to Congress.
Il recognize the fact that there
Is multitude of ways in which to
approach this problem" he said. Il
submit my resolution as offering at
least one method, and I hope that
the efforts to enfranchise the resi-
dents of the District will not be
defeated by creating an ineXtricable
complication from a multiplicity of
plans designed for that purpose.
Weakness Shown.
Senator Holman said he believed
the recent hearings into the ad-
ministration of Gallinger Hospital
demonstrated the weaknesses of the
present system of allowing three
Commissioners and other municipal
officers to be appointed by the Presi-
dent.
Il don't think the President has
taken the interest he should in his
appointments for the District" the
Senator declared. IF Congress Is
going to clean up this thing, Con-
gress had better provide the entire
machinery for doing it,
Senator Holman said human ma
ture had changed little from the
pre- e-Revolutionary War days, when
the Colonists were continually irked
bv the kind of government handed
them by the King of England.
You can't blame the citizens of
the District from being annoyed
about similar condition now" he
said.
Machinery for holding the char
ter election Is specified in the Hol-
man bill, but the author admitted
he was not necessarily committed
to all the details. Hearings on the
resolution, he said, may develop
better ways OF accomplishing the
same end.
Would Fix Ballot Date.
Provision is made for the cleo
tions supervisor to fix a date on
which the balloting is to take place.
At least 80 days before such an
election the supervisor would be
ordered to designate the voting
place for each election precinct and
to appoint the necessary election
officials to serve at the polling
places.
Instructions for voting shall be
prepared and distributed along with
the ballots, the resolution states.
and voters would be given chance
to list first, second and third choices
as to the charters they prefer.
All eligible citizens would be re-
ouired to enter their names on an
official register of voters, which the
supervisor of elections would be
ordered to establish within rea-
sonable time after the enactment
OF the resolution. The supervisor is
also instructed to set up facilities
for such registration at not less than
three conveniently located places in
the District, and prospective voters
would have to register at one Of
these places not less than 80 days