Evening star., 1943-12-09
D.C.5hoppers' League
Urges Approval Of
Home Rule Bill
Senate Subcommittee
Resumes Hearings on
McCurrun Measure
BY DON S, WARREN,

Approval of the McCarran "home
rule" plan for the National Capital
was urged on the Senate District
Subcommittee today by the Wash
ington League of Women Shoppers
as hearings on the local suffrage
question were resumed.
The league filed with Chairman
McCarran a brief statement strong
ly supporting" the bill and asking
that 1t be reported favorably.
Statement Gives Aims.
1t added:
The league is an organization OF
housewives of the middle income
group whose main function Is the
promotion of better standards OF
living as we'll as an equitable cost
of living. especially for lower in
come groups. We have always sup
ported legislation and other activi-
ties that will aid in accomplishing
this purpose through democratic
means.
I'VE believe. as consumer group.
that a city manager form of gov
ernment could be an instrument
which would provide the residents
of the District with some autonomy
in local government affairs Such
autonomy, we feel, will help to
alleviate the many distressing con-
ditions which now flourish in the
District"
Near the close of yesterdays ses-
sion several suffrage advocates chal-
lenged positions taken by Joseph c.
McGarraghy, spokesman for the
Board of Trade, who had held rep
resentation in Congress was the
only practical means by which
Washington can participate in It's
government, and urged continuance
of the present commission form with
enlarged powers.
Citizen Groups Represented.
Several suffrage advocates, who
were to testify later, questioned
Mr.. McGarraghy as to why the
trade body, while seeking national
representation, should object to
election of the citys Commissioners
These included Kenneth P. Arm
strong, representing the Burroughs
Citizens Association; Spared A
Wood of the Citizens Forum Of Co.
lumbia Heights and John H. Con-
naughton of the Federation Of Cit
liens Associations.
When Mr.. Connaughton asked
what objection there could be to
the election of the Commissioners
Mr.. McGarraghy replied the present
system had worked we'll" and that
it was felt not a great many resi-
dents would exercise a right to vote
for city officials, if not granted
elected representative in their law
making body, Congress.
Mr.. Armstrong interjected that
prior to 1871 the District had local
suffrage
Board Made Long Study.
Mr.. McGarraghy explained earlier
the Board Of Trade had reached its
conclusions after long study Of the
whole question and numerous re-
ports on surveys of the municipal
government and its possible reor-
ganization He said these included
the reports of the Citizens Eff
ficiency Committee, the Brookings
Institution. the Griffenhagen and
Associates, the Commissioners CON-
mittee on Reorganization and an
independent study made some years
ago by the Board of Trade.
The body, he added. concluded In
1899 and now was of the opinion
that Washington should be given
national representation and that the
commission form of government
should be retained, but that the
powers of the city heads should be
increased.
Mr.. Armstrong declared that the
Board Of Trade spokesman had con-
ceded that Congress could delegate
purely municipal powers to Wash
ington government and had con-
ceded the present local government
lacks sufficient powers.
Mr.. Armstrong contended that the
right to vote in local election was
not dependent on the right to vote
in State or national election.
On the point as to whether Wash
ington residents would vote in a
local election, he cited figures from
the suffrage referendum held here
in April. 1898. in which 1902 per-
sons voted for national representa-
ton and 6,832 against, and 82,977
voted that they wanted local suf-
frage. with 1O.937 opposed.